Is Good IT Support the Key to Business Success in the Era of Technology?

In the past few years, small businesses have risen and fallen as fast as the seasons go. Statistics show 30% of small businesses fail to survive their second year in business, while only 50% survive past their fifth year. The reason why so many new small businesses don’t succeed is that they fail to keep up with their competitors, especially when it comes to technology.

We live in an era that is almost entirely driven by technology, which is why having IT support full time is paramount for the success of your business. Servers need to be maintained, software tools need to be developed, and all critical systems need to be continuously monitored.

However, not many companies, especially small businesses, afford to put together an in-house IT department to take care of all their needs. Luckily, this is where outsourcing can help.

Now, more than ever before, businesses are getting outsourced IT support. What makes this decision so appealing, and what do they have to gain from it?

Why do businesses outsource IT support?

No rule says you absolutely need to outsource, but it has proven to be a very effective solution to help small businesses grow, especially in an environment driven by technology. Every company’s needs are different, but the reasons for outsourcing remain the same in almost all instances.

Businesses need to innovate, to keep up with their competition, and outsourcing remains the most cost-effective way to do so, especially if you don’t have the ability to deal with specialized tasks in-house.

Another reason why companies choose to outsource is that their teams are maxed out. Many entrepreneurs fear their business won’t be able to attract customers, but very few of them ask themselves what is there to do when their business is scaling too fast. Putting together an in-house IT department is time-consuming, and companies need a fast way to keep up with consumer demand, so they turn to outsourcing.

What type of IT services do businesses usually outsource?

Based on where the outsource is happening, businesses have three options to choose from when it comes to IT outsourcing:

• Offshore: outsourcing services to a distant, to take advantage of a more favorable economic climate
• Nearshore: outsourcing to neighboring countries
• Onshore: outsourcing to a company situated in the same country

Now that we’ve cleared out where you can outsource, it’s time to talk about what types of IT services you can outsource. To put it simply, nearly any kind of IT service can be outsourced, including:

• Web hosting or development
• Technical support
• Infrastructure
• Application and software development
• Application and software management
• Database development and management

How can my business benefit from good IT partnership?

Having the right IT outsourcing partner brings out tremendous benefits for businesses; benefits that would otherwise not be available or would take an enormous amount of resources to acquire.

Expert knowledge at a fraction of the price

If you were to put together an in-house IT team, the costs would be quite high. You need enough office space, hardware and software equipment, as well as ensuring the salaries of the new team. By outsourcing your IT needs, you get access to a team of specialists and technicians that will put their skills to work at a much less expensive cost.

Improved security

With the rise in cyber security, IT security becomes more important than ever before. Attacks grow more sophisticated as we speak, so making sure you have a team of experts ready to help you mitigate cyber risks and vulnerabilities is essential for keeping your data away from unwanted eyes.

You can continue to focus on your business

Outsourcing helps free up your team’s time and allows you to focus on the core parts of your business. You won’t have to worry about bugs needing to be fixed, security updates or app development. These are all aspects IT support companies like Netzen can take care of.

Aspects to keep in mind when outsourcing IT services

Finding a good IT support company does require some research beforehand. Figure out what are the needs of your business and start looking for a company that can fulfill them all. Limit your list down to 3-5 options and then contact them.

Besides the type of services, they provide, make sure to discuss reliability and availability as well. Who do you call in case something happens? Are they providing 24/7 support? Are there additional costs for services outside of regular working hours? These are all questions you potential IT partner should be able to answer.

Last but not least, make sure to talk about proactive measures as well. How often do they perform maintenance checks? Will these verifications be documented? Will you have access to this documentation?

Outsourced IT support can help a business develop in many ways, but in order to take advantage of all these benefits, you need to find a reliable IT partner. Only then will your company be able to thrive in the era of technology.