Businesses today are often faced with the decision of whether or not they should hire their own IT staff or outsource all their IT needs. While businesses may believe that their IT services are better trusted to an internal staff, there are some associated complications. Here’s an overview of why an internal IT department may not be a good idea:
Higher Costs
Businesses may not realize that there are higher costs associated with hiring an internal IT staff to manage the technological needs of a business. Each employee hired as a host of other costs associated with it, including the salary itself, benefits, federal taxes, and more. This means that an employee who is getting paid $40,000 a year will cost the company much more money than that. With salary variations awarded based on experience, and the fact that most IT departments usually have more than one employee, this could represent thousands of dollars worth of money that the company needs to spend. As a business decision, hiring a full time staff may not make as much sense financially as using a managed IT service will.
Level of Experience
When many companies who are set on building an internal IT department realize how expensive it really is, they often cut corners by reducing the experience requirements for their positions. However, in hiring individuals who haven’t been in the industry for long, they severely reduce the effectiveness of their IT. While their costs will most certainly be less, this may not be the best business decision because the more experienced your IT staff is, the better equipped they are to manage the technological needs of the business. A better alternative for businesses who are wishing to save money on IT while not reducing the level of experience is to use a managed IT service provider instead. With managed IT, businesses have 24-7 access to experienced IT professionals, including a VCIO, at a fraction of the cost.
Security Concerns
Internal IT departments may not have the experience needed to develop a solid security plan to protect the digital assets of a business. While this does depend on the expertise of the individuals, those who understand issues such as cyber security often come with much higher price tags. With managed IT services, businesses can develop and implement a solid security plan at a fraction of the cost because the IT service provider will delegate issues of security to the members of their staff who have the most knowledge. Together, the business and the security expert will develop a plan that will protect a company’s assets from issues such as hackers, fraudulent activity, and other cyber security issues at a fraction of the cost. This is a much more reliable method of handling a company’s digital security than relying on an in-house IT staff.
Cost is the primary concern for businesses that think they need an internal department to manage their technological needs. Managed IT services give businesses the benefit of having a fully operational IT department at a fraction of the cost.
