For many small to medium sized businesses, infact whatever their size, IT can seem like a minefield.
Whether it’s keeping on top of online payments or ensuring data is backed up correctly, there’s a lot to distract you from focussing on growing your business. In an ideal world, all businesses would have their own qualified IT technician, but it is just not practical. So this month we will tell you exactly how businesses such as ourselves can help.

Overheads and cost

When you outsource your IT services it turns fixed IT costs into variable costs, allowing you to budget effectively. You only paying for what you need when you need it as opposed to a constant outgoing for something that you may only use infrequently. Labour costs can also put a huge burden on your business.
Recruiting and training your own IT staff can be a commitment that you simply cannot afford + you cannot guarantee at the end of whether the individual you do take on is capable of doing the job. This applies particularly to temporary staff who have no commitment or investment in your company.
But, if you outsource to a professional IT support company, not only do you not waste HR efforts or take a gamble on skills you are recruiting, but you only pay for the services when you need them. You do not need a financial advisor to tell you that this makes sense…

Stay ahead of the game

Any decent IT service company will have access to the resources that allow them to begin new projects quickly. When these projects are kept in-house it can take months of planning and may also involve recruitment of additional staff, again wasting more of your HR time.
With an outsourced IT company comes experience, which not only gives you assurance that the project will be completed, but you will probably find that their work will be insured if there is ever an issue. Better their cost than yours.
Having the means to scale appropriately means that your business can prepare and plan for effective implementation. When you outsource your IT services, you are able to scale up and down dependent on demand. For example, if you’re a business that experiences rapid periods of growth and custom there will without doubt be IT issues that come with them, so you want be sure they your IT infrastructure is in safe hands when these changes are needed

Peace of mind

Managed IT services mean that you have access to individuals who know what they are doing 24 hours a day. With the majority of businesses saying goodbye to the standard 9-5 work day, it’s important that your IT services mirror and operate the hours you do. When you work around the clock, so does your computer system. If you are a small company this will mean employing not just 1 IT technician but maybe 2+. Managed IT support businesses such as ourselves have the staff to do this for you, they provide the services when you need them i.e. you are our customer and we are here to serve you and provide support when you need it to make sure your business can keep going and meet the demands from your customers.

Experience

Systems Integration have many clients and we experience the same types of IT issues on a daily basis. Whereas in-house IT employees are often isolated from any IT issues that fall outside of their day to day activities. Just because somebody is qualified it doesn’t mean that they’re experienced. Imagine if you’re going to a dentist and need a tooth extracted, do you want the student to remove it or do you want the experienced surgeon?

Industry knowledge means all work we perform will be secure and compliant, with the latest legislations, something an in-house operator may not be aware of. Outsourced IT service companies such as ourselves are experts in what they do, making us an ideal candidate for managing and dealing with your IT risks.

Stay up to date

If you’re a smaller business, unlike big companies, chances are you do not have the money to invest in an exclusive IT department. Outsourcing provides you with access to IT experts who are committed to helping you without the financial burden of the salary that they’d need. An independent third-party company such as ourselves, with variable fees which scale to your budgets gives your company an edge against others.
Nationally there is a shortage of IT qualified professionals and even the large organisations that are struggling to fill IT vacancies. Aspects such as cyber-security, app development, disaster recovery and VIOP services require a refined skill-set that not many people possess. By outsourcing to a quality IT partner, you ensure that your business has constant access to the expertise that’s in demand.

Stay Secure and compliant

There are a huge number of things that you need to do to stay a) compliant with legislation and b) secure. Do you know whether your firewall is up to date? What about your DMZ? Is it installed? How regular are you auditing? Do you deal with financial transactions online? Are your storing your and your clients securely? Have you implemented PCI security standards? Taking payments online is a great tool for business growth, however if you’re not compliant and secure it could cost you everything.

When you outsource to a company such as ourselves, with years of experience and relevant qualifications, you ensure that your online activities are safe and secure.

The sheer number of laws you need to abide by is enough to get the better of any in-house team. The training and expense needed to keep up to date can could result in your little in-house IT department becoming the biggest financial strain on your business. Is this something you want?

Systems Integration have been supporting local businesses for over 25 years with their IT issues and services, we continue to keep on top of regulations and know what is going to happen before it does.

If you feel like this is an area we can help your business, get in touch, you may well be surprised how we can not only help your business become more efficient, but save you money at the same time.