Ever since the early days of computing, outsourcing IT has been a crucial way that companies reduce costs whilst enhancing their business processes. In an era where businesses are increasingly reliant on their IT capabilities, ensuring that these systems are protected is as important as having a good insurer or a reliable supply chain. Here are five reasons why outsourcing helps.
1) Enhanced Cybersecurity
The online world is the 21st Century’s Wild West. In the physical realm, most people abide by the rules. However, venture into the digital space and there is always somebody toting a pistol and ignoring the law. Keeping on top of cybersecurity is very difficult. The threats change on an almost daily basis, and they require dedicated specialists to respond to. For companies, cyber threats mean financial accountability, PR damage, and productivity loss. For frontline disaster recovery companies, it means taking up position in the vanguard.
2) 24/7 Support
Cybercrime is global, and this means that it does not sleep. When you outsource your IT support, you have a guarantee of a watchdog that doesn’t sleep either. There are several benefits to this. Firstly, a business will be back on its feet quickly, meaning that downtime is minimised. Secondly, it means that problems can be stopped before they escalate, reducing the risk of the deep and harmful data breaches that damage PR.
3) Budgeting
One of the biggest headaches for any organisation is price fluctuation. If IT security is handled in-house, this can oscillate wildly and be very difficult to predict. Yesterday’s carefully invested – and very expensive - training can be rendered obsolete by tomorrow’s newest malware. Outsourcing absorbs this uncertainty. This helps with annual budgeting, strategic planning, and resource management.
4) Reduced Liability
A problem shared is a problem halved, or so they say. In the GDPR era, outsourcing disaster security is similar to having very formidable insurance. There are 99 different data security elements that companies are liable for, and this number is likely to grow as GDPR legislation is refined. In these difficult times, companies need allies.
5) Enhanced Productivity
Today’s productivity depends on the smooth running of IT systems. Data loss or an IT blackout leads to immediate productivity problems, and these escalate rapidly. UK statistics for 2019 show that of the 32% of SMEs and 22% of charities that experienced breaches, the average cost ranged from £4,180 to £9,470. This cost was mainly taken up with staff having to take time off to deal with attacks, not being able to carry out their normal work, and the time taken to put new systems in place. This is inefficient and leads to immediate productivity loss. One of the many reasons for outsourcing is that it prevents these issues, and gets things up and running again rapidly in the event of a breach.
Next Steps
At TMB, we have over 30 years of experience helping companies stay safe and secure. For more information please call 0333 900 9050, or email info@tmb.co.uk.
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