Many businesses decide to go with an outsourced managed IT services provider to audit, procure, build, secure and administrate their information technology. How do you know when is the best time to outsource your IT needs? Let’s discuss.
The amount of money your business budget has taken up by in-house information technology can be substantial. After you add up employee salaries and benefits, training, and the cost of the tools needed for performing the job, many companies find that it makes better financial sense to procure the services of a managed IT services provider.
One of the first steps many organizations take is to hire an information technology consultant. The consultant will perform a review of the business’s information technology currently being utilized while taking into consideration the company’s long-term projections and budget goals. This leads to the IT consultant offering up a plan for making the company’s information technology run smoothly and at the best possible cost.
An IT consultant will then select the proper hardware and software needed for expedient IT performance. Servers and network hardware can be expensive items that are necessary for conducting business. An experienced consultant will make sure that the technological items purchased will actually perform the tasks needed for the business and that the software and hardware will scale to future business needs.
Desktop and laptop computers, along with the myriad peripherals that go with them, are vital to the day-to-day operation of most businesses and immediately affect the bottom line. This is why it pays to have an expert IT consultant, available to help sort through all of the options and find what will work best for each unique company.
Once all of the hardware is in place, the next step is to think about network security. This is a crucial step. Having access to engineers and technicians who have been certified and can provide expertise in information technology is key. For businesses who operate an online storefront, or simply need to make sure that the business information will not be compromised, it is imperative to provide a secure platform upon which to conduct business.
Network integration is another topic to discuss with the information technology consultant. Information technology providers monitor networks round the clock to ensure stability. This reduces wasted network downtime and saves money.
Managed IT services providers and their IT consultants are a great way to receive the benefits of having a large, expert technology team in your company without paying the exorbitant costs of staffing such a team in-house. It is also a great resource for small businesses who have regular IT needs but are nowhere near the point to justify hiring full-time employees to work in IT.
Jared Payne is the owner of IT Ninjas (https://itninjas.com) a Phoenix IT support company based in Mesa, Arizona serving the greater Phoenix area.
