Should I Outsource IT?
Outsourcing IT can save your business time and money, when done effectively. When deciding whether or not to outsource your IT services, here are a few items that you should consider.
Costs
A full time IT professional can be an expensive hire. Not only do you have to pay that individuals salary and benefits, but you also have to provide space within your office, a laptop computer (IT professionals must be able to work remotely) and a cell phone (because IT is a 24/7 world). That is not to mention the high cost of ongoing training.
Outsourcing tends to be less expensive compared to hiring a full-time IT employee. Not only are many costs diffused among multiple clients, but most IT service providers have a full trained team of specialists on site already that you don’t have to worry about training or certifying.
Expertise
You need an IT specialist who is not only good with your office printer, but can also diagnose network security or configure automated workstations. The more needs your business has, the less likely that one IT professional will have the expertise necessary to serve all your needs. If the cost of a single IT professional gives you pause, the cost for a small team of specialists may be too much to consider.
As previously mentioned, IT companies are staffed with certified, trained technicians in a variety of specialties. From help desk technicians to network support specialists to operating system specific developers, an IT company offers a wide variety of expertise.
Accessibility
When you hire an IT professional, you put all your eggs in one basket. If they go on a cruise with no Internet or cell phone service, and the next day your network goes down, what do you do? When your server crashes on a weekend that your IT specialist is out of state, how do you keep from losing business?
Professional IT firms typically offer 24/7 access to tech support or help desk specialists. This may involve phone help, remote access or even on-site tech support. If you host your servers with an IT company through data center colocation, they have backup redundancies to protect your data. If a technician goes on vacation or has a family emergency, another highly trained contact takes their place.
Meet Bryan Anderson, one of our Network Engineers. His favorite thing about working in IT? Doing what he loves to do so others can do what THEY love to do.
In short, small businesses should strongly consider outsourcing their IT and tech support needs. This allows the business to stay focused on customer needs and great service without letting crucial system needs go neglected. Outsourcing IT services can save a business time, money and hassle when done with the right local company.
If you are located in North Carolina and would like to learn more about Dynamic Quest’s IT services, please feel free to contact us today, we’d love to talk to you.
