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The Benefits of Outsourcing IT and What to Consider

IT is crucial to the running of any business in any industry sector. From beauty salons to offices, from manufacturing plants to gyms, there will always be some reliance on technology, making continuous uptime essential. To achieve this, it is necessary to have a good level of support in place. Many organisations elect to do this by outsourcing IT support. Here we look at the benefits of outsourcing IT, and what to consider when choosing a provider.

 

If your technology fails, your business is likely to come to a grinding halt. This could impact upon enquiries, sales, customer service, productivity, operations and of course, reputation. For this reason, it is vital to have a good level of IT support in place so that you have the reassurance that you’ll be back up and running without delay.

 

But what to consider when choosing an outsourced IT provider, and what are the benefits compared to employing an IT manager in house?

 

Why choose outsourced IT support?

 

There are various advantages when it comes to outsourcing IT support and consultancy.

 

Top level IT expertise

 

When you outsource IT, you get access to the very best levels of expertise which you may not necessarily be able to afford if you were to employ your own in-house IT manager.

 

For smaller organisations, outsourcing IT opens the door to higher levels of knowledge and experience that would be out of reach in the job market.

 

Flexibility

 

IT support needs vary from one day to the next. You may have a busy period where you need extra support, or you might need guidance through an upgrade, for example. But other times, your needs may be lower. This means that during some periods of the year, you cannot justify the salary of an in-house IT manager.

 

Outsourcing IT will resolve this issue, providing you with the support you need, on-demand.

 

Lower IT costs

 

More than two thirds of UK companies outsource to reduce costs, and it’s clear to see why this is. Outsourcing can provide a great deal of savings, not just in terms of salary, but also in respect of employee benefits and training investment.

 

When you outsource IT, you can engage the help you need on a project-only basis, so you only need to pay for the work required. You’ll also have access to intel on all the latest technological advances, which could help give your company a valuable competitive edge.

 

Free up in-house labour

 

A lot of smaller companies find that when they don’t have their own dedicated IT manager, the more tech-savvy members of staff end up being called upon to deal with technical issues, which takes them away from what they are supposed to be doing.

 

Outsourcing IT support makes sure that all employees stay focused on their own roles, so that productivity doesn’t suffer.

 

Reduced risk

 

Because outsourced IT support is proactive rather than reactive, you’ll find that issues are dealt with as they arise, or are headed off altogether before they turn into major problems.

 

An IT support company will monitor your IT network 24/7, meaning there is less risk of downtime.

 

What to consider when choosing an outsourced IT support company?

 

It is essential that when choosing your outsourced IT support provider, you make sure you can work with them harmoniously.

 

Ensure the company is a good fit for your business and that they are prepared to take time to understand your business goals, how you operate, and your reliance on technology. You’ll want a proactive approach, with helpful suggestions as to improvements that can be made to enhance productivity and IT security, and help you stay ahead of your competitors.

 

Find out how they provide support, offsite or onsite or a combination of both. How quickly will they attend to your issues? What’s their average resolution time? Do they offer a Service Level Agreement? A free IT health check?

 

What experience and qualifications do they have and what specialist services can they offer you?

 

Making yourself aware of all of this information will make it easier for you to compare outsourced IT support providers.

 

Why you should outsource IT to a Microsoft Partner

 

To assure yourself that your outsourced IT support provider has the knowledge you need, you are well advised to choose a Microsoft Partner.

 

Microsoft Partners have been vetted to Microsoft to ensure they are able to deliver the highest standards of service and expertise. Microsoft Partners will have verified customer references, and certified Microsoft specialists on their team. They’ll have undergone a series of assessments to check their knowledge too.

 

Microsoft Partners also have access to a variety of tools and utilities, as well as online technical support.

 

Looking for an outsourced IT partner? Look to PC Docs.

 

At PC Docs, we offer a fully outsourced IT support service across London and Hertfordshire. Our services include emergency IT support, remote working solutions, cybersecurity, online backup, network solutions and cloud telephone systems.

 

We are proud to report that 99 per cent of our help desk support tickets are responded to within just 10 minutes, and that our Microsoft Certified technicians are ready to assist with any issue, making us the ultimate outsourced IT support solution.

 

For an outsourced IT support company you can trust in every respect, talk to PC Docs.

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