Outsourced IT Support:

What It Is and Why

You Need It

Outsourcing your IT support offers tremendous benefits. It might be just what you need to take your business to the next level. Below, we’ll take a deep dive into the world of outsourced IT services so that you can determine whether partnering with a managed services provider (MSP) is the right move for your organization.

What Is Outsourced IT Support?

Outsourced IT support can be done by partnering with an MSP. An MSP is a third-party organization that employs an entire team of IT professionals.

MSPs can oversee virtually every aspect of your digital resources including infrastructure, network monitoring, disaster recovery, and cybersecurity.

Contrary to popular belief, an outsourced IT support provider does not only provide reactive services. While they will certainly step in and lend a helping hand when you encounter a software or hardware issue, this is only one component of their business model.

MSPs can serve as your long-term IT support partner, monitoring, deploying, and protecting digital resources across your entire organization. 

What Kinds of Services Are Typically Outsourced?

Each outsourced IT support provider offers a distinct mix of services and solutions. However, most MSPs can take over the following aspects of managing your IT resources:

Help Desk

When you or one of your staff members encounter an IT issue, the help desk functionality will be their go-to lifeline. Employees can simply reach out to your MSP via email, phone, or another designated channel.

The MSP will be able to walk your employees through troubleshooting steps or remotely access their devices to resolve the problem. Help desk services allow you to minimize downtime and optimize the productivity of your staff.

Network Management

All of your technological resources are wholly dependent on your IT network being fully operational. If your network goes down or is running slowly, business productivity will suffer. This is a huge concern, as every minute of downtime can cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Fortunately, an outsourced IT support provider can continuously monitor your network so that they can proactively address any potential concerns. In the event of an outage, they can respond rapidly in order to restore your connectivity.

Disaster Recovery

Whether your business is the target of a cyberattack or experiences a natural disaster that compromises your data, your MSP will be prepared to take prompt action. They will use your backup data files to restore lost information so that they can get your business up and running again in no time.

Cybersecurity

Over the last few years, cyberattacks have increased in both frequency and complexity. In order to mitigate the risks created by this concerning trend, many businesses have elected to outsource their cybersecurity programs to managed services providers.

By following suit, you can ensure that your business is equipped with the latest technologies and solutions to guard against cyberattacks. An outsourced IT support provider will deploy dynamic cybersecurity software, such as firewalls, anti-virus software, and more.

Data Storage

Storing your valuable data file using on-site servers is not only costly, but it can even be incredibly dangerous. That is why the majority of modern businesses have outsourced data storage responsibilities to their chosen MSP.

An MSP will manage your data using cloud-based resources. This approach is not only secure, but it is far more cost-effective, as well.

Web Hosting

Another common service that can be outsourced to MSPs is web hosting. Managing and hosting your own website is a tedious process. Why not let an experienced IT support firm do it for you? They can provide superior web hosting at a fraction of the cost.

Why You Need Outsourced IT Support

Outsourced IT support offers tremendous benefits to businesses of all sizes, including:

Cost Savings

As your business grows, it may become increasingly difficult to manage your IT resources in-house. This is because recruiting and hiring full-time IT staff is extremely expensive. Between benefits, training and salary, adding even a single new IT professional to your team can easily cost your business $100,000 or more.

Conversely, partnering with an outsourced IT support provider is cost-effective. While the exact cost of your outsourced IT services will vary depending on the size and scope of your business, most MSPs use a monthly pricing model. This will make it much easier to develop an annual IT budget while also freeing up financial resources for other endeavors.

MSPs can often save you money in other ways, as well. For instance, they can help your team get the most out of your current technological investments, which will lead to higher productivity and increased revenue.

Professional Expertise

In addition to saving you money, outsourcing your IT support to an MSP grants you access to technological expertise. Many MSPs also offer advisory services in addition to resource management. They can help you select new technologies, deploy hardware, or manage an entire IT project.

Top MSPs employ diverse teams of IT professionals who specialize in many subfields of information technology. Whether you are facing a hardware problem or tackling a serious cybersecurity concern, the MSP will be able to connect you with the right professional to get the job done.

Risk Mitigation

Lastly, partnering with an outsourced IT support firm will allow you to mitigate risk more effectively. This has become increasingly important in light of the recent uptick in cyberattacks. Your MSP can conduct a comprehensive cybersecurity audit in order to identify and remedy vulnerabilities within your digital infrastructure.

If your business does experience a critical incident, such as a ransomware attack, the MSP will respond to mitigate the impacts of the breach. They will also oversee the disaster recovery process to ensure that your business is fully operational as quickly as possible.

Different Ways to Outsource IT Support

The beauty of MSPs is that they tailor their services in accordance with your needs. This means that there is no one-size-fits-all method of outsourcing.

When seeking an outsourced support provider, you can opt for one of the following approaches:

Completely Outsourced IT Support

One of the most popular options among small to medium-sized businesses is total outsourcing. If you go with this approach, your MSP will serve as your entire IT team. They will handle everything from deploying cybersecurity measures to resetting your password for your email accounts.

By outsourcing all of your IT support needs, you can almost completely eliminate the overhead costs traditionally associated with information technology. This method makes it much easier to create your technology budget, as well.

Augmented IT Support

If you already have a few IT professionals on your staff, then you may not need an MSP to take over everything. In this scenario, your MSP will simply augment the capabilities of your existing team. They will offer as much or as little support as you need and charge accordingly.

For instance, if your IT personnel are well versed in everything but cybersecurity, then the MSP can provide expert cybersecurity and risk mitigation services.

Outsourced IT Support Just Got Sweeter

If your business needs outsourced IT support solutions that are tailored to resolving your unique pain points, SugarShot can help. Our USA-based team specializes in enhancing cybersecurity, providing continuous business insights, and ensuring your business has the resources it needs to grow.

Ready to learn more about how we’ve reimagined outsourced IT support? Want a custom-tailored quote for services we provide? If you’re ready to grow your business in a secure, supported way, connect with us today!