The Pros and Cons of Managed IT Services Versus In-House

Thinking About Managed IT Services Or Hiring Your Own Internal IT Person?

Every company needs an effective IT department. Going in-house and outsourcing both have pros and cons. Here’s how to decide what’s best for your business.  

It doesn’t matter what your business does or how many employees it has. You need a strong IT Department. IT keeps your data secure and your daily operations smooth. They’ll be able to develop new processes and implement new systems that save you both time and money. As the world continues to become more and more focused on the digital world, IT will only grow in its importance.

The big decision comes down to whether you want to develop an in-house IT department or if you want to go with third-party Managed IT Services. As with any business quandary, there are pros and cons to both sides. In order to help your business make this critical decision, we have listed the most important aspects of each below.

Pros of Managed IT Services

There are two very important benefits of going with Managed IT Services. The first is that you’ll save time and money. You don’t need to pay for recruiting, training, benefits, etc. All you need to do is pay the fee set forth in your contract. As a set monthly (or however you decide to structure the payments) fee, the cost is highly controlled and easy to budget.

The second benefit is quality. With a third-party managing your IT, you’ll be able to afford a level of experience and expertise that you probably couldn’t otherwise. Beyond that, simply bringing in a third-party for an outside perspective is useful on its own. They’ll be able to pull the curtain back and look at your processes with an unbiased view, providing useful suggestions on how to manage your IT more efficiently.

Pros of an In-house IT Department

The biggest reason many companies like to take their IT in-house is control. When your IT Department are all employees, your company maintains total control. They’ll always be right down the hallway to help with any issues that crop up. There’s also no concern about whether or not they’ll integrate with your company culture because they’re a part of the culture itself.

Another major benefit of having IT under your roof is consistency. You’ll have the ability to keep employees around by giving them promotions or raises. If you work with a third-party and your favorite IT Admin is leaving, there’s not very much you can do to keep them around.

Cons of Managed IT Services

One con of Managed IT Services is that you need to work carefully to fully integrate them with your team. They may not be a perfect fit with your culture or work well within your existing processes. That’s why it’s so critical to carefully vet the third-party that you decide to work with. You’re bound to find one that will work effectively alongside your employees within the confines of your operations.

Cons of an In-house IT Department

The most important con of bringing your IT Department In-house is the scope of the department. A typical IT department will include helpdesk or support agents, onsite engineers, network engineers, system architects, and of course, management. For every single employee, you’ll need to spend time and resources recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding them. Once they’ve completed the hiring process, you’ll need to pay a competitive salary and provide a full package of benefits. Considering that tech salaries have grown quicker than other salaries, this is going to be a very costly endeavor.

Another drawback is that if you’re not a major company, you might have trouble attracting top talent. They might not be up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies, or simply may not have the experience you’re looking for.

In the end, there’s no right or wrong way to handle your IT Department except not handling it at all. In-house and third-party managed IT services both have benefits and downsides. You need to carefully consider all of the points discussed above when deciding what will work best for your business.

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