What are the benefits of outsourcing IT through managed services?

Outsourcing IT through managed services is becoming increasingly common because there are some key advantages to switching to this type of approach. IT infrastructure and systems are central to profitable growth for most organisations today but these don’t have to be managed entirely in-house. These are some of the benefits of outsourcing IT through managed services.

• Predictable, reasonable costs. You can reduce spend when you outsource IT through managed services where you only pay for what you use. Plus, costs are fixed and predictable which makes them much easier to budget for.
• Streamline your internal team. Hiring, training and maintaining an internal IT team can be incredibly expensive and you still may not be able to afford to build a team of the size that you need. When you outsource your IT you can instantly reduce labour costs, both up front and ongoing, and have access to the expertise you need at a cost that makes sense.
• Depth and breadth of skill and expertise. Working with managed services for your IT will give you access to a very broad range of experience and deep expertise and skill - without the cost of hiring this type of talent full time. The team will be up to date and involved in the most current issues and threats in a way that an internal IT department, which is more isolated and less well resourced, simply couldn’t be.
• Adding value elsewhere. When you remove the responsibility for IT from internal teams and outsource it through managed services you free up your staff to focus time and resources on your core business and how to add value to this elsewhere.
• More effective risk mitigation. Managed IT services providers are experts and have insight, experience and expertise when it comes to risk. From being the first to identify potential vulnerabilities in existing infrastructure to helping your organisation to better manage risk, as well as security and compliance, there are significant advantages to outsourcing your IT where improved risk mitigation is concerned. Plus, a service provider will take on some of this risk, whether that relates to government regulation, technological change or economic conditions, leaving less for your business to bear.
• Better use of IT. From swift implementation of new projects to identifying opportunities for the business to grow through better IT choices, outsourcing IT through managed services provides an opportunity for any organisation to optimise the way that an IT investment is used.
• Increasing competitiveness. Effective IT support is a huge competitive advantage and one that was previously only available to large enterprises with the resources to pay for their own extensive in-house IT teams. Today, outsourcing IT through managed services means that smaller businesses can level the playing field and access expert support and insight at a cost that is proportionate to the services being used.
• Ensuring IT compliance and security. Whether it relates to the latest threat assessment or complying with new government regulations, it’s much easier for any business to ensure optimum security and widespread compliance where IT has been outsourced to a managed service provider with the knowledge and experience to make this simple.

Whether it relates to compliance or cost effectiveness the benefits of outsourcing IT through managed services are clear.