Outsourcing IT – Things to Consider

Outsourcing your IT can be a cost-effective solution to the digital and technological requirements of a business. Technology can be hugely empowering if you get it right and when used effectively, it can give you a competitive advantage, increase your productivity and enable you to give your customers a first-class customer experience.

This article outlines some considerations if your business is considering outsourcing its IT…

Outsourcing IT – when is support needed?

Companies who are looking to outsource their IT – need to consider there are different levels of?Business IT support?and thoroughly consider the advantages these each have?prior to choosing the best option for them. Small to medium sized companies usually benefit most from fully outsourcing their IT support. This typically involves appointing an external company who are experts in their field to manage their IT systems, ensuring that all patch updates are implemented across all servers and endpoints, security measures are put in place to keep your company data secure, and your back-ups are working and fully tested if they were ever needed.

Another consideration to make is the option of partial outsourcing, which involves hiring a single IT Support specialist internally while also engaging with an IT Support/Services company to assist with day-to-day tickets, repeat tasks such as Windows patching and backup checks, best practice advice around security and project work and escalation for your internal specialist. This strategy ensures that your business has access to full IT support should your in-house specialist or team fall ill, or take time off or they need a point of escalation for fixing multiuser or complex issues.

Partial outsourcing can also take the form of splitting up IT services requirements. In-house teams are given accountability for certain aspects of?system IT maintenance?while other tasks are allocated to their external IT support service.?This can be a beneficial framework for companies in Suffolk where the IT team’s duties overlap, or for complex parts of IT that are too time-consuming to be fixed in-house without wasting valuable resources.

Outsourcing IT – the different kinds

IT support companies generally offer a variety of support services which you the option to decide what you think would best suit your specific business requirements.

Levels of IT support typically include:

1. Online only IT support?– this is a more cost-effective option than hands-on support. It typically benefits businesses whose employees are confident at fixing IT issues with an expert to help walk them through the process, usually by telephone, online chat or email.
2. Pay-as-you-go IT support?– this involves setting up a fund up-front, in order to receive reactive?IT support.?Pay-as-you-go support will benefit businesses who are equipped to maintain their IT infrastructure day-to-day and feel they will only require specialist help in an emergency. Due to its expense, it is not a good long-term solution for companies that will need regular assistance
3. Managed IT support?– this involves signing a monthly or annual contract with an IT support company who will proactively manage your system on your behalf. This service keeps on top of hardware and software updates, ensures backup, and guards against malware whilst working with you to understand your business goals and ensure that technology will enable these.

Things to consider when searching for IT Support

There are many other things that businesses should take into consideration when searching for outsourced IT support and services, including:

1. Account management?– some, but not all, IT Support Providers offer an account management service as part of ongoing managed support. Account management is where a member of the outsourced IT company will be in charge of the sales and relationship with you. This can be extremely beneficial to your long-term IT goals and will generally include proactive work with you on a technology roadmap, so it is ultimately aligned with your business goals.
2. Proactive?– this goes hand in hand with account management – you really want to work with an Business IT provider that not only reacts to your IT challenges but proactively works with you. They should work proactively with you to ensure technology is enabling your business day to day through?IT Automation, right-fit solutions and making you aware of the technology’s that can make you as efficient as possible.
3. Cyber Security?– these day’s we all need our IT Support Provider to be a cyber specialist and be able to assess what you have in place and offer their best practice advice so that you can keep your business data secure and stay protected.
4. Location?– it is easier to manage an IT Infrastructure and workforce that is geographically close. If the?IT support?and service company?you partner are not close to your business you will incur time and transportation costs when you require an on-site visit, as well as the loss of income that can be caused by greater delays
5. Quick response times?– the response time of your outsourced IT support and service provider can vary depending on the service that you are paying for.?Companies paying for ongoing managed support are almost always guaranteed faster responses than pay-as-you-go customers

We offer both a fully managed?IT support?service and fund-based contracts – including rapid response options ranging from 1,2 and 4 hours with high-quality dedicated account management.?Have a read of our?Google reviews?to see what others have said about their experience with us.

If you’re looking to find the best IT solution for your company in Suffolk, take a look at our?IT Service Buyer’s Guide?to see how technology can maximise your capabilities or feel free to give us a?call?on 01473 241515 or email us at [email protected]

Corbel Solutions provide?IT support?and work with local businesses in the Ipswich, Felixstowe, Stowmarket, and surrounding Suffolk area. With a wide range of services available from?Office 365 Support,?Disaster Recovery, and?IT Consulting Services, Corbel can help your business in Suffolk to get the correct IT support they need.