Benefits Of Outsourced IT Management In 2022

The smooth functioning of your IT infrastructure is the key to successful business operations. However, hiring and retaining a team of high-skilled IT professionals, providing an agile and flexible IT infrastructure that enables quick response to dynamic market demands, and managing an increasingly expanding infrastructure can be challenging for most businesses. What’s more, many small and medium-sized businesses lack the budget to maintain a full-staff internal IT department.

Fortunately, outsourcing IT management provides a cost-effective solution that many small businesses need. Having an outsourced IT service provider will ensure you receive the efficient and effective support needed to ensure your IT infrastructure is operating efficiently and at optimal levels at all times. This includes implementing a stabilized IT environment and secure processes that remove the stress and burden of IT management from your plate.

Here are three reasons why you should consider outsourcing your organization’s business technology and IT systems to a top IT service firm in 2022.

1.     Better Cybersecurity

No matter the size of your organization, cybersecurity is the biggest challenge that organizations face, because every year, cybercriminals find new ways to breach your networks and gain access to sensitive company and consumer data. According to a report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute, the cost of data breaches rose from $3.86 million to $4.24 million in 2021.

When it comes to cybersecurity, relying on your in-house IT team may prove to be a costly mistake for most businesses. The high level of knowledge and skills required to identify and respond to threats can stretch far beyond what many businesses have within their internal IT team. Outsourcing to an IT services provider relieves the pressure of securing company data and gives peace of mind knowing you have a solid team of professionals ready to fend off cyber threats. Outsourced IT management providers have cybersecurity experts who specialize in different facets of cybersecurity and bring on board in-depth knowledge of both emerging threats and the best defensive tactics to protect your business.

Your outsourced IT team will assess your vulnerabilities thoroughly and take over the responsibility of monitoring your network 24/7, maintaining the security integrity of your network, meeting compliance requirements, training your employees on cybersecurity best practices, and providing managed threat detection and response. What’s more, your managed service provider (MSP) can provide you with business continuity services to ensure the safety and security of your data.

2.     Improve Your Bottom Line

One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing your IT management is the impact on your bottom line. With outsourced IT management, you can reduce the relatively high-fixed cost of an in-house team since you only pay for the services you need at a fixed monthly fee. It becomes easier to allot funds for projects focused on organizational growth with a predictable budget.

Choosing to outsource your IT functions also helps prevent downtime, which directly impacts your organization’s bottom line. According to the 2021 Veeam Data Protection Report, downtime costs an average of $84,650 per hour. It can also lead to loss of customer confidence, damage to brand integrity, loss of employee confidence, diversion of resources from long-term or business-critical projects, reduced stock prices, subject to legal action, and revocation of licenses or accreditations, all of which can significantly affect your bottom line.

Since outsourced IT providers provide around-the-clock monitoring and incident response, incidents are quickly identified, resolved, and reported, resulting in increased uptime for your business.

3.     Outsourcing Maximizes Business Efficiency 

Whether you fully outsource your IT department or just certain IT functions, one of the greatest benefits is increased efficiency and productivity. If you choose to outsource some of the more time-consuming duties, such as network monitoring or helpdesk support, your internal IT team can focus on aligning your IT initiatives with your organization’s strategic goals.

Your outsourced IT provider can also provide tailor-made modern workplace solutions that improve efficiency and fit your organization’s needs, giving your business a competitive advantage and setting you up for success. They can identify gaps and provide a strategy for enhancement while driving the most value from your current resources. Additionally, because IT providers are held accountable through Service Level Agreements (SLA) for their level of work, they utilize industry-best practices to ensure established processes and workflows are in place.

Tips for Outsourcing IT Management

If you are considering outsourcing IT management for your business, here are some points to consider:

• Decide what you will outsource – all or part of your IT.
• Access to 24/7 support: Choose a service provider that can provide IT support during and after working hours and during the holidays and the weekends.
• Evaluate service providers: Check their references and inquire about experience, capabilities, partners, and certifications.
• Align your interests: You need to be on the same page regarding budget, timelines, and services.
• Evaluate their Service Level Agreement: Ensure the SLA clearly outlines and matches your standards and expectations to be delivered by the service provider surrounding response and resolution times.

Outsource Your IT Management to a Team of Seasoned Experts at ECW

Outsourcing IT management is an excellent way to handle time-consuming or specialty work, even if your business does have an internal IT team. At ECW Networks & IT Solutions, we provide a wide range of IT management services to businesses in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and across Florida. We’ll work with you to understand your unique business goals and provide customized IT solutions that meet your needs.

Some of our outsourced IT management services include:

• Cybersecurity services: Our cybersecurity services give you a real-world look at how attackers could exploit your vulnerabilities—and guidance on how to stop them.
• Managed helpdesk: An outsourced helpdesk can help you execute near-instant resolution of technical problems, automate processes, cut costs, increase productivity. Our helpdesk team can also provide you with the statistics you need to identify recurring faults, allowing you to improve the efficiency of your support services by eliminating such problems through technology improvements, user training, or changes in your user support structure.
• Business continuity services: Avoid IT interruptions after a power outage, natural disaster, or cyber attack with our business continuity services.
• Onsite support: Not all IT issues can be solved remotely. When this happens, our technicians can provide onsite support to get you back up and running in no time.
• Cloud services: With the right partner to help you navigate the complexities of cloud computing, your organization can reap innumerable benefits ranging from increased technology capabilities to rapid scaling and flexibility.

Partnering with ECW allows your business to envision a successful IT-driven future, transform existing operations, and evolve for long-term growth. For more information about our IT services and how they can benefit your business, contact us today to schedule a consultation.

Thanks to our friends at Velocity IT in Dallas for their help with this content.