With regard to internal IT staff, one option for SMEs is to pay higher salaries and increase the amount of training their in-house IT department benefit from. The major downside of this is the cost and the threat of them leaving. This is why IT outsourcing for SMEs is a more strategic approach. Below we outline why:
Outsourced IT Department: A Smarter use of budget
When it comes to IT outsourcing for SMEs, engaging a specialist IT services provider capable of offering a complete, end-to-end service is the most popular alternative to having an in-house IT team. There are a number of key considerations when choosing who to partner with, but there is no doubt that the significant benefits offered by IT outsourcing are highly attractive.
One key advantage of IT outsourcing is becoming more important in our increasingly online world.
Most business owners are aware of the prevalence of viruses and hacking attempts which are affecting not only multi-million-pound organisations but also those more modestly sized. SMEs with a small IT department can find the issue of IT security daunting. They will likely have limited exposure to the challenges faced and without suitable training or peers to share knowledge with, can become exposed and isolated.
Security-first approach
For any organisation, keeping on top of network security to ensure that systems and staff are protected can prove very costly. However, the costs of not implementing appropriate systems in place can be far more expensive. For example, in 2013 Kasperky produced a study which found that cyberattacks cost SMEs an average £5,000 per incident.
IT outsourcing for SMEs is a fast way to ensure the security of your systems. Akita has had a great deal of direct experience with one of the most prevalent threats over the past couple of years. We have dealt with the Cryptolocker ransomware numerous times over the past couple of years and, in every instance, we have contained the risk, ensured the full recovery of our clients’ data and got them up and running in a few hours.
A company network with limited safeguards and an IT manager with no experience with ransomware could face downtime of several days and the possibility of losing key data for good.
Benefits of IT Outsourcing for SMEs: Conclusion
The bottom line is that outsourcing IT services gives SMEs access to a multi-disciplined team of technical specialists and experienced consultants. Often the benefit of this wealth of resources is not realised until the pain has been felt, but clearly, a greater depth of knowledge and experience across multiple industries is beneficial when discussing long-term IT strategy.
IT outsourcing for SMEs can provide significant cost savings compared to having an in-house IT manager. By taking this one stage further and incorporating a degree of hosted cloud solutions, this can be increased by the savings in ongoing support, hardware and software upgrades, electricity and also the only valuable freeing-up of office space.
To discuss further benefits of IT outsourcing for SMEs, contact us today:
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