Managed IT Services: Which IT Services Should Your Company Outsource?

The managed IT services industry has made it possible for companies to outsource many infotech functions that were once performed exclusively in house. The new trend in outsourcing has created an infotech culture that is committed to achieving increasing cost savings without compromising network capabilities. However, many companies experience the greatest advantage from outsourcing certain resources and keeping others in house. Which resources should your company consider outsourcing to a third party provider? Below are some suggestions based on current IT outsourcing trends.

Cloud Hosting Capability

Most companies that use cloud computing have a hybrid cloud that is comprised of public cloud resources and private cloud resources. Deciding which resources should be hosted in house and which ones should a third party should host differs from company to company, and is often a matter of data security and corporate governance of proprietary information. But the fact remains: most companies can benefit from outsourcing cloud resources to a third party provider.

Desktop Management

Performing desktop management in house requires the presence of systems administrators. When a company has only a few desktops -- or, alternatively, when it has a large number of desktops -- staffing administrators to monitor them may become too costly. Desktops are one element of the of IT infrastructure that can be easily monitored remotely with the help of automated diagnostic tools -- an arrangement that can generate significant cost savings.

Server Virtualization

If your company does not have a policy against storing data on third party servers, entering a contract with a provider of managed IT services to outsource server virtualization could save big money. In addition to limiting the need to buy additional servers, outsourcing virtualization capability eliminates software licensing fees and reduces system maintenance costs. If your company will embrace server virtualization, consider facilitating the arrangement with third party resources.

Disaster Recovery Planning

Disaster recovery planning is a subset of business continuity planning that should be entrusted to a company that specializes in the discipline. Implementing a successful recovery strategy involves more than just storing data offsite; it also requires developing a strategy for supplying emergency hardware, migrating remotely stored data onto the hardware, stationing the hardware at an emergency business location, and deploying temporary manpower to the location if needed.

To learn more about opportunities to save money and improve the IT infrastructure by outsourcing infotech functions, contact a provider of managed IT services today.