Today’s companies are increasing in the amount of tech they use. From complex networks to simple to use gadgets to increase productivity, every business uses new technology. With the increase in technology use, companies are in need of properly trained IT professionals to keep their gadgets and computers up and running. For smaller a business that is increasing in size, there will be a time when a good IT department will become a necessity. When that happens, is it better to hire in-house technicians or outsource your IT needs to other companies? Here are few pros and cons between hiring and outsourcing your IT technicians.
Access:
One of the benefits of hiring your own IT department is access. Whether it is 3am in the morning or 2pm in the afternoon, when your company needs support you can have staff there to handle it and keep your company running smoothly. That is a convenience that many external offices cannot provide. If you outsource your IT work, you will be limited to the technicians that are available and the hours they operate.
Follow Up:
Just like with any issue your company has, you expect follow up in order to determine the issue is resolved. With in-house technicians, you have the ability to get a follow up or update on any situation your company is facing without waiting. There is also a benefit to having the same technician working on an issue from start to finish. With many external IT departments your problem may change hands to several different technicians from start to finish. This can create confusion or lost notes of the steps taken. This can delay the solution to your IT problem and ultimately slow production.
Cost:
In many cases, hiring an IT professional can save on cost. Depending on the external IT support you choose, you may be paying more per issue than you would paying a salary to an in-house technician. If you are planning to roll out a new gadget or network for your company this cost can increase. Launching new technology requires hours, weeks, or even months of preparation and deployment, not to mention the support needed if any problems are found afterwards. This is one benefit of having an IT technician on salary to handle these roll outs and upgrades.
Additional Projects:
There are times when we have additional projects that our technicians could complete. This could be anything from researching new technology or software to help increase productivity or simplify a process, or even asking for advice for your home computer. Whatever the additional work is, you can count on an in-house tech to complete the task with no extra cost to the company.
With the job market scarce, there are many of unemployed IT professionals looking for work. If you are considering whether to outsource your IT department, or create your in-house IT support, consider the pros and cons. If you feel you would benefit more from having a support technician around when you are in need, consider hiring your own IT department. Every company has different needs and visions for the future, determine where your company is headed and the technology you will need support for.
Author Isaac Stone writes for bestcomputersciencedegrees.com, a site listing some of the Best Computer Science Degrees available. They also provide rankings of computer science colleges and their tuition costs.