The benefits of outsourcing are well attested. Outsourcing ensures that experts are part of the collaborative organisational effort, and when it comes to IT – a niche speciality at the best of times – this can make a real difference. Here are a few of the benefits that outsourcing managed IT services can bring.
But First, What Exactly Are ‘Managed IT Services’?
Managed IT services are a remote IT department. The IT team keeps the servers, equipment, and cyber safety in order. It also problem-solves and ensures that everything is updated and legally compliant. Very large companies tend to have in-house IT departments. However, the cost of this is prohibitive for most SMEs. Therefore, managed IT services exist to offer this crucial helping hand.
Benefit #1: Freeing Up Time
Time wasting is endemic in organisations. The main culprits are too many meetings, too much admin, and IT. Drifting off into the ether and popping onto social media also drain time, but they play important physiological and sociological roles, so are less worrying. The main problem with IT is that it requires specialised skills, so an issue that takes five minutes for a professional to solve can stretch to hours for the uninitiated. Managed IT services pump their revenue into training and development so that the engineers really are experts. This means that there are more hours for you, and all of your employees, to be productive.
Benefit #2: Avoiding Downtime
Downtime is one of the biggest headaches in the corporate world. The cost of IT downtime is between £4,300 and £258,000 per day for an SME, so these figures are not to be taken lightly. Server downtime can result from infrastructure failure or a cyber-attack. There are an average of one of these every four seconds, so the statistical chances of being hit are high. Outsourcing means that highly qualified teams will have the necessary barriers in place, and will swoop into action if an event occurs.
Benefit #3: Keeping Ahead Of The Game
One of the biggest issues in corporate IT is things getting out-of-date. IT evolves rapidly, but clicking ‘yes’ on software uploads is not enough to ensure that systems are fast and – most importantly – secure. Software patches can create communication issues within systems, and these can introduce more problems than they solve. Keeping everything running smoothly requires someone who understands the whole picture, and who can predict and trouble-shoot complications before they arise.
Benefit #4: Constantly Supported
This benefit is exactly what it says on the tin. Businesses thrive on support networks. Whether it is the background comfort of knowing that IT is one less thing to think about, or simply having the organisational tech running smoothly, managed IT services are excellent stress relievers. According to Forbes, stress is a major managerial productivity barrier, and building a support network is key to unlocking time, gaining knowledge, and keeping everything under control. When it comes to collaboration, the return on investment (ROI) of managed IT services speaks for itself.
If you are interested in outsourcing your IT, a great place to start is with a free IT audit. Give us a call today to find out more.
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