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With technology evolving rapidly, it becomes increasingly more challenging for companies to keep pace. This leads to difficulties mobilizing internal resources quickly enough, making it hard to address technology problems without delays or downtime.
This leads many businesses to increase pressure on their in-house IT team, forcing them to focus on day-to-day issues like maintaining connectivity and ensuring uninterrupted communication in addition to handling long-term projects like cyber security improvement. Unfortunately, many IT teams don’t have the expertise or experience to handle all of these complex tasks simultaneously.
That’s why many organizations turn to a managed service provider to help support their increasingly complex enterprise IT needs. Our goal today is to help you understand the differences between, as well as the pros and cons of, in-house and managed IT approaches.
In-House IT
In-house IT is still preferred by many companies. It involves every aspect of IT operations being controlled by staff who are employed full-time by the company. If the internal team needs additional support, the company hires more staff on a full or part-time basis.
Pros
There are notable advantages to allowing your IT operations to remain in-house.
- Many companies feel that it gives them more control over their essential business data since the information never leaves their premises.
- Since they work closely with other departments, an internal IT team is often more closely aligned with company objectives and goals.
- Internal teams tend to develop a better rapport with other departments, allowing them to collaborate with ease.
Cons
While many companies prefer keeping their IT operations in-house, this approach has distinct disadvantages – especially as the company grows.
- Companies hiring an in-house team risk devoting too much attention, time, and money to recruitment rather than project completion and launch. This is especially true of time-sensitive projects.
- There is a high cost associated with setting up the hardware and software necessary for in-house IT operations. Companies looking to build infrastructure or servers must spend a considerable amount very early on.
- Most companies hire IT generalists rather than specialists, leaving them with limited resources in certain areas.
Managed Infrastructure Services
Many companies looking to augment their resources opt to work with a managed IT provider who can supplement their in-house team. This brings several advantages and disadvantages to consider before making the switch.
Pros
Managed service providers (MSPs) are typically experts in their field and can offer many benefits through their experience.
- Companies can save time by working with an MSP that takes on the bulk of time-consuming maintenance and management tasks. This saves your in-house IT team time and frees them up to focus on projects that fuel business growth.
- 24/7 monitoring helps ensure your network is continually scrutinized for any signs of failure, compromise, or breach.
- It’s easy to scale your infrastructure up or down as the needs of the business grow and change.
Cons
Despite the advantages, many companies are still hesitant to enlist the help of an MSP to support their IT. Here are some concerns that may be holding them back:
- While the long-term costs may be more predictable and manageable than keeping your IT in-house, there is a financial cost when making the switch to outsourcing.
- An initial lack of institutional knowledge is common when working with a new team.
When Are Managed Infrastructure Services the Best Solution?
There are many reasons why businesses choose to make the switch to managed infrastructure services. In many situations, it’s a natural fit for companies growing beyond their in-house team’s capacity.
When your in-house team can partner with an external MSP to provide additional support, it drastically reduces their daily burden. Your in-house staff can refocus their attention on tasks that require their specific institutional knowledge, while the managed IT provider takes care of routine tasks and maintenance or dedicates their time to urgent short-term projects. This helps to increase security and compliance and can also reduce the risk of downtime.
These types of partnerships also allow companies to operate much more efficiently and with greater flexibility. Since the MSP has ongoing relationships with vendors, they can provide resources much faster and with greater agility than an in-house team, who would have to go through a much more complex research and selection process.
Why Choose TailWind to Support Your IT
At TailWind Voice and Data, we specialize in offering expert technical support to companies seeking to build or maintain their IT infrastructure. Working closely with your in-house IT department gives us the institutional knowledge we need to deliver complete multi-location solutions that keep your business connected and productive even as you grow and evolve.
Our teams are made up of dedicated experts that take complete accountability for every component of your enterprise IT, including business connectivity, field service, and break-fix needs.
Want to learn more about how our services can provide exceptional value to your organization? Get in touch to schedule a consultation today.
