New technologies helped improve and speed up the business process by providing business owners and admins with faster, more capable tools. Plus, as more businesses turn to the online and e-commerce environments, there’s an increasing need for capable IT support specialists in companies of any size.

As a result, there is a strong demand for IT support services in the current workforce market. Specialists who understand the entanglement between business and technology are valuable resources, which is why most of them are snatched away by large corporations.

So what is there left for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)? As it turns out, the alternative may be even better than building your own in-house IT support team.

Outsourced IT services (aka the alternative) are quite popular among today’s businesses because they bring benefits such as cost-cutting, easy access to specialists, and support as needed.

Does this mean outsourced IT services are better than in-house teams? Let’s have a look at both situations from the perspective of an SMB and find out!

Benefits of Outsourced IT Support Services

Increased Availability

When you partner up with an IT support company, your business will receive their attention and care beyond the 9-to-5 standard schedule. Your operations are constantly being monitored and if an alert pops up, there is always an IT specialist on call to start the necessary procedures.

That’s why it helps to choose a local business partner when it comes to outsourced IT services. For instance, businesses in the San Francisco Bay area need a local IT support company that can dispatch a team on-site if the situation requires it.

Otherwise, if the problem can be solved remotely, you will be kept in the loop.

Cost-Effective

When you opt for outsourced technical support, you also choose to reduce costs with staff and training. Outsourced IT services usually require a long-term subscription (usually a flat fee that’s affordable even for SMBs) and may charge by the hour in the case of an emergency intervention.

Plus, these companies also organize training sessions for employees, which is an extremely helpful addition considering the current business climate. Furthermore, you have the choice to opt for regular cybersecurity assessments provided by security experts.

Experienced Specialists

When you work with outsourced IT services, you have unbridled access to different IT specialists who constantly work on improving their knowledge and expertise. Plus, they work with different businesses so it’s easier for them to see the big picture.

In-house vs Outsourced IT Support

Now that you know the benefits of outsourcing IT support, let’s have a look at which one works best for your business.

Overall, if you are an SMB, outsourced IT services are the best option as long as you find a reliable business partner. The costs are lower and the access to specialists and services is extremely good.

On the other hand, large corporations and organizations can choose between the two options, depending on their needs. Assuming the budget won’t be an issue, an in-house team provides better control and better knowledge over the IT business operations.

However, the company has to invest in this team constantly because technologies evolve incredibly fast and it’s easy to fall behind.

Wrap Up

At the end of the day, choosing between in-house and outsourced IT services is a decision that needs to follow the needs of the company/organization.

Plus, there is also the option of a hybrid approach with a small in-house team that covers sensitive operations and communicates with the business partner for larger processes.

The aspect that matters the most is to make sure you choose the best option for your business.