8 Benefits of Outsourcing Your IT Support (Guide for 2024/5)

Businesses of all sizes are increasingly recognising the importance of robust IT support - statistics from 2023 alone claimed that businesses lost over 50 million hours due to IT issues, equating to £3.7 billion lost through downtime. However, maintaining an in-house IT department can be both costly and complex. As a result, many companies are turning to outsourced IT support to meet their online needs. This guide explores the benefits of outsourcing IT support and why it might be the right choice for your business.

What Is Outsourced IT Support?

Outsourced IT support involves hiring external companies or service providers, known as MSPs (managed service providers), to manage and maintain a business's IT infrastructure, rather than using their own staff based within the business. These MSPs work on different pay models, such as pay-as-you-go, also known as “pay-per-ticket”, where businesses only pay per incident. 

Outsourced IT support teams usually support businesses through the following:

• Cyber security
• Technical support
• Network management
• Implementing SaaS (Software as a Service)
• Software updates and maintenance
• Data backup and recovery
• Consulting and strategy

What Are the Benefits of Outsourcing Your IT Support?

Outsourcing IT support needs is becoming an increasingly attractive option for businesses up and down the UK, due to the range of benefits these services provide. Let's take a deeper look at these benefits:

Saving Time for Use Elsewhere in the Business

Regardless of the size of your business, your time management is often a crucial factor in meeting goals and aims. In short, businesses that use their time more productively tend to achieve more. However, the last thing you need is the presence of an IT issue holding up your daily operations and disrupting productivity; industry experts estimate that using an effective IT Help Desk can save an organisation up to 600 working hours each year, handling issues promptly and freeing up time for you to focus on other important tasks.

Long-Term Cost Saving

Reducing costs and improving profits are the two major goals for businesses, and outsourcing your IT support can contribute towards both. 70% of companies find outsourcing cost-effective, as it considerably reduces the costs of hiring in-house staff (a standard IT technician earns an average of £25,000 plus per annum). On top of this, industry experts estimate that outsourced IT support will help reduce overall IT costs by 25-45%, raising operational efficiency by 45-65% - greater profits and increased productivity. 

Increased Vigilance Against Cyber Threats

The importance for businesses to be vigilant against cyber threats is no secret. The heightened risk of malware, data breaches, phishing, and ransomware has plenty of businesses concerned about the safety of their online operations; a recent survey by the UK government, conducted in late 2023 to early 2024, found that 50% of businesses have experienced some form of cyber security breach or attack in the past year. 

Outsourced IT support teams can implement greater security measures in your organisation, helping you develop a more secure strategy against these cyber threats. This strategy may include risk assessments, implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) or Firewall as a Service (FWaaS).

Proper Implementation of Cloud Services

A study involving 270 of the top IT-spending organisations in the UK suggests that cloud services are becoming increasingly important for businesses. 86% of respondents are planning on moving to the public cloud to achieve more scalability and agility, and 53% feel incentivised by the cost benefits of using the cloud. Outsourced IT professionals are knowledgeable about cloud services, implementing these to boost business continuity and scalability. This will help your overall cost-savings, as well as offer greater data backup. 

Keeping Downtime to a Minimum

Downtime is damaging to a business; hourly downtime costs have risen by 32% in the past seven years, meaning businesses are losing revenue during periods when systems are inaccessible. Customer satisfaction may also be impacted if services are unreachable. However, outsourced IT support teams are well-versed in reducing the risk of downtime, as well as finding a solution quickly whenever these events occur. Strategies used to prevent downtime include implementing redundancy for critical systems, proactive monitoring of systems and networks, and increasing security measures against potential threats.

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance

Staying compliant with rules and regulations regarding data protection is a must for all businesses, especially those involving government contracts or regular involvement with sensitive public data. For serious data protection breaches, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) can enforce fines of up to £17.5 million. Therefore, many businesses turn to outsourced IT support to ensure that they stay compliant, implementing proper GDPR frameworks, utilising data encryption methods for data in transit, conducting regular internal audits, and swiftly developing incident response plans to address compliance breaches. 

Accessing Specialist Knowledge

When British businesses were asked about their primary motivation for outsourcing IT support, nearly half (48%) cited their current lack of qualified staff as the main reason. Outsourced IT support firms employ highly skilled professionals who specialise in various aspects of technology, staying updated with industry best practices. This ensures that your business has access to the latest knowledge and expertise without needing continual in-house training. 

Ease of Scaling Up

Outsourcing IT support is a strategic approach that enables businesses to scale efficiently and effectively. By using the expertise of external IT providers, companies can quickly adapt to changing market demands and expand their operations without the limitations of in-house resources. These services offer scalable solutions to grow with the business, providing access to the latest technologies and specialised skills without significant upfront investment.

The Future of Outsourced IT

The future of outsourced IT is set to be transformative, driven by rapid advancements in technology, heightened cybersecurity needs, and the increasing demand for scalability and flexibility. As artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and automation become more integral, outsourced IT providers will offer smarter, more efficient solutions, including predictive maintenance and enhanced security protocols. 

Additionally, a focus on sustainable IT practices will align with business-based environmental goals, making outsourced IT not only a strategic choice for growth and efficiency but also a responsible one, too. This evolution ensures that businesses can remain competitive and focused on their core activities while using the most advanced, secure, and sustainable IT support services out there. 

Outsource Your IT Support to the Professionals

Our Cheltenham-based team at ReformIT have a proven track record of delivering excellent outsourced IT services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), allowing them to focus on core business activities. Get in touch with us today to discuss your businesses’ needs and ultimately, how we can help!

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