When it comes to IT management, every business has its own unique needs. Choosing between an in-house IT team or a Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a critical decision that can significantly impact business operations and productivity.
With new technologies emerging rapidly and cyber threats more prevalent than ever, it’s never been more important to reflect upon your business requirements and ensure you’re utilising the best IT management to maximise business success.
There are a range factors that should inform this choice, so in this article we’re looking at both options so you can make the decision that’s right for your business.
What is In-house IT?
In-house IT is when a business employs an internal team of professionals to manage and support all required IT services. This can give the business more control over policies and procedures, and allows them to tailor the team to their specific requirements. In addition to this, in-house IT experts are always on-site and can readily assist team members.
When deciding if in-house IT is suitable for your business, there are a few factors that should be considered:
Costly to implement: In addition to IT infrastructure costs such as equipment, storage and software, there are also personnel costs to consider such as recruitment, salaries, and ongoing training.
Unavoidable downtime: As with any internal team, staff may become unavailable due to annual or sick leave. This can lead to downtime where IT support is unavailable, negatively impacting business productivity. Due to the current high demand for IT professionals, there is also a risk of downtime caused by employee turnover and training periods.
Limited Resources: Continual up-to-date training is essential for an effective IT team to operate, which can be a challenging demand to meet. In-house teams generally have a narrower field of specialisation and far fewer resources when compared to an MSP. Internal IT teams have many responsibilities and are often extremely busy, meaning they may be unable to respond immediately when assistance is required.
What is an MSP?
A Managed Service Provider is a form of outsourced IT. MSPs are employed by businesses of all sizes to deliver essential IT services such as monitoring and maintaining IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, networking and more. The right MSP will help your business maximise efficiency whilst improving your overall IT posture and mitigating risks. MSPs can also work in combination with an in-house team.
Employing an MSP is a great way to obtain expert IT solutions without the difficulties associated with sustaining an in-house-only IT team.
At Ever Nimble, we’re proud to identify as not just an MSP, but as a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). As an MSSP, we specialise in providing expert cyber security to keep your business and data secure.
Advantages of an MSP over In-House IT
Cost-effectiveness: When you partner with an MSP, you only pay for the services your business requires. This frees up resources and removes unnecessary expenses such as excess IT personnel, software, and infrastructure costs. At Ever Nimble, we bundle IT services tailored to meet your business needs at an easy-to-manage fixed monthly fee, so they won’t break the bank.
Scalability: MSPs offer a range of services that can be scaled up to suit your business needs. This flexibility means that new services can easily be provided when a business naturally grows and requires a higher level of IT support.
Diverse expertise: MSPs are made up of highly experienced IT specialists, with a broad range of knowledge and skillsets. These experts are highly qualified and undergo continuous up-to-date training, allowing your business to receive advanced support for an extensive range of IT products and services.
Greater Resources: MSPs have many valuable resources, tools, and talent at their disposal to implement the best IT strategies, so your team has more time to focus on and support your core business operations.
24/7 Support: Whilst in-house teams are available on-site, MSPs offer 24/7 remote support, meaning your business can be supported around the clock. MSPs conduct constant monitoring and implement swift incident response to minimise any downtime.
Finding the right MSP for your business
Not all MSPs are equal in their offerings, so when searching for the best MSP to support your business there are some important factors to consider. The right MSP will deliver:
- Services that align with your business needs
- Expert cyber security and compliance policies
- Rapid incident response management
- Efficient operation of updates and maintenance for all systems and software
- In-depth and insightful reporting
- Values that align with your business
- Training, certifications, and qualifications
- Great testimonials – find some of ours here.
For more information on finding the right MSP for your business, including essential questions to ask, visit our blog post here.
How Ever Nimble can help
At Ever Nimble we have an award-winning team located across the globe. We provide honest and smart advice to help your business thrive, and our holistic approach to technology ensures you get the most out of your IT investment. Most importantly, we care about our customers and take the time to truly understand your unique business needs.
When you work with our award-winning team of experts, your business benefits from:
- A large and dedicated Cyber Response team backed by a 24/7 Security Operations Centre
- Realtime vulnerability scanning with cyber-focused automation and a rapid response capability
- Compliance and risk management with a GRC platform and experts to guide you through the process
- Cyber Awareness Training that is trackable, mandatory and makes a difference
- Network security that goes beyond the firewall with dedicated hardware to analyse all internal and external traffic
- World-leading MSSP software partners such as CrowdStrike, Fortinet and Datto
Ready to level up your IT and access expert support with an MSP who puts their customers first? Get in touch with our friendly team here or at +61 6381 6900.
