Managed IT vs In-House IT: What’s Right for Your Business?

Ensuring the seamless daily operation of your business and propelling it towards its maximum potential is achievable through essential investments in IT. However, having knowledgeable personnel accessible to be able to help with these aspects is essential. 

There are two ways that your business can go about procuring IT expertise — managed IT and in-house IT. Both have their benefits and drawbacks and are best suited to distinct kinds of organisations.  

In-house IT 

‘In-house’ IT simply refers to a team of IT experts that work within your organisation. They would be hired as employees and be solely dedicated to your organisation’s IT requirements. 

Benefits 

Constantly On-location 

In-house IT teams are employees that work on-site in dedicated office space. This means they are physically present, meaning they can troubleshoot issues in-person and efficiently.  

Familiar with Organisation 

If you hire in-house IT specialists, they will be solely dedicated to your organisation — meaning that they will be able to familiarise themselves with the ins and outs of your business as well as the more specific needs that you may have.  

Employees of a managed IT service will work with multiple organisations every day, meaning that they are unlikely to know the specifics of your organisation. 

Faster Support in Office Hours 

During office hours, having an in-house IT team is a way to ensure that you can have access to quick support. This is because — unlike a managed IT provider — in-house IT specialists cater solely to your business and don’t need to support multiple businesses in a busy work period. 

Challenges 

Increased Cost 

Every member of your in-house IT team will be a fully paid employee. This will come at a significant cost for your organisation, especially when considering how expensive IT personnel can be with the ongoing skills shortage and demand. 

Furthermore, you will have to provide office space, equipment, and everything else that an employee needs to be able to get their job done. All these costs will further accumulate for your organisation. 

Inconsistent Capacity 

Hiring a team sets the capability and capacity for that team. If you have five members that are all busy, you won’t be able to have any more capacity — meaning that important tasks might get delayed. 

Gaps in Skill Set 

Hiring a team means that you’re limited to the skill set of the people that you’ve hired. This means that there will inevitably be some gaps in your team’s skillset, as it’s difficult to cover everything with out having to hire multiple people — especially if you’re not looking to spend on employees with a wider range of skills. 

Managed IT Services 

Managed IT services refers to the use of an external provider that manages IT within your organisation. They are not on-site and usually accessible online or by phone, meaning that you have access to a team of IT experts right at your fingertips. 

Benefits 

Access to a Wider Skill Set 

A managed service provider (MSP) will have a range of employees that will be able to use their skills to solve problems, meaning that you have access to a wider pool of skills to be able to solve problems within your organisation. 

Ability to Scale 

When working with an MSP, you will be able to scale the amount of support available to meet your organisation’s needs. This ensures that you can obtain the correct amount of support required without overspending. 

Lower Cost 

With no need to hire anyone directly, you’re only paying for the MSP’s services instead of paying multiple employees at full salary. You have access to a widely skilled team at a much lower cost than otherwise. 

Greater Availability 

There is no need to account for holidays or paid time off for your IT Services. Your MSP will always be there to help you whenever you need it, as a complete service that you pay for. 

Challenges 

Many Options to Choose From 

There are lots of different MSPs that are available to work with, so choosing which is best suited to your business can be difficult to work out. 

Require Relationship Building 

Working with an MSP means building a relationship. You will have to work with the people on your MSP team over time to build relationships and ensure that you are achieving what you want with them, and so they can fully understand the long-term needs of your organisation. This is potentially more difficult to achieve than with an in-house team. 

Lose Some Control 

Inevitably, when an external provider is in charge of your organisation’s IT, you lose some control. This is simply part of collaborating and working with external organisations, as they are going to oversee how they action tasks you assign to them. 

What’s Right for Your Business? 

While in-house IT can be a great bespoke solution for your organisation, it can be expensive. There is also the potential for limitations of an in-house team’s skillsets, dependant on factors such as your own budgetary restrictions and the talent pool available at the time of hiring. 

Working with an MSP for a managed IT service is cheaper, easier, and lets you work with a team that has various skills and experience to be able to solve your problems with ease. 

How Extech Cloud Can Help  

There are benefits to both managed service IT and in-house IT, with both solutions having challenges too. While there is no perfect solution due to several factors, the services provided by an MSP be easily sculpted to your needs for a fraction of the price. 

If you’re looking to get started with an MSP, contact us today. We’re here to help your organisation, and to ensure that you have support throughout your business’s entire IT strategy. If you are looking for a trusted MSP to help you move your business into the cloud, the Extech Cloud team of experts works with small to medium businesses in Burgess Hill, Crawley, Brighton, and across Sussex and Surrey. We are here to support you on your business journey to success and to get the most out of your Microsoft 365 account. Contact us to speak with a specialist.