Small and medium-sized businesses have many options for managing their IT needs. Some rely on a tech-savvy employee to manage their network, while others hire an IT team to support and maintain their technologies. Many businesses find that outsourcing their IT needs to a cloud-based managed service provider (MSP) is the most cost-effective option. How do you which one is best for your business?
Let’s assume that you’re not considering asking an unqualified employee to manage your IT. Your technologies are integral to your business, and messing them up or leaving them vulnerable could lead to data loss, downtime, loss of revenue, and a ruined reputation.
So your tech-savvy employee is out. How do you decide whether to hire an in-house team or outsource your IT? Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each option.
Advantages of Centralized IT
Centralized IT consolidates all your IT support and services into a single department within your company. For smaller businesses, the centralized IT department may be a single person. Larger enterprises may employ a few or a few dozen IT professionals.
Centralizing your IT into a single department streamlines administrative tasks and make it easier to securely manage your data. The IT department is able to take a 10,000-foot view of all of your company’s technologies and support them so they all work together to meet your goals.
Disadvantages of Centralized IT
Centralized IT can help your company streamline its IT support, but it can also make it more difficult to adopt new technologies. Creating a new department creates one more bureaucratic hoop your teams need to jump through to get their IT issues resolved or to adopt a new technology that could help them work more productively.
Centralized IT can also be expensive. While you may save costs by bringing all your IT support into a single department, you need to hire at least one new full-time employee to run that department. IT professionals are among the most in-demand employees in the job market, and you may have trouble finding one you can afford.
Advantages of Managed IT
A managed service provider (MSP) is a company you hire to remotely manage your IT needs. Most MSPs run on a subscription model so you are not surprised by your monthly invoice. Often, the subscription your company pays the MSP is much lower than the cost of hiring and retaining one or more employees.
In exchange for the subscription fee, your MSP uses the cloud to remotely monitor, maintain, and manage your network and technologies. Most MSPs, including Jurrens, use cloud-based applications to help clients secure their networks, protect their emails, install firewalls, and securely store data. They also make site visits to help maintain hardware.
Disadvantages of Managed IT
The largest drawback to working with a managed IT provider is that they are not down the hall if you have an IT question or concern. However, most MSPs are incredibly responsive to client needs and are available by email, phone, text, and through their software’s ticketing system. Since you’re a client, not a boss, your MSP has a special interest in serving you as quickly and competently as possible. Wondering if centralized IT or managed IT is the right choice for your business? The IT professionals at Jurrens can help you understand your options. Contact the Jurrens team today to learn more.