Depending on the size of a business, managing a company’s IT services can be a job all to itself.

For many companies, outsourcing their IT to managed service providers is a more cost-effective option than doing it in-house themselves.

Consider these pros and cons of using MSP services and whether they make more sense for your company over in-house IT management!

MSP Services: The Pros

1. Access to Experts and Resources - MSP services give you subscription-style access to IT experts to build and manage your business network and all the resources needed to do it. Instead of having to purchase all the equipment and applications personally, your business has access to all of these things owned by the IT service provider.
2. Tech Support - There is never a wait for support when using MSP services for IT and networking services. Network or application assistance is always available so that businesses can keep running. MSP plans that include cloud-based networking solutions are reliable, with almost zero downtime.
3. Upgrades and Security - Business owners never have to worry about software or hardware upgrades as this is all automatic when working with a managed services provider. MSPs make sure you are always working with the most recent application versions to maintain network security.
4. Disaster Recovery - An effective disaster recovery plan (DRP) is an essential IT service that every business needs for business continuity in the event of some kind of interruption. An MSP will create an effective DRP to prevent the loss of applications and data, all of which can be restored to continue working.

MSP Services: The Cons:

1. Cost - While the cost of outsourcing IT services is much less than attempting to DIY to the same degree of expertise and with the same resources, these services do involve an investment. Whatever the cost is, MSP services typically pay for themselves in improved business efficiency, reduction of lost data, and access to important business applications and resources.
2. Off-Site Services - Local managed service providers are off-site, meaning they work away from your physical building and come to you when needed. Though this may not be as convenient as managing your own IT services, the trade-off again is having access to the experience and resources you need at what amounts to a lower price. One solution to alleviate this issue is choosing a cloud-based plan, which many providers offer.

Given the pros and cons of outsourcing IT services to a managed services provider, it is easy to see the many advantages of putting your networking in the hands of professionals.

While there are a couple of notable cons to doing so, they have easy solutions, too.

MSP services are a cost-effective choice for most business owners.