Executive Summary
- Small businesses today have a choice: build an in-house IT support team, or bring in the services of a virtual IT department.
- With straightforward IT support agreements, like those from Get Support, it’s easier than ever to hire a virtual IT department for your business.
- From lower long-term costs to expanded options for remote employees, here we share 5 reasons UK companies are choosing virtual IT support departments.
Introduction
IT support isn’t easy to manage at the best of times.
When everyone is working from the same office and on the same network, it’s manageable by just one or two people for most small companies. But when teams are spread across offices and homes, and maybe even using their own hardware? It starts to get very tricky.
But this is just one reason UK companies are choosing virtual IT departments rather than building their own in-house team.
Let’s take a look at a few more — and discover why virtual IT support might be the choice for your business, too.
Reason #1: Virtual IT support is scalable by design
One of the biggest hurdles to building an in-house IT support team is scalability.
More specifically, how do you manage those times when you need a lot of IT support – such as when updating your workstation fleet, migrating to a new server, or even moving to a remote working setup as many companies did in 2020 – with the quieter times when nothing much is going on?
When the IT department’s workload is likely to fluctuate like this, it can be tough to justify full-time salaries. But with outsourced IT support, you can leverage as many IT experts as you need at any one time – whether that’s a team of ten or just a single person.
Reason #2: Outsourced IT is optimised for remote working
With almost half of UK businesses having worked from home in the last 12 months, it’ll come as no surprise that remote working is one of the biggest reasons companies are outsourcing their IT.
When your team is working remotely, no matter who is running your IT will need to use tools like Windows Remote Desktop to solve technical problems from a distance. In this case, it makes much more sense to bring in a third-party than hire a dedicated role or increase of the team. Don’t forget that IT support agreements can be a great choice for overflow work, too.
Reason #3: Lower (and more flexible) long-term costs
Managing your company’s IT support successfully is always going to come at a price — that’s just the way it works.
But do you really need to invest head-count in building an in-house IT support team? And will it really pay off in the long run, or actually end up costing you more?
One reason many businesses are making the move to outsourced IT is simply that engaging with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) like Get Support can cost a lot less over the long-term than salaried employees.
Also, because our contracts aren’t iron-clad (or ridiculously long), you’re free to make changes as your circumstances change — without the need to hire and fire with reckless abandon.
Reason #4: A more productive, streamlined workforce
In a challenging economy like today, it’s more important than ever to ensure your team is optimised, streamlined, and running like a well-oiled machine.
We touched on this earlier, but your in-house IT support team is only ever going to be as productive as the amount of work you have for them. The last thing you want is to have a group of paid employees twiddling their thumbs or, even worse, actively looking for problems to solve.
It just makes sense, then, that a virtual IT support provider can offer the precise IT help you need exactly when you need it. No ifs, no buts, no wasted resources – just getting the work done and helping your business thrive.
Reason #5: Access to a limitless (and growing) pool of IT support expertise
The final reason that so many small businesses in the UK are choosing to outsource their IT support is a simple matter of numbers.
Hire an IT support specialist for your in-house team and you’ll get all of their combined knowledge and experience for the price of one annual salary. Though, of course, that salary will vary wildly depending on the individual’s experience.
Choose an outsourced IT support MSP, on the other hand, and you’ll benefit from an almost limitless pool of IT expertise which grows as your IT provider does. Even if you’re using an MSP as overflow to assist your in-house team, that’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Need an all-new virtual IT support department? Or looking to make the switch?
It’s clear that, in a world which is ever more remote-based, investing in a virtual IT support team is a smart choice for UK businesses.
Whether you don’t really have an IT support team yet, or you’re looking to move to remote options, Get Support is here to help. We have a range of IT support agreements which include comprehensive virtual assistance for a range of IT and tech-related issues.
Want to know exactly how a virtual IT team could help your business grow? Call us today on 01865 59 4000 or leave a few details in the form below.
