Why outsource tech services
Left unchecked, information technology (IT) can be a runaway beast. Underdeveloped, IT infrastructure can be a waste of meager resources, as it nonetheless falls short of its intended impact on the business or organization. It is also an area of potential demoralization among the rank-and-file employees, who are left short of the necessary business tools. A middle ground needs to be struck between "overly developed" IT Department with so much gears to play with on one hand and, on the other hand, an underfunded, under-prioritized group. Filling in the gaps between these two extremes is outsourced technology support. It is desirable for the following reasons:
Cost
With tech support outsourced, operational costs should be in your greater control. Tech service providers like moodLearning would generally offer predictable utilization structures like yearly plans. That's one cost directly associated with the tech side of your operations. No more overheads like staffing, overtime pays, extra utilities, software licenses. It means just one or a few line items in your budget or financial statement. Clear sight of cost, greater control.
Focus
Anecdotes abound on how business meetings turned into tech porn digressions. Refocus on business mission and functions. Technology is a necessity for most modern businesses but it shouldn't take too much of your energies. Obsolescence plagues technology, which probably is beyond what your organization can deal with efficiently. With tech support outsourced, technology management is left to those who should be better at dealing with its coming and going.
Better resources
The best and newest tech is often pricey. Watch your IT department make a pitch for it! The reality, however, is that the newest tech is not necessarily better or more appropriate for your organization. A vast majority of small and medium-sized businesses may not even need the latest technologies. What you might just need is a bundle of tech services that simplify the resource allocation for your organization. The bonus here is the wealth of experiences your well-vetted tech service providers have in dealing with challenges confronting your business.
No more than what you can chew
If you are like most small to medium companies, you only have a few staff designated as all-around tech experts. Infotech may not even be their main role or responsibility. It could be that you and your colleagues simply lack the knowledge and experience required to run increasingly complex technical systems. The employees at tech support companies like moodLearning eat, sleep and breathe technology. They provide enterprise-level IT support and knowledge. Take no more than what you can chew, and outsource tech services that are beyond your current expertise.
Risk management
While outsourcing tech services has its own risks, direct risks from technological obsolescence, equipment failures, human errors are better managed when tech management is left to experts. The relative value of one technological approach over another, costs, software, hardware, peopleware present a different dimension to enterprise risk management. Lengthy downtime, lost data, business disruptions due tech failures are risks that are best handled by people in the know, and they are not necessarily from your IT department.
As your business may only be starting to build its IT department, it is entirely plausible that such department is cheaper than a service contract with a tech service provider. But if you factor in the fact that IT departments tend to to seek department growth REGARDLESS of your organization's real needs, then in the mid- to long run, don't be surprised if you end up maintaining a mammoth. The cost of purchasing technology, maintaining it, tech failure recovery cost, the cost of retaining an internal IT team will skyrocket before you can be bothered to control it.