In-House IT or Outsourced IT Support: Pros and Cons

IT support is a must for businesses, with the average company using different kinds of technology for practically every aspect of operations. Whether your company is growing or you aren’t happy with your current service, it can be difficult to pick which type of managed IT support to go for.

In this guide, we cover the pros and cons of both in-house IT support and outsourced services to help you make the right decision.

What Is In-House IT Support?

In-house IT support offers services to a company as an exclusive, a paid employee or a team of employees. Depending on the size of the company, an internal IT support team can include an IT manager, technicians and a helpdesk to directly provide support to employees within the workplace. Large businesses typically employ in-house IT support, either on-site or at a central location, supporting numerous sites. In-house support is also often used in sensitive environments, where security makes it difficult to outsource IT services.

Pros of In-House IT Support

Choosing to employ IT support in-house can be a good idea for certain businesses. Some of the benefits of in-house IT support include:

• Full control: All systems and processes are managed and maintained in-house, retaining control over every area of your business
• Immediate support: An on-site team can typically offer immediate support, especially in emergency situations such as technology failure
• Internal understanding: in-house IT support departments have a deeper understanding of the company infrastructure, allowing for prompt resolution to problems
• Company alignment: A hired IT support specialist can be chosen not only for their skills but also for their personality, allowing them to fit in better with the values and goals of the company

Cons of In-House IT Support

While there are some positives to hiring IT into your business, there are also some downsides of in-house IT support to consider. These include:

• Gaps in coverage: Annual leave, sickness or other types of leave can cause gaps in coverage, resulting in delays in accessing support and preventing the continuation of maintenance or similar operations
• Large cost: Numerous salaries are required to cover all necessary skills and areas of specialisation, in addition to management, which can quickly add up when hiring an IT team in-house
• Limited knowledge: In smaller companies or those where IT support wears ‘all hats’, knowledge may be limited to a more generic level, leading to poorer coverage in evolving areas like cyber security
• Skill stagnation: Compared to IT professionals providing support to multiple companies, in-house IT may not have the time to upskill, remaining in a ‘bubble’ where they have less of an opportunity to learn new software, security processes and solutions
• Reactive support: Internal IT teams are often firefighters, jumping from one problem to the next, which can make it difficult to be proactive about cyber security risks, upcoming software upgrades or technology changes

What Is Outsourced IT Support?

Outsourced IT support involves working with an external company to cover all IT needs within your business. This can include monitoring of your systems, cyber security services and access to a helpdesk. An outsourced IT services company can also provide specialist support for particular technologies, including cloud software, hardware and infrastructure.

Benefits of Outsourced IT Support

Working with an external company can provide access to services and solutions that aren’t available in-house. Some of the benefits of outsourced IT support include:

• Cost-effective services: With an outsourced IT service, you pay a flat rate to an external company, with no need to pay salaries, benefits or payroll taxes, which saves on costs while offering comprehensive coverage
• Specialist expertise: IT companies typically have a wealth of different skills and knowledge across all the services you require, from specific applications and software to effective cyber security protection
• Around-the-clock support: Unlike most salaried employee, outsourced IT is available 24/7 to offer support when you need it, negating the need to wait until the next day to resolve problems
• Proactive services: While an in-house team is often reactive to problems, an outsourced team can handle emergencies while also offering proactive services, monitoring your services to prevent problems before they occur
• Scalability and flexibility: An outsourced IT team can grow as your business does, offering a flexible solution that is adaptable to your current circumstances and scalable to your future requirements
• Access to the latest tools and tech: External IT companies have to meet the needs of numerous businesses, which means they have to keep up with the latest tools and technology

Disadvantages of Outsourced IT Support

If you’re unsure if outsourced IT is the right choice for you, it’s also a good idea to consider the downsides of working with some external IT providers. These include:

• Less direct support: As your team is not available in-house, this means following more formalised procedures for accessing help, such as a ticketing system with a helpdesk
• Potential delays: Communication is less direct, which means there can be the possibility of delays when providing or receiving information
• Security and privacy concerns: Not all IT providers offer the level of protection you require for your business, making it important to check their credentials and certifications, such as ISO and Cyber Essentials Plus
• Dependency on a third-party: Working with a third-party means you are relying on their competency to keep your business running, making it important to choose a trustworthy, reliable IT service

Which Option Is Best for Your Business?

When To Choose In-House IT

In-house IT services may be a good option for your business if you operate within a highly regulated industry, where it would be difficult for a third party to meet the level of security you require. If you need on-site support or have complex or custom systems that require highly specific knowledge, alongside covering other IT responsibilities, then an in-house IT team may fit what you need.

When To Choose Outsourced IT

An outsourced IT company is the best choice for businesses in a variety of circumstances. For example, if you want to reduce staffing costs and you need support that can scale as your business grows and changes, an external IT team provides exactly what you need. Outsourcing provides you with access to IT expertise that is not currently available in your business and enables proactive protection against threats and cyber security problems.

Key Questions to Ask Before Deciding

If you still can’t decide whether in-house or outsourced IT is the best fit for you, here are some questions to consider to help you make the correct choice:

• What is your IT budget? – If a salary is too much for your budget, an outsourced IT package might be the best fit
• How critical is uptime? – An internal team generally responds to issues after they happen instead of proactively preventing them
• Do you need 24/7 support? – In-house IT typically doesn’t offer 24/7 support or can be costly if it does, while outsourced IT offers around-the-clock support as standard
• How fast is your business growing? – If you need a scalable service, outsourcing to an IT team may be a good option

Would An Outsourced IT Solution Suit Your Business? Contact Our Experts Today!

Outsourced IT support is a practical and cost-effective way to access quality services at the level that suits your business. At Technical Drive, we work with businesses in a wide range of sectors, delivering support, migration services, cyber security and monitoring in one simple package. Contact us today or call us on 01527 880088 to speak to our team.