Outsourcing IT support is entrusting your business’ IT needs and demands to a third-party managed services provider (MSP). It allows businesses of all sizes to streamline overall operations by offloading tedious tech-related tasks.
Outsourced IT support services are a cost-saving and time-efficient solution to a company’s digital requirements and IT issues.
In this article, we’ll explore how to outsource IT services, the types of IT support available for outsourcing, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. We'll also highlight the top agencies currently equipped for the task.
Table of Contents
- How Does Outsourced IT Support Work?
- Types Of Outsourced IT Support Services
- IT Support Outsourcing Benefits
- IT Support Outsourcing Downsides
- Considerations When Outsourcing IT Support Services
- Best IT Support Agencies To Outsource Projects To
- Key Takeaways on Outsourced IT Support Solutions
- Outsourcing IT Support FAQs
How Does Outsourced IT Support Work?
The scope of outsourced IT support services goes beyond fixing broken hardware or troubleshooting software issues. It encompasses any type of IT work the business needs but is not equipped or knows how to do. This can range from cybersecurity to cloud migration and employee on- and offboarding.
Outsourced IT support works in a very straightforward way. It involves creating a partnership with a reliable service provider. They take on the tasks of monitoring, maintaining, and protecting your digital data and IT infrastructure with the goal of keeping your networks running smoothly.
Depending on what you need, you can employ:
- Full outsourcing IT support services: Appointing an external company to take over the management of all your IT systems, updates, and security measures.
- Partial outsourcing: Hiring a team of specialists who will take on specific IT tasks and act as reinforcement to your in-house support team.
Types Of Outsourced IT Support Services
What does outsourced IT support include? These are the services an IT support agency can provide:
- Device Inventory Management
- Security Measures
- Server and Network Management
- Cloud and App Management
- Disaster Recovery
- Data Tracking
- Communication Systems
- Surveillance Systems
- Employee Onboarding and Offboarding
- 24/7 Real-Time Support
1. Device Inventory Management
The health and security of your business heavily rely on the effectiveness of your equipment, devices, and machines. An outsourced IT support company can help manage your hardware and the information it contains.
Your agency will determine the most suitable hardware for your business at the most efficient cost. With their expertise, you are guaranteed not to go over budget when purchasing. Neither will you lose track of your tech assets.
Besides affordable hardware procurement, outsourced IT support can help you with:
- Custom device settings configuration for utmost safety
- Provision of real-time visibility of device effectiveness and health
- Access to the best-in-class device management tools
- Remote user management
2. Security Measures
Implementation of security measures and compliance are at the forefront of robust IT assets management. These are crucial in mitigating risks and fending off threats.
Your outsourced IT support services team can help reinforce company-wide security policies. These cover:
- Routinary passcode resets
- Bring your own device (BYOD) regulations
- Multiple encryptions, multifactor authentication (MFA), and firewalls
- The best approaches to cybersecurity
3. Server and Network Management
It is essential to monitor, update, and protect software and maintain a reliable secure network to avoid system failures and viruses. Through outsourced network and server management, you can:
- Lower the risks of costly outage-related downtime
- Monitor your networks proactively
- Get expert recommendations and implementation support
- Keep your operations well-oiled
- Cut down the complexities of potentially unavoidable on-site system failures
4. Cloud and App Management
Shifting to the cloud for file management and communication has immense financial benefits. It has lower upfront costs than utilizing on-site storage entirely. Taking adequate measures to maintain control over your cloud ecosystem to not compromise security is vital.
Outsourcing IT support services can significantly assist you through:
- Automating software deployment
- Protecting SaaS applications
- Setting up and managing file-sharing permission and access
- Managing single sign-on (SSO) exclusive to business IDs and passwords recognized by your internal systems
- Optimizing storage efficiency
5. Disaster Recovery
No business can afford suffering from downtime due to a ransomware attack or security breach. The damage will affect your brand's reputation, so it’s imperative to never neglect disaster recovery and invest in a robust backup provided by outsourced IT support. They have the capacity to:
- Copy and protect valuable data in case of deletion or corruption
- Reconnect applications promptly after an outage
- Reestablish access to your IT resources
- Develop a detailed and solid disaster recovery strategy
6. Data Tracking
Gain visibility into the types and amount of support issues your in-house team may be experiencing. Outsourcing IT support services includes identifying vulnerabilities within your organization. This will help you with proactive decision-making about operational security and efficiency. Furthermore, your external IT agency can provide you with access to reports on these trends.
7. Communication Systems
These are the ways in which your outsourced IT support services company can help improve your phone and other telecommunication systems:
- Unifying and integrating communication lines with the internet, computers, storage systems, and software
- Ensuring the whole organization complies with system regulations
- Testing and audits
- Choosing the most appropriate business internet service provider
- Sustaining remote work, if any
8. Surveillance Systems
Employing outsourced IT support can effectively prevent data theft and other forms of cyberattacks by:
- Managing storage inventory expertly
- Providing widespread system coverage in different locations
9. Employee Onboarding and Offboarding
Onboarding a new hire should be as trouble-free as offboarding an employee. Your outsourced IT support services provider can get you the right hardware and software to set up all the needed credentials swiftly. They can also grant user access or revoke permissions in a breeze.
10. 24/7 Real-Time Support
Get tech support helpdesk on an around-the-clock basis through outsourcing IT support. Access to real-time support is crucial for your company’s technological systems and is a key component of a smart business plan.
Here’s what a 24/7 helpdesk can do for you:
- Provide a central repository of resources for troubleshooting procedures
- Track requests and incidents via a standardized ticketing process
- Answer user queries
- Ensure smooth communications on a daily basis
- Handle service plans and changes in case of an outage
IT Support Outsourcing Benefits
Hiring an MSP for your IT support offers many benefits. Below, we’ll go through the top advantages of outsourcing IT support services:
- Wide-Ranging Expertise & Proactive Experience
- Reliability
- Cost-Savings
- Predictable Budget
- Maximized Productivity
- Improved Client Service
- Enhanced Data Security
1. Wide-Ranging Expertise & Proactive Experience
Outsourced IT support allows your business to dab into the expertise and knowledge of professionals who are adept in dealing with uncommon and complex tech situations. Instead of hiring one person for a separate IT issue, a managed IT services agency can cover a wide range of them, providing support on different IT aspects. This way, even without any prior experience, all your company’s IT fronts will be well-structured and covered.
2. Reliability
Since outsourced IT support services offer greater expertise, the business doesn’t need to closely monitor them. It can fully rely on their knowledge. By having the opportunity to delegate the tasks with complete trust, you can focus on more pressing priorities.
3. Cost-Savings
A big benefit of outsourcing IT support, especially for small businesses, is the reduction in costs. Apart from the expenses associated with equipment and maintenance, the most significant savings are often seen in staffing.
Specifically, outsourced IT support services function as external contractors, eliminating the need for in-house technicians. Since you're not directly responsible for their salaries, benefits, or training, you save time and resources that can be redirected to more beneficial areas of the business.
Additionally, it alleviates concerns about quality and potential personnel turnover, enabling your company to focus on accelerated growth.
4. Predictable Budget
A benefit closely related to cost-savings is the chance to plan your budget. By employing an outsourced IT support, you know how much you’ll need to pay for the service at the start, seeing that these companies work on a subscription model. When you choose a plan, you just pay a fixed monthly or annual fee irrelevant to any computing errors the MSP may face.
5. Maximized Productivity
By outsourcing IT support services, your team can concentrate on the more immediate matters in the enterprise. With a qualified IT provider doing the heavy lifting on your behalf, your people can focus on their core expertise, enhancing efficiency and productivity levels.
6. Improved Client Service
With outsourced IT support services, you can eliminate problems with customer communication lines. You do not have to worry over interruptions or unresponsive online client care channels, hence, improving your consumer satisfaction rating.
7. Enhanced Data Security
Outsourced IT support services include protection from cyberattacks, information breaches, and website inoperability. By delegating these tasks to professionals, you defend your business assets from malicious intruders.
Outsourced IT support MSPs have a developed set of procedures seeking compliance with the laws and regulations of all individuals involved in your business. Moreover, in the event of infiltration, they also have damage control and risk management assistance plans as a security guarantee.
IT Support Outsourcing Downsides
Outsourcing IT support services has proved invaluable for hundreds of businesses. However, there are potential downsides that you must consider before deciding on outsourcing, such as:
1. Language Barriers
Often, companies opt for offshore outsourcing. When outsourcing IT support services to a different country or region, language barriers can pose challenges. Miscommunication is a common obstacle, which can lead to delays in issue resolution.
2. Lack of Control
By outsourcing IT support, you give up direct control over your support process. This can reduce your ability to address urgent issues or make immediate changes. You may need to rely on the outsourcing provider's schedule and availability, which may not always align with your needs or timeline.
3. Quality Concerns
Depending on the provider’s experience and expertise, the quality of outsourced IT support can vary. While some outsourcing companies offer excellent services, others may not meet the same standards. Inconsistent or subpar support can negatively impact your operations, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
4. Data Security Risks
Sharing sensitive data and system access with an external party introduces potential security risks. To avoid this, thoroughly vet the outsourcing provider's security measures, policies, and compliance standards to ensure the protection of your data and IT infrastructure.
5. Hidden Costs
While most companies opt for outsourced IT support for its cost-efficiency, there may be hidden expenses associated with the arrangement. Additional charges for specific services, contract renegotiations, or unexpected expenses can impact the overall price of outsourcing.
Considerations When Outsourcing IT Support Services
The critical factors to consider when looking to employ outsourced IT support services include:
- Costs that are proportionate with the benefits
- Inclusion of accounts management service
- Availability of technology consulting service
- Location of the technicians to be assigned to your company
- Fluency in your preferred language
- Guaranteed average response time
- The ability to achieve goals and meet deadlines
- Minimal supervision
- Capacities to reduce liabilities
- Trustworthiness
- Service-level agreement (SLA)
- Unbiased external input
- Contract management
Best IT Support Agencies To Outsource Projects To
We've curated a list of the top IT support agencies that can be your partner in optimizing your IT operations or growing your enterprise.
1. IT Ninjas
- Location: 3545 St John's Bluff Rd. Suite 341, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: Inquire
- Expertise: IT, Web Design, Cybersecurity, Managed Services, Cloud Consulting
IT Ninjas is a managed IT service provider born in Silicon Valley and headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. The company’s mission has been to make game-changing technology more accessible to small to mid-size businesses, regardless of their budget.
Their services include managed IT services, 24/7 IT support based in North America, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 optimization and management, data backup and recovery, and more. IT Ninjas provides transparent pricing and friendly communication that allows everyone in the business to understand technical aspects.
They have established partnerships with Microsoft, Google, Dell, Dropsuite, and other prominent names.
2. Designo Graphy Canada
- Location: 500 - 4 Ave SW, Suite 2500, Calgary, T2P 2V6, Canada
- Average Hourly Rate: $49
- Expertise: Graphic Design, Web Design, eCommerce Development, UI/UX Design...
Designo Graphy specializes in web designing, web development, mobile application development, 360 virtual tours, 3D modeling, 3D animation, augmented reality, virtual reality development, and digital marketing. They also provide SMM, SEO, SEM, and market research.
The agency is a strategic partner with well know business development platforms to grow any brand, service, or product. They consistently deliver excellent results by collaborating with multiple award-winning professional teams to exceed their client's expectations.
Clients include Done Rite Equipment Sales & Service, eMARKH Outdoor Products, Classic Painters Inc. and Ride Mini Bus.
3. Dieno Digital
- Location: Vancouver, Vancouver, v5b3h9, Canada
- Average Hourly Rate: $50
- Expertise: Web Design, Responsive Website Design, Email Marketing, Market Research...
Dieno Digital online marketing agency recognizes the potential costliness of web development and related services for small and medium-sized businesses.
Being data-driven, strategy-focused, and results-oriented, they strive to understand their clients' bottom lines and assess the reliability of marketing expenditures for businesses.
They aim for their clients' websites to operate smoothly and for ads to generate results for their business from the outset, even before scaling.
Instead of suggesting that you allocate your entire advertising budget to digital marketing right away, they deliver results and then scale accordingly. This approach has fostered long-lasting relationships with businesses, some of which have endured for over a decade.
Clients include SQLLite, Save-On-Foods, BuyLowFoods and PASS SUMMIT.
4. Maverix Design
- Location: 2 Barbara Dr, Saint Cloud, Florida 34771, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: Inquire
- Expertise: Web Design, SEO, Enterprise SEO, Small Business Consulting
Maverix Design is a digital design agency that specializes in web design and brand creation. They help small, mid-sized, and enterprise businesses gain more visibility online through the use of eye-catching designs and strategies.
Their expertise covers Web Design, Branding & Logo Creation, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Clients include Carroll Fulmer, Absolute Supps and Dental.
5. Nonstop
- Location: ul. 12 Pulku Piechoty 37, Wadowice, 34-100, Poland
- Average Hourly Rate: $60
- Expertise: Website Development, eCommerce Development, Software Development, IT...
Nonstop is a custom software company with 17 years of experience, specializing in designing, creating, and deploying automation and optimization for B2B and B2C processes. They serve companies in the banking, telecom, e-commerce, and education industries, and more.
By focusing on solving business problems and not just delivering software, they’ve established long-lasting relationships with clients. It is not uncommon for Nonstop to deliver more than 100 projects for a single client throughout many years of cooperation.
Nonstop is one of the go-to strategic IT suppliers able to deliver and maintain mission-critical systems.
Clients include ING Bank, UPC (Liberty Global) and Grant Thornton.
Key Takeaways on Outsourced IT Support Solutions
The most efficient outsourcing IT support companies use state-of-the-art technologies. Rather than investing significant amounts in high-grade software and hardware for an in-office setup, you can access the same, if not superior, top-of-the-line technologies at a more budget-friendly price.
When you hire the services of outsourced IT support, you entrust top-notch IT experts and trim down expenditure in multiple aspects. You eliminate the need to train on-site employees in numerous complicated operations, while also bypassing manual procurement and installation of tools and applications.
With the complexities of technological evolution, now is the time to get outsourced IT support services. Professional IT services companies and enterprise application development companies can also assist you with this process.
Outsourcing IT Support FAQs
1. Why outsource IT support?
Outsourced IT support offers cost savings, access to specialized expertise, scalability, and flexibility. By outsourcing, businesses can focus on core competencies while skilled professionals handle technical issues. The top IT support providers offer 24/7 support, advanced technologies, and tools, and they can enhance service levels, and system performance.
