Outsourced vs. In-House IT Support

Companies, post-Covid, are returning to basics, trying to maintain income whilst reducing costs. Outsourcing of IT support is the first point of call for the latter but what’s best, in-house or outsourced IT support?

In this blog, we will discuss the factors that will help weigh your options and answer this question of whether to choose Outsourced IT Support or In-house IT support. But first, let’s define the options.

Business IT Support refers to a spectrum of services that deliver solutions to the users of technology products and services within agreed timeframes. This includes deploying platforms, detecting and eliminating threats, assisting in day-to-day activities and maintaining BAU and managing outages and irregularities within the ecosystem.

Key areas within this domain are service delivery, DevOps, cloud migration support, cloud infrastructure support and management, technical and customer support, and network and device support.

A growing business will need on-demand capabilities to cope with the fluctuating loads on a scaling business. In leaner times pragmatism may dictate a more prudent approach to the size of the IT support capabilities. While this can be achieved with an in-house IT support team, managing the constant ups and downs in the workforce can be cumbersome and expensive to implement. In contrast, outsourcing IT support can help you take a flexible and agile approach to support that moves with the rhythms of company expansion/contraction.

IT support solves problem statements in creative ways while constantly maintaining business integrity and BAU. With an in-house business IT support team, the onus to provide a standard policy falls on the company. This essentially bottlenecks any creativity in approach. When a similar charge is outsourced to the best IT Support provider, they deliver a practical solution free from such constraints, thus automating the entire task.

From a human resources standpoint, a complete IT support team needs to have salaries, benefits, team building timeouts, and engagement. Plus, there is the added cost of office space and holidays. Outsourcing IT support shifts this entire section to the contractor. What you pay for the services depends on your discretion; everything else falls under the business IT provider’s umbrella. Cost being the main objective of outsourcing gives you a competitive edge in the market as well.

Depending upon the requirements you set at the beginning, the kind of business IT support you need shall change. For instance, simpler tasks can be handled by a single employee. But, as the complexity increases, it is unlikely for an in-house team to match the collective skills and experience of an outsourced IT support company. Furthermore, to bring your in-house team to speed, you’ll need to continually invest in upskilling the employees, while an external partner would have to be updated to stay in the IT support business.

If you need client-facing staff, then hiring in-house may be in your best interest. You’ll essentially have more control over their daily activities and the freedom to assign them across specific locations. Although considering you don’t require the same, there are tangible benefits of best outsource IT, support experts. For instance, Outsource IT Support providers can work from anywhere, telecommuting to either your workplace, the parent company, or the client office.

Employees are an inherent part of any company’s progress. But you need to ask yourself – how integrated are they with the business? More often than not, there exists an underlying idea of complacency that cannot be shaken. On a positive note, Outsource IT Support providers need to familiarize themselves with your enterprise to provide any on-site IT support. They act as part-time employees due to their comfort with the organization.

IT support emergencies don’t necessarily happen during working hours. When choosing to go for an in-house team, it is important to consider the need for redundancies. During holidays and sick leaves, your most valuable resources may not be able to provide the support you need. In such instances, you’ll require to additionally onboard an IT emergency position. With outsourced IT support, the hours of availability can be decided upfront, creating an airtight coverage agreement.

Business IT Support refers to a range of services that deliver solutions to the users of technology products within agreed timeframes. It includes deploying platforms, detecting and stopping threats, assisting in day-to-day activities and managing the outages within the ecosystem.

1. Costs of payroll, benefits and onboarding are expensive and recurring
2. They’re only available in a 9-5 workweek, cutting off any emergencies
3. Support tickets can pile up quickly with a small staff
4. Continuous certification and training is needed to keep them updated
5. You’ll be responsible for IT policy management and implementation

1. You can expect a direct and immediate response for daily activities
2. They’ll be well-versed with the internal processes and company limitations
3. You have more control over the quality and approach of work

1. They have the experience, expertise and equipment to meet any technology demand
2. 24/7 support services ensure that response times are faster than ever
3. Quality of service is high, considering they want to keep your business
4. You save costs by replacing employee benefits with professional fees
5. It allows internal teams to focus on other core functions
6. A proactive approach helps modernize the IT infrastructure

1. Communications must be robust at all times
2. Mutual trust is imperative as a lot of company information is dealt with
3. Frequent meetings need to be scheduled to maintain accountability and visibility

Deciding whether to go for an in-house IT support team or an outsource IT Support Service Provider company shall be based on the business and project at hand. While outsourcing It Support shall drive down the costs and add efficiency to the infrastructure, in-house would lend more control over each individual.

In the end, it is all about what you need to achieve your IT and enterprise objectives. If you need on-demand scalability, agility and innovation, then outsourcing may be your answer.

To help you with it, we at ESG Global Services work as an extension to your company, connecting your operations to a team of certified IT Support experts. Our Business IT Support in London is tailored to your specific needs, cost-effective and ready for scale. If you’re thinking of bringing such capabilities to your organization, we’ll be happy to assist.

London | Mumbai: +44 (0) 207 609 2800 | New York: +1 (0) 646 757 1645 | Email: [email protected]