IT infrastructure management is hard.

There’s a lot to worry about. A lot that can go wrong, and a lot of people depending on everything continuing to run smoothly as the organization grows. And the challenge is only becoming more and more intricate as new tools are launched and new challenges and threats arise.

One of the especially tough questions that IT leaders need to wrestle with is figuring out what to manage in-house, and what to outsource to another company to help manage. Some companies outsource just about everything related to IT infrastructure maintenance, while others try to do as much as possible themselves. Most groups adjust this balance over time, but we are seeing that on average, CIOs and CTOs are choosing to outsource more of these responsibilities than ever before. Just look at the numbers: the IT outsourcing industry is growing and predicted to keep growing during the rest of the decade, at more than 11% every year from 2023 to 2028.

Today we’ll discuss why so many organizations have been giving more of this management work to outside firms (shameless plug: our team at Plan A Technologies loves to help on these projects)!

In-House IT Infrastructure Management: Challenges and Costs

There are many challenges—some of them quite expensive—that come with relying solely on your in-house team to manage all IT infrastructure. Here are just a few:

• Opportunity Cost: Maintaining a full IT team to focus on managing infrastructure means you might miss out on tackling more important business goals. What’s more, the budget this requires could potentially be spent in other valuable areas.
• Initial Investment and Ongoing Expenses: Getting the necessary hardware and software can be expensive, and you’ll keep spending on training, upgrades and maintenance.
• Expertise Diversification: Building a team that knows just about everything about IT is hard and pricey. Most experts specialize, making it tough to cover all the bases for managing your infrastructure without spending a fortune on a large staff.
• Scalability Challenges: As your business grows, your IT team needs to constantly upgrade both its hardware and software and its thinking over time.
• Integration Complexities: Making sure new tech works well with what you already have (and what you might need in the future) is tricky. In-house teams often struggle to keep up.
• Security Risks: Keeping things secure is a very, very big job.
• Downtime and Reliability: Your in-house team might find it hard to keep your systems running smoothly all the time. This could affect your business and how happy your customers are.
• Regulatory Compliance: Keeping up with changing rules and laws is a must. Your in-house team needs to stay updated to follow industry standards and legal requirements.
• Technological Obsolescence: Determining when to upgrade your tech is key. Your in-house team has to stay on the ball and up to date to know when to invest in new systems and equipment.
• Employee Burnout and Retention: Overloading your in-house team with 24/7/365 IT tasks can be exhausting unless your team is big enough to really spread the work out (which it seldom is).

Dealing with these challenges means thinking about more than just money. It’s about making sure your business runs well, stays safe, and continues to evolve.

An Attractive Alternative: Outsourcing IT Infrastructure Management

Finding the right partner is the tricky part…a lot of firms talk a big game but aren’t actually all that great.

But if you can find the right group to outsource your IT infrastructure management to, you’ll quickly start to see some impressive cost savings and other benefits. On the cost side, the expense model tends to be lower and more predictable. Outsourcing gives you more flexibility, a bigger team for the same price, and enhanced security, scalability and piece of mind.

Why Outsource to Plan A

Why consider outsourcing IT infrastructure management to us? Well, in a nutshell, because we know what we’re doing and we care about doing a great job for our partners. But let’s delve into a few concrete reasons:

• Robust Data Protection: We’ll help you set up strong, proactive security measures, with round-the-clock monitoring and advanced threat detection, helping to keep your infrastructure safe.
• Seamless Disaster Recovery: When disaster strikes, we’ve got your back. Our expertise in disaster recovery and meticulous business continuity planning means you’ll face minimal downtime and experience no disruptions to your operations.
• Reliable Information Integrity and Availability: Your critical information is the lifeblood of your business, and we make sure it’s available easily and very quickly.
• Expert Hands On Deck: Entrust your infrastructure to the best in the business. Our team is composed of experts with highly specialized skills, who work hard to stay ahead of the curve by keeping up with (and often exceeding) latest industry best practices.
• Cost-Effective Solutions: While we’re at the top, we’re also mindful of your budget. Our outsourced technology management teams are surprisingly affordable.
• Scalability for Growth: As your business evolves, so should your IT infrastructure. We provide scalable solutions that adapt to your changing needs, saving you from the headaches of constant adjustments and investments.
• Proactive System Maintenance: Prevention is better than cure, and we take that seriously. Our proactive system maintenance ensures that potential issues are identified and resolved before they can disrupt your operations.
• Regulatory Compliance Assurance: We can help you navigate the complex world of regulations and compliance. More than half the work we do is in regulated industries like financial services, healthcare, gaming, and more.
• Transparent Communication: We keep you in the loop. Our communication channels are always on, ensuring you’re informed and involved in the decision-making process, making for a true partnership in managing your IT infrastructure.
• Customer-Centric Approach: Your satisfaction is our priority. Our customer-centric approach means we tailor our services to meet your unique needs, providing solutions that align perfectly with your business goals.
• Innovation Integration: Stay ahead of the curve with us. We integrate the latest technological innovations into our services, ensuring your business stays not only up-to-date but also ahead of the competition.

We build partnerships with our clients, and we’d love the opportunity to help with your IT infrastructure management. Get in touch any time!