Does Your Business Really Need an In-House IT Department?

 

The management of an IT infrastructure to ensure that it is performing at its best is critical to the success of any modern business. Therefore, businesses need to hire the right staff and have the right systems in place. However, as long as IT has existed, there has been a raging debate about whether businesses need an in-house IT department or whether they need to outsource these services. In this article, we will look at when a business needs an in-house IT department and whether outsourcing is a viable solution.

In-House IT Department

One of the biggest reasons why you should have an in-house IT department is that the specialists you hire will have an intimate understanding of your systems. Whereas you would have to explain to an IT consultant how your infrastructure is configured before they start troubleshooting, an IT specialist who is already available can start right away.

Second, members of your IT team are fully aware of your business goals and objectives. They are better able to help your business achieve those goals and objectives because everything they do will be to help your business achieve them.

Lastly, you can pick members of your IT team who best fit your business culture which you cannot do when you outsource your IT services.

What About Outsourcing?

Outsourcing your IT services is usually a lot cheaper than having an in-house IT department. You do not have to hire all the people you need to keep your systems running and instead need to pay a fixed cost for the length of your contract.

Additionally, many firms offering IT support and consulting offer services you may be paying for under one umbrella. For example, your business may be paying separately for email filtering, network monitoring, antivirus software, and backups. IT firms, especially those that offer managed IT services, do all this and more, thereby helping you save even more money.

Lastly, you get access to a wider range of knowledge and experience. IT support firms hire different specialists with different specializations. You get access to this pool of knowledge when you hire the IT firm, but it would be difficult and expensive to hire different people with these specializations for your in-house IT department.

Does Your Business Need an In-House IT Department?

It depends. You might need an in-house IT department if you need tight control over your IT infrastructure as well as people who intimately understand your infrastructure. If you have multiple, specific IT projects and infrastructure running, you might also need an in-house IT department as that is the cheaper solution for this type of set-up.

However, if you are a smaller business that does not have the budget to maintain your IT infrastructure, you may need to outsource your IT services. Additionally, businesses that need 24/7 monitoring and someone always available to thwart any threats that come up might be better served by outsourced IT services.

There are circumstances where an in-house IT department is required and where it would be better to outsource these services. It all depends on your business and its specific needs.