advantages of outsourcing it servicesRealistically, your company can’t be an expert at everything. No matter the size of the company, it’s sometimes better to outsource particularly with IT. This article will provide you with six advantages as to why outsourcing to an IT service is a good idea for your business.

1. Predictable Expenditure

IT hardware and software can be expensive. But it’s even more expensive for people who don’t really know what they’re doing because it introduces all kinds of inefficiency.

Purchasing hardware or software can be a minefield of jargon and upgrades. Without the correct experience or training, you’ll waste not just your money, but also your time trying to understand it all.

By outsourcing, it allows you to pass the baton over to the professionals as an IT Service Provider can work out the most efficient way to meet your needs, whilst at the same time, they can often bring you discounts from agreements with their own suppliers.

Furthermore, it allows you to easily track and manage your monthly spending. The IT Service Provider will deliver advice on what costs are likely to arise from replacing or upgrading equipment, allowing you to budget appropriately and not have any surprise payments.

2. Future Proofing

IT Service Providers have to remain current to ensure that their business succeeds. This means that they will be providing the most up-to-date software or hardware on offer to your business. They will also ensure that critical upgrades are carried out so you can get more mileage out of your IT setup.

Small businesses can easily get caught up in a game of catch-up as they’ll often fall behind on the latest equipment, which can make their old equipment out dated compared to their competitors, and also potentially put them at risk from cyber-attacks.

3. Service Level Agreement (SLA)

By creating a service level agreement with your IT Service Provider, it allows you the control over the scale of support, response times and problem reporting systems.

By having this service available, it provides a more predictable and reliable service as the IT Service Provider will want to ensure that their customers are as happy as they can be. SLA’s give them the assurance that the provider is working for their best interests all the time.

4. Dealing with Crisis Situations

The worst-case scenario for your company could be a complete IT outage resulting in the loss of valuable data, which could take months to repair or restore without the correct help. Securing backup services in an offsite data centre is one of the best advantages of outsourcing for an IT service. With the constant support of the IT service provider, they’ll be able to resolve any issues that could arise, which means that your business is less likely to suffer a break in business continuity.

Your business could also fall victim to a data breach, which if you work with a service provider they will be able to keep you on top of changing regulations. They’ll be able to manage your firewalls, encryption and security certificates. Most IT services will provide IT experts with the knowledge of the latest and best cybersecurity measures to take.

5. Keep Ahead of Your Competition

Smaller businesses can’t afford to spend time and money focusing on something that is outside their core business. This is where IT Service Providers come in. They allow you to avoid overheads of IT personnel and dilution of your company’s purpose whilst keeping the support you need.

It can also help you get ahead of your competitors who are struggling with a similar problem. It could make all the difference when it comes to succeeding where others have failed.

6. A Level Playing Field

Most small and medium sized businesses struggle when it comes to competing with larger businesses who are usually host to their own in-house IT department. One advantage of IT outsourcing is that it can level out the playing field. By using an IT Service Provider, they will equip you with cutting-edge technology that will help bolster your business and compete with the larger companies.