Outsource when IT has become someone's second job, when your one IT person can't take a vacation, when projects keep slipping behind daily support, or when nobody can say when a backup was last tested.
Four signs it's time
- The person who does IT has a different job title, and their real work is suffering
- Your one IT person is the only one who knows how things work
- Upgrades and projects keep getting pushed back by day-to-day problems
- Nobody can say for certain that last night's backup would restore
You don't have to hand over everything
Outsourcing isn't all or nothing. With co-managed IT you keep your IT person and add a team behind them for the things one person can't cover: after-hours alerts, specialist projects, backup and Microsoft 365.
With fully managed IT the provider is your IT department and your staff call them directly. Many companies start with the first and move to the second as they grow.
What to look for in a provider
- A range of skills, from helpdesk to infrastructure design, so problems don't get stuck
- Monitoring and on-call cover outside office hours
- A clear answer on response times
- A way to try the service before you commit
Take the two-minute IT health check to see where your own setup stands, or read more answers.