WHAT IT SOLUTION IS RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

KEEPING IT IN-HOUSE

It’s easy to overlook the magnitude of your company’s reliance on IT systems – so it’s difficult to justify spending on issues that don’t currently exist, yet if there were one area that demanded having a plan-B when things go wrong it’s almost certainly going to be your IT department.

IT commonly extends into all parts of the business, so networking hardware, application management, security, data backup and security,  helpdesk staffing and many other elements need to be considered – as does the expertise needed to perform the multitude of tasks required to run each of those elements.

WHAT DOES AN IN-HOUSE WORKLOAD LOOK LIKE?

If you have someone in-house who could tackle all those problems then great! Even if they’re only half way there, you can find some great training and get them up to a good working standard – but be cautious of the working pattern and nature of what an IT expert’s job will entail – there is traditionally a fluctuating workload for IT departments, so you’re going to need to be willing to be generous with overtime when required – and happy to see some downtime when the pressure is off.

There’s also a big difference in the working patterns of humans and machines – your IT system won’t sleep, nor will the problems that can crop up – but your in-house IT expert will need a consistent working pattern, they’ll take holidays and time off sick. Working time directives just don’t account for the hours needed to get a derailed IT system back on track.

GOT THE DAY-TO-DAY IT COVERED?

Congratulations! If you’ve managed to implement good day-to-day IT cover in house then you’re in an enviable position. Now we’re going to encourage you to think big – you probably already do this when you think about where the company could grow to in months or years, different locations, improved customer service, big new clients – can your IT keep up?

Execution is everything – if you’re not sure your current IT is capable then there’s a big part of the expansion plan missing. And what is that uncertainty doing to your business plans? Would you love to quote for that project but are held back by the limitations of your in-house team? It might be the time to outsource, and not necessarily to replace – a good managed IT service can complement the skills you’ve already built.

WHAT DOES OUTSOURCING LOOK LIKE?

When you outsource your IT you’re removing a lot of the headaches and costs that come with an in-house IT department. You could therefore be under the impression that you’re not going to get the responsiveness or dedication you would with an in-house team – but this just isn’t the case. At VectorCloud you have a dedicated engineer who’ll get to know you and your setup as proficiently as any in- house team could.

What’s more, you don’t foot any of the training cost or inconvenience – plus you’re accessing a massive amount of experience. Imagine you’re interviewing for a two-person IT team, you’re likely to get candidates ready for you to train to understand your systems and requirements.

Now imagine VectorCloud are applying for those jobs – suddenly you’re interviewing a team with 20 years of experience, testimonials from clients at the highest level, more accredited training than the average business is ever likely to require, a 98% customer satisfaction rate, a 96% customer retention rate – and we can be at the end of the phone 24/7. And we won’t be giving you our months’ notice if a better job comes along!

You’d be forgiven for thinking that level of service, experience and dedication comes at a huge cost – and while costs do vary based on need, the average 10-person business IT requirement comes to around £500 per month, whereas the two-person IT team you’d be looking at employing to keep your IT in-house, that’s likely to run to around £50,000 per annum – before you’ve booked them onto a training course.

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY PARTNER

Our level of experience means you get far more than just an ‘outsourced IT support supplier’ – we work with your business as a technology partner. Not only will we keep your network running and fix the day-to-day problems, but we’re there to take a pro-active role in our client’s businesses, maximising what your IT can do and guiding you through the IT possibilities relating to any business development you have in mind.

The question of in-house or outsourced IT boils down to one thing – value. As a business decision maker you’re likely to be well experienced in deciding what represents the greatest value for your company. You recognise that the real question is this: Could your in-house team ever offer the same level of support and value as the right IT partner can?