One of the main concerns and the majority of questions associated with outsourcing to an IT Support Provider is around the costs involved for your business.
- Are you curious to find out if you are currently paying too much for IT support?
- Are you questioning if you are receiving the correct level of service and value from your current IT Support Provider?
- Perhaps you are currently researching how much it’s going to cost to outsource your IT to an IT Support Provider?
We have addressed the variables and the considerations that will have an impact on the costs of IT support to give you a good understanding of what you could be expecting to pay for IT Support for your business.
-
Number of users & the size of your business
If you wanted to hire a cleaner for your house, you’d pay a lot more for a ten-bedroom mansion than you would for a two-bedroom flat, right? IT support is the same.
More computers to monitor means more chances for things to go awry, and this will be reflected in the cost. Usually, IT support providers will have a fixed cost per computer user or device. -
The current state of your IT
Old computers that haven’t seen antivirus software since the millennium bug? This will cost you more for support providers to look after. By looking after your equipment and keeping your software up to date, it shows that you care about your IT and this makes you less of a ‘risk’ for things to go wrong with IT support. Think of it as looking after your car before taking it for an MOT.
-
Users’ IT literacy level
If users aren’t very technical, this will mean that more support is likely to be needed, which will cost your business more money to cover.
Having well-trained teams means that there’ll be less need for menial IT support that will drive the cost down. -
Complexity of your IT
How complex is the IT infrastructure in your business? Do you have ‘mobile’ employees? Are they all hooked up to multiple servers in different places? If so, this can make IT support that much expensive.
For example, a company with office-based employees in the same building will cost less to cover for IT support than a sales company who use laptops and travel around the country. If IT support providers have to cover a wider area – with more equipment to maintain – this will add to the price of the contract. -
Add-ons
There are numerous add-ons to an IT support service, but the most common are:
Advisory – You IT support provider will provide advice and direction for your IT services and setup. This is important and it allows experts to ensure your technology is in line with your company’s future goals.Out of hours support – If you would like the peace of mind that an engineer will come to fix your server at 3am on a Saturday morning, you usually have to pay for the privilege. 24/7 support may, however, not be something that your company requires. It’s all about setting the right balance and finding the right IT support fit for your business in the beginning.
These are the main contributors to quote variances in IT support. We recommend that you provide the same brief to all potential IT support providers to receive genuine like-for-like quotes.
If you have any questions about anything you’ve read or want to work out where your business sits in this framework, why not start the conversation with us, we’ll be happy to help!
