Managed IT Services vs. In-House IT Professional Team

In today’s business world, virtually every process involves using technology. Plus, as businesses invest in more digital technology, they need to manage devices, networks, and systems while protecting information against cyberattacks. The question isn’t whether you need IT, but which approach is best for your organization. Businesses can either hire an in-house IT team or seek managed IT services.

Tekie Geek provides a wide range of IT services to businesses in New York and New Jersey. Here, we explore the pros and cons of each option to help you decide.

What Is an In-House IT Team?

When a business invests in an in-house IT team, they hire IT professionals and provide the resources necessary for effective IT infrastructure management. This team operates as a separate department within the organization, developing policies for employees to follow and ensuring IT systems are configured properly. They troubleshoot everyday problems for team members and develop and implement cybersecurity measures.

Advantages of an In-House IT Team

Control Over IT Operations

With an in-house IT team, your business has more control over IT efforts. Executives can easily collaborate with internal IT teams, ensuring more awareness among leaders about policies and processes. In turn, leaders and department heads can share updates with mid- and lower-level employees, ensuring the entire company stays informed.

Better Collaboration

With an IT department onsite, executives and employees can often access support more easily. They don’t even have to email or leave a voicemail message, waiting for a response. You can coordinate with IT team members in person. Even in hybrid or remote situations, in-house IT teams can deliver quicker responses because they handle inquiries only from your employees.

Customized IT

An in-house IT team understands the needs and objectives of your business and can structure solutions around them. This means IT solutions customized to your organization.

Drawbacks of an In-House IT Team

High Costs

Cost is one of the biggest challenges of maintaining an in-house IT team. Hiring an in-house team means salaries and benefits for each professional. Businesses should be aware of the average wages for IT professionals, as recorded by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lack of Access to Resources

Beyond labor, think about the resources you need to ensure an internal team is most productive. These expenses might be more than your budget can accommodate. Small and medium-sized businesses often don’t have the budget necessary to acquire the tools and technologies IT professionals need to be most productive.

Less Reliable Expertise

The IT professionals you hire might have extensive knowledge of many aspects of IT infrastructure but know less about cybersecurity. There’s always the possibility your current staff is unsure how to solve an issue. This might require bringing on more talent (increasing costs) or outsourcing some tasks. Plus, turnover can mean losing team members with specialized expertise and needing to find a replacement.

What Are Managed IT Services?

Choosing managed IT means outsourcing efforts to a service provider. The managed service provider (MSP) employs a team of IT professionals to handle tasks like infrastructure management, cybersecurity, support, and more. In addition to managed IT, which involves outsourcing all IT activities, some MSPs offer co-managed IT. You already have an in-house IT team, but co-managed IT helps maximize the productivity and efficiency of your team by outsourcing some tasks.

Advantages of Managed IT

More Cost-Savvy Choice

One of the main reasons organizations choose managed IT is that it’s a cost-effective solution. Different MSPs have different pricing models, but you can trust it will be more affordable than providing salaries and benefits to an in-house team. According to some research, you can save up to 40% on labor costs by choosing managed IT services.

Increased Access to IT

An MSP can hire IT professionals with a wide range of expertise in various areas of IT infrastructure and cybersecurity. Businesses can rely on this talent to navigate IT tasks. If exploring co-managed IT, MSPs offer expertise to supplement the knowledge of your in-house team.

Access to Advanced IT Technology

It’s not just expertise that MSPs can offer. They use state-of-the-art technology to design and implement IT solutions that meet today’s demands. Partnering with an MSP increases access to these advanced tools. This is especially important for businesses that haven’t been able to update their IT technology due to budget constraints.

Enhanced Scalability

Scalability is an important factor any time your business invests in a new service or technology. With managed IT, it’s easier to scale your IT infrastructure as you grow. MSPs enable you to add or remove services as your needs change. It also avoids the headache of letting go of or hiring new members for an in-house team.

Drawbacks of Managed IT

The main challenge with managed IT services is the potential lack of control you have over IT activities. When you outsource IT wholly to an MSP, you need to trust they have the skills and resources to meet your needs. Another concern is reduced collaboration. You want the MSP to understand your concerns and objectives, so partnering with a responsive MSP is crucial.

In-House vs. Managed IT: Which Should You Choose?

There isn’t a right or wrong choice – it depends on the unique concerns of your organization. Often, small and mid-sized businesses find managed IT the more cost-effective option. Yet, even large corporations can benefit from managed or co-managed IT, especially as they may require the enhanced expertise an MSP can provide. To make your choice, think about your needs, budget, past challenges with IT, and other factors that may guide your decision.

Find a Reliable MSP in Tekie Geek

The advantages of managed IT are many but understand that the MSP you partner with determines the quality of service you receive. At Tekie Geek, our managed and co-managed IT services help small and mid-sized organizations in New York and New Jersey maintain secure and efficient IT infrastructures. From risk assessment to Dark Web monitoring to cloud data protection, our IT services cover a wide range of expertise. Plus, we offer fast response times with unlimited help desk support from our IT superheroes.

Contact us today to learn more about our IT services.

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