Author: Westech | Date Published: 14 December 2009 13h57 | Article Release
IT infrastructure and the support for that infrastructure are some of the most financially demanding resources a business needs to allow for.
When considering whether to outsource your IT or not, you need to look at the cost that is associated with each option as well as how you are going to rate each IT outsourcing vendor before you choose them.
The cost of IT outsourcing
The great thing about outsourcing your IT support needs is that you are in effect only paying for service when you need it, as opposed to a salaried staff member who is onsite all the time waiting for a problem to occur. The trick is to ensure that through IT outsourcing you are paying either the same, or ideally less, than you would for a full time staff member, and what’s more, have access to a greater depth of IT support skills.
Access To skills through IT outsourcing
When choosing your IT provider, it is important to check that their staff compliment has sufficient skills, training and expertise with the infrastructure that your business employs. If you are running a Microsoft platform are the IT vendors you are considering Microsoft Certified Partners and have their current staff been through sufficient levels of Microsoft certified training to ensure that they can efficiently satisfy your business needs.
Click here to view Westech’s certification with Microsoft.
Service Level Agreements for IT Outsourcing
Further to having the correct skills, it is vital that they have enough capacity to adequately service your business. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) such as one offered by Westech will ensure that you and the IT vendor are both clear as to what they have to deliver and what your expectations are from the arrangement.
Core Business Functions
IT outsourcing is the ideal way for a business to focus on its core functions while still having the peace of mind that their IT needs are expertly taken care of. Through the correct selection process and service level agreements, businesses can take advantage of IT outsourcing and enjoy the business benefits that it brings including :
- Dedicated and expert IT support knowledge
- Reduced IT infrastructure investments
- Higher control of operating costs
- Marked improvement in operational performance
- Freedom to concentrate on core competencies
Degrees of IT support
IT Outsourcing can take the most basic of forms from mere desktop support on an ad hoc basis as problems manifest, right the way through to the complete management of a company’s entire IT infrastructure including: networking, preventative maintenance, server side troubleshooting as well as software asset management and hardware asset management. These differing levels of support all hinge on how aggressively a business wishes to approach outsourcing their IT.
For more information on how Westech can help you with your IT outsourcing and for a free, obligation free, consultation with one of our highly trained account managers please call +27 11 519 4900 or email enquiries@westech.co.za today.
