Could your business save money and gain benefits from managed IT services that you’re not currently getting from a full or part-time IT employee or department? Businesses with networks serving 100 employees at multiple locations are discovering the benefits of managed IT don’t stop at cost savings.
Are IT managed services providers (MSPs) cost-effective compared to full-time employees?
In the majority of cases, managed IT is more cost-effective than dedicated IT employees. Managed IT may cost $50,000 to $60,000 a year for a medium-sized company and network. An internal IT employee not only costs their salary but also their benefits, along with employer payroll taxes, insurance cost, and infrastructure costs. An IT employee earning $50,000 a year can easily add up to $85,000 in additional costs.
Managed IT will maintain your network, keep downtime to a minimum, and help you with upgrades, migrations, and new tech without the risks and costs associated with direct employees.
Can Managed IT service providers have the skills my business needs?
In-house IT personnel know all of your departments and know your employees’ quirks and individual pain points. But they can get set in their ways and they don’t get exposed to the variety and number of different networks and software that managed IT companies do.
You’ve heard the old saying, “two heads are better than one?” Managed IT companies are made up of groups of technicians. If problems arise, they don’t rely on just one person and their experience.
In the complex world of information tech and constantly changing security requirements, a group of experienced people is much more likely to understand your company’s needs than one person. Managed IT companies also get access to updates and in-depth reports that could benefit your company’s network, software, and other business needs. They may also have access to discounts for software and hardware when upgrades are needed.
What are other hidden costs and barriers for in-house IT employees?
You probably hear news of computer hackers breaching company security every day. Tens and hundreds of millions of personal records and information are collected by ingenious hackers who may not have to work very hard to break into systems with outdated security. Security skills are specialized and training is costly and time-consuming. A managed IT company can afford a security specialist onboard, but can a dedicated IT employee at an individual company keep up with constantly evolving security risks?
And when was the last time you bought new equipment or significantly upgraded your operating system or software? It’s not the most positive reason, but some IT employees don’t want to upgrade to newer technologies because they’re comfortable with older ones. The older the technology: the greater the security risk. Newer systems and software upgrades could open up new opportunities for your company to improve its efficiency and increase profits. With an old system and software, barriers to efficiency grow with each month that goes by.
What is the bottom line for managed IT services providers vs. an in-house IT department?
Changing from an in-house information technology employee or department to an outsourced managed IT services provider (MSP) isn’t just a financial decision. Unless your IT employee is part-time and has no benefits, you’ll probably save money immediately by contracting with an MSP. Other business benefits are less obvious but could be more important to your bottom line in the long run.
With a managed IT services provider, you’ll gain knowledge and expertise not just in the network and software your business already has, but also get benefits of the entire team’s experience with other companies, networks, and software systems. You can benefit from lessons learned from successes in many industries, whether they’re larger or smaller companies with different or similar needs to yours. MSPs also ensure that their workforce is trained and up to date on best IT practices, especially security issues and how to protect against hacking and breaches.
Most IT departments at small to mid-sized companies aren’t busy during every working hour of every day. If they were, there’d be something radically wrong with your network. There are a lot of reasons to consider an IT managed service provider (MSP). Why not contact qualified MSPs today?
