Small businesses in Australia have several options when it comes to outsourcing their IT support for small business needs. With the right provider, outsourcing IT can help small businesses save money, access expertise, and focus on their core business activities.
Managed IT Services
One popular option is partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) that specialises in small business IT support. MSPs offer ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and support for a monthly fee. This can cover services like:
- 24/7 monitoring and management of networks, servers, and devices.
- Software updates, patches, and upgrades.
- Data backups and disaster recovery.
- Cybersecurity services like firewall management and threat detection.
- Remote and on-site support when issues arise.
This approach allows small businesses to budget for IT expenses and access enterprise-level support. Leading MSPs like Proactive Technology Partners have experience streamlining IT infrastructure for Australian small businesses across industries.
Outsourcing IT Support: Options for Small Business Success
Here are the main options for outsourcing IT support for small businesses:
- Managed IT services – Partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) for ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and support for a monthly fee. MSPs can manage networks, servers, devices, security, backups, and more.
- IT support contracts – Purchasing annual support contracts from IT services firms to get a predetermined amount of support hours/incidents. Additional services are billed hourly.
- Time and materials IT support – Paying only for specific services used, like hourly remote support or on-site visits. Provides flexibility but costs can be unpredictable.
- DIY in-house IT support – Handling all IT support internally. Requires substantial expertise and time for management and troubleshooting.
- Cloud services – Using individual cloud services rather than full outsourcing. Options include cloud-based backups, security, email, workflow apps.
Outsourcing to an MSP or utilising support contracts are the most comprehensive options for access to expertise and controlled costs. The right outsourcing approach depends on a company’s budget, needs, and growth stage.
IT Support Contracts
Another option is purchasing an annual support and maintenance contract from an IT services company. This provides a predetermined number of support hours or incidents per month or year. Extra services above the contracted amount are usually billed hourly.
IT support contracts allow small businesses to customise services based on their needs. They work well for companies with in-house IT staff who need backup expertise and assistance handling larger projects.
Time and Materials IT Support
Some small businesses utilise an hourly or project-based IT support model. Under this time and materials approach, companies pay only for the specific IT services they use without large upfront costs. Services may include hourly remote support, on-site visits, project management, etc.
The time and materials model offers maximum flexibility. However, costs can be unpredictable and grow over time as needs change. Setting a monthly budget cap helps control costs.
DIY IT Support
While outsourcing IT support is recommended for most small businesses, some opt to handle all IT internally. This DIY approach can work for tech-savvy owners on a tight budget. But it requires time and expertise managing IT infrastructure, security, backups, and troubleshooting.
As small businesses grow, the DIY model becomes increasingly challenging. Most find partnering with an expert IT services provider makes better financial and strategic sense over the long run.
FAQs
What are the main options for outsourcing IT support?
Managed services, support contracts, time and materials billing, or DIY in-house IT support.
What does a managed service provider offer?
MSPs provide ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and support for a fixed monthly fee.
What does an IT support contract provide?
Support contracts offer a preset number of support hours or incidents per month or year.
When does time and materials billing make sense?
Time and materials billing works well for specific or unpredictable IT support needs.
What’s the risk with handling IT support in-house?
DIY IT support requires substantial expertise and time for management and troubleshooting.
Why outsource IT support for most small businesses?
Outsourcing provides expertise, optimises resources, and helps control IT support costs.
Final Thoughts
Outsourced IT support provides small businesses with the expertise and reliability they need to operate effectively. Models like managed services and support contracts help control costs while accessing enterprise-level support. For most small companies in Australia, partnering with a quality IT services provider is the smartest path for business success.
