Outsourced Vs. In-House IT

by

March 4, 2022

Businesses face many challenges in today’s market. With a constantly changing economy, often labor shortages across much of the country, frequent changes in consumer needs/wants, and uncertainty about health guidelines in the evolving pandemic, businesses need to rely on a strong team to help guide them to success. While these challenges are certainly pressing, one that your business should make a priority is having a strong IT team to ensure that your technology isn’t adding to your stress.

There is a great debate throughout the business world about which is better for businesses, outsourced IT or in-house IT. Most businesses, when starting out, seem to try and navigate the ever-evolving world of IT on their own but quickly find themselves way over their head. IT management and support takes a lot of time and can detract business owners from focusing on growing their business when handling it on their own. That’s why the appeal of having a team dedicated solely to your business may sway business owners to stray from this course.

If you are struggling to decide whether your business should invest in an in-house IT team or whether outsourcing your IT will be the best use of your business’s resources, this guide can help. Our team at Integris has taken the time to delve into the pros and cons of both in-house IT and outsourced IT to help you make the best decision for your business. Here is what you need to know:

A Closer Look Into the In-House IT Support Model

In-house IT support models are built upon hiring a dedicated team who knows the ins and outs of your business and IT infrastructure. This team, typically, works inside of your office and works on your business’s clock to ensure that your IT infrastructure is consistently running strong.

What Are the Benefits of an In-House IT Team?

One of the biggest benefits of an in-house IT team is that they already know your business inside and out. Since they work with your other team members and their computers, they will have a clear understanding from the beginning of your specific IT infrastructure. They also will establish solid working relationships with their fellow employees and this may help drive their passion for your company’s success. This can help drive your IT team to come up with better solutions that work for your team’s individual needs.

Time is one of the most valuable resources on the planet. When your business’s IT infrastructure encounters problems, your business may suffer from downtime, loss of business, and idle employees as they wait for a solution. An in-house IT team can quickly respond to an issue with either a simple phone call or even a tap on the shoulder. With your IT-Team working quickly to resolve the issue, it can potentially help reduce the downtime your business faces and keep further damage from happening.

Control of your business’s IT lies in your hands when you have an in-house IT team. You control how trained your team is and the quality of work they produce as they are under your management. While this can be a positive thing for business owners who have a basic understanding of IT, it can potentially present an issue for those who don’t know what they are doing. Control of your business’s IT infrastructure and team should be left to those who have a clear understanding of the issues, challenges, and needs that your business’s IT infrastructure faces. This understanding can help keep costs down and better allow you to control the budget for your IT department.

What Are the Disadvantages of an In-House IT Team?

two employees talking in a cubicle

While you might be able to budget a bit better with an in-house IT department, it is important to note that setting the team up and investing in ongoing training can be expensive. Hiring an in-house IT staff means that you have to consider the cost of their payroll, weigh the benefits of bringing them onboard, and train them to your business’s needs.

You also need to keep in mind that the world of IT is constantly changing. What works today may be outdated in a few weeks, so investing in ongoing training and certifications for your team members can be an added cost. 

Another thing to consider when thinking about cost is that IT staff and managers are paid an expensive salary. The world of IT is competitive since they have one of the highest in-demand skills on the market. According to PayScale, the average salary for an IT manager alone is about 85,000 dollars per year. If your business is unable to match what competitors are offering for IT specialists and managers, you may have a hard time finding and holding your staff.

IT issues don’t take time off, but people do. One of the other issues that in-house IT reams face is the fact that IT problems don’t just arise during the nine-to-five workweek. They can appear during the weekends or after hours. Your IT staff might not be available when you need them and if they are available and working, you may be expected to pay time-and-a-half for them working extra hours or even holidays.

IT support tickets can pile up quickly, especially as your business grows. This can lead to an in-house IT team falling behind as they try to keep up with the increasing demand of your business. Not to mention, your in-house IT team might have to take time off, leading to them being short-staffed. This can cause your team to lose time to engage in ongoing training for new specialists, and your business’s IT infrastructure to suffer.

A Closer Look at Outsourced IT Services

When you outsource your IT team, this places a portion or all of your IT department to expert IT professionals who give your company support through their managed IT services. A managed services provider works hard to ensure that your business’s IT is properly optimized and protected during day-to-day operation. They also help perform ongoing maintenance of your system, either acting as support for a smaller in-house IT team or acting as your business’s sole IT support. Here is what you can expect from an an outsourced IT team:

What Are the Benefits of an Outsourced IT Team?

IT support team working through a potential problem on the computer.

When investing in an outsourced IT team, you know you are gaining a team of expert IT specialists. Hiring and maintaining a strong team of IT professionals within your business is time-consuming and costly. An outsourced IT team removes that stress by providing managed IT services through experts who live and breathe IT. These experts will be well-versed in every area of technology including cybersecurity, system administration, and management (as well as data management). 

An outsourced IT team will also have the right equipment and knowledge necessary to modernize your business’s IT infrastructure and keep up with the latest updates in the trade. This ensures that your business won’t suffer downtime from outdated pieces of software or equipment.

An outsourced IT team is accessible 24/7. Cybersecurity threats never sleep and neither does an outsourced IT team. While an in-house team might have a faster response time during business hours, they may not be available when something goes wrong during the weekends, after hours, or holidays. 

An outsourced IT team is available for your business 24/7 as they have staff working and monitoring your business’s IT infrastructure around the clock. This helps keep cyber threats at bay, better protects your company’s sensitive data, and ensures that any minor issues don’t turn into catastrophic disasters.

You can expect a high quality of service when working with an outsourced IT provider. This is because an outsourced IT team knows that they only succeed when your business succeeds. This forces them to work harder to protect your business and guarantee that you continue to work with them. 

Outsourced IT gives businesses more bang for their buck. While initially it might seem cheaper to keep your in-house team, you have to consider the costs for maintaining your in-house IT staff. This includes training, raises, benefits, sick leave, etc. 

With an outsourced IT team, you will be able to know exactly how much to spend and where the money you invest is going. You will not have to pay extra to hire new employees, provide benefits or raises, or scramble to find a new team member when one leaves.

What Are the Disadvantages of Outsourcing Your Business’s IT?

A man with multiple computer screens

While outsourcing your IT can save your business time and money, as well as prevent a lot of unnecessary stress, there are a few things you need to consider.

You do not have as much control with an outsourced IT team. Because you are partnering with an outside source, you won’t have complete control over your business’s IT functions. However, most outsourced IT companies, such as Integris, work alongside your business to ensure that we are meeting your goals and priorities when it comes to your IT. 

Integris goes a step further by encouraging open and honest communication with all of our clients. We want to hold ourselves accountable and maintain visibility for our clients so that they know what is going on with their IT infrastructure. 

Need An Outsourced IT Team That You Can Rely On?

If you are leaning towards investing in working alongside a proven outsourced IT company to help keep your business’s IT infrastructure running strong, then there is no better team than Integris. We proudly serve the DFW metroplex, helping small businesses stay one step ahead of cybersecurity threats and changes to the world of IT. We offer 24/7 support, proactive IT management through our Tru-Proactive™ managed services, and handle all of your business’s daily IT maintenance. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule a consultation.

We're Integris. We're always working to empower people through technology.

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