Top 5 Pros and Cons of Managed IT Services
Hiring the services of a managed IT services provider can be beneficial to your business in several ways, but it also has its drawbacks. If you’ve been wondering whether or not you should outsource your IT needs to another company, here are the top pros and cons that you should know.
Pros
- Cost-effective
One of the biggest advantages of managed IT services is that it helps businesses cut down their operational costs. When you sign up to a managed IT services provider, you instantly eliminate costs associated with buying new hardware, training IT staff, paying the salaries of in-house IT professionals, and other expenses.
- Skills and knowledge
When you subscribe to a managed IT services provider, you are outsourcing the needs of your business to professionals that have been adequately trained to offer an ever-deepening level of expertise. This makes it possible for you to stay competitive since you will be able to enjoy the unlimited expertise they provide.
- Security breaches
Security breaches are becoming rampant like never before but outsourcing your IT needs to a provider allows you to enjoy the services of experts that are up-to-date with the latest defenses. This will help reduce the risks of data breaches since there’s a provision of security strategies to ensure that your business is up-to-par with security standards.
- 24/7 availability
Another advantage of managed IT services providers is that they are always available to attend to issues that can potentially affect your business. Unlike an in-house team that has working hours, managed IT services providers are always available, and this contributes to maximizing up-time.
- Data compliance support
As the rate of cyber-crime continues to climb, businesses today are required to meet strict data privacy regulations. Many companies often are unable to comply with these requirements because they are either unaware or forget to do so. Hiring the services of a provider allows you to transfer the responsibility to experts in the industry who can help you with data compliance.
Cons
- Physical presence
Signing up with an MSP means you are opting to allow another company to manage your technology remotely. This means you will have to bear the brunt of fixing any issue that occurs on-site yourself.
- Loss of a dedicated IT team
All businesses are not the same. Hiring the services of a provider means you are foregoing the option of having a dedicated IT team that understands the nuances and peculiarities of your business, and this may limit the efficiency of the provider in meeting your IT needs.
- Scope
Unlike an in-house IT team, a managed services provider seldom covers every single aspect of technology. You may have to choose from a list of applications you need support for, meaning when you have an issue outside the services you signed up for, you are likely out of luck.
- Security and control
When you hire the services of a provider, you are giving access to the sensitive data and information your business runs on. This may be an issue if the nature of your business puts a premium on data security and control of information.
- Longevity
Although it is seldom considered, businesses fold up. If your managed IT services provider goes under, you may have to scramble to find a new solution, and this may take its toll on your business.
Wrap-up
The above pros and cons are factors you should consider before subscribing to an MSP. Weighing all the factors will help you make the right decision for your business.
