In today’s technology driven world, the workplace is no different. And in recent years, the COVID pandemic forced many to work remotely, which adds another element of dependency on technology to keep companies operating at maximum. The result has put a greater need in having an IT expert on call to remedy and hang ups or obstacles that keep a company’s technology up and running. And as anyone who’s worked in a technology dependent company would know, there are plenty of obstacles that can slow a company’s workflow down dramatically.
Companies are faced with a choice: hire an IT professional onto the staff to handle any of these issues, outsource any IT help to an MSP, or choose IT staff augmentation.
Hiring An IT Professional
The appeal is clear. You have someone who knows the company, is on call immediately, and the company has personally chosen them for the job. Larger companies opt for this out of convenience, and they have the recruiting team to handle the task of vetting candidates, interviewing, and making the offer to work as their IT professional. Such a task requires knowledge of the needs of that company, and knowing how to spot a professional that can get the job done. Not every business wants to spend the time and money hunting that kind of talent.
The other downside of this approach is narrower expertise. If it’s one staff member, then they may not have the background to tackle all the issues a company can face. A team is more suited to the task, though that can get expensive. On top of that, if there isn’t enough work for the IT person to engage in for a full-time workload, then there’s an inefficiency in what a company spends for the service they’re receiving.
Downsides of a Managed Service Provider
MSPs have become a popular option for smaller companies to choose for their IT needs. The managed service provider industry is expected to grow into a quarter trillion dollar industry worldwide by 2026, and it’s expected to continue its growth. And in 2021, companies using MSPs for at least part of their IT needs increased to 38% from 25% earlier. They offer the same availability as an on-staff IT professional, and they can cost less potentially than paying a full salary. Sign up and selection can be easy too since there’s a onboarding process and no interviews or vetting is involved.
The problems a company will face with an MSP are mainly twofold. MSPs work on a flat-rate payment system where a company will pay a monthly fee, get locked into a contract, and that bill needs to be paid whether or not a company uses their services. The problem of inefficiency and cost-effectiveness appears just like with hiring someone on staff. Companies that need only a few hours of work a month will often pay for much more than what they’re using, and they’re locked into a contract after they realize this and want to leave.
The other issuse companies will face with an MSP is lack of familiarity with the company’s setup and processes. The on-staff IT professional knows the history of a company’s technology growth, but with an MSP, it’s likely going to be a different person your employees will talk to every time they have an issue. This can feel anonymous and lack a personal feel, turning off a lot of companies to the experience of working with them. Also the lack of on-site presence can be detrimental and not ideal for the best IT experience.
Choosing IT Staff Augmentation
Enter the third option. While the above two options are more common and familiar to the average company, either one may not be the best choice. IT staff augmentation can resolve many of the problems people face with either staff IT or an MSP.
IT staff augmentation can provide an on-site, professional IT tech to resolve the same issues as the above two. Furthermore, they can work on a time and materials model where a company will only pay for the services they use and need. This saves money and brings peace of mind.
IT staff augmentation also taps into a larger IT professional network with an internal team of broader expertise. This sidesteps the issue of hiring a single person to tackle the job. If the main IT engineer assigned to the company isn’t an expert in the issue they’re facing, it’s highly likely someone else on his or her team is. Rather than one expert, you have a team of experts on call.
And with local IT staff aug companies like BNC, there’s the added benefit of on-site support. Something’s to be said for a set of eyes and ears in the office that can see what the issue is. And there’s a stylistic benefit with being able to experience the technology as the employees do. Many companies have come to love the on-site staff aug option because they’d rather have a person in their office talking to them, hearing their concerns, and solving their issues on-site. The appeal is clear.
Added flexibility further sweetens the deal. With broader expertise, a shorter hiring process, on-site and remote support, and greater collaboration, there’s a massive appeal to businesses to choosing to augment their staff through company like BNC. If there are gaps in knowledge or expertise, you have the benefit of a functionally on-staff professional to tackle the problem.
Which Services Are Most Popular For IT Staff Aug
The dominant areas where companies are reporting their IT support needs are in cybersecurity and cloud computing. With cybercrimes on the rise, and companies being targeted with ransomware, having the right security setup for sensitive data Is crucial. The global cost of cybercrime in 2021 reached 6 trillion, doubling that number in only 6 years. With that, the cybersecurity industry has grown exponentially, reaching $128 billion in 2017, expecting to increase to $1 trillion by 2021. The price of a ransom can easily get into the millions, and companies are smart to want to avoid that cost, and hackers are getting more sophisticated and coordinated, creating even more of a threat to companies around the world.
BNC understands the complexity and the strategy it takes to work with employees toward the common goal of keeping your business secure. Contact BNC’s IT experts for a consultation on implementing employee security best practices.
