4 Core IT Functions Small Businesses Should be Outsourcing in 2016

The advancement of technology has made business processes much easier today than ever before. However, not every business has the available resources that are required to access all of these benefits. That is why businesses look for IT outsourcing partners who can help them complete certain business functions as smoothly as possible.

Small businesses today are faced with a number of difficult decisions to make. Given their limited budget for IT, along with a small or non-existent IT team, it becomes hard to explore every available opportunity.

In order to grow your customer base, gain a competitive edge, and increase your overall office efficiency, outsourcing is a cost effective, and easily accessible solution. If you have a small IT team, it is impractical to expect them to be experts in every area of your businesses. Whatever skills they lack can probably be solved by hiring more IT staff, but extensive hiring becomes an expensive option in the long run.

IT outsourcing companies provide businesses with predictable pricing and options to easily scale capacity as needed. That means you do not have to hire permanent staff for a temporary project, and can outsource the task temporarily to an outsourcing team. IT outsourcing companies are large teams of IT specialists with expertise in every area of tech. At Panthera Technologies, we provide industry best IT consultation and IT outsourcing in Philadelphia, and offer our partners all the benefits of our in-depth knowledge and professional experience.

But deciding on exactly which functions to outsource can be a bit confusing, especially if your budget is limited. Even though IT Outsourcing Study 2015/2016 shows that businesses increased their IT budget from 3% to 10.4%, small businesses have less capital in general to work with. It might be risky for small businesses to outsource a certain function that is not as useful for them, while completely missing out on other functions that are critical to surviving in today’s market.

Considering the global trends, consumer behaviors and business requirements, we compiled a short list of business IT functions that small businesses should look to outsource for a greater ROI and efficiency.

Software Application Development

Every business has their own set of unique needs, and tend to look for available solutions in the market. However, not every software or application out there might be perfect for you, and that is when it’s appropriate to look for custom application development.

Finding and choosing the right software application can be confusing. You don't want to end up getting something that doesn’t fulfill all your requirements, nor do you want to pay extra for features you do not need. In 2016, businesses are likely to look for custom application development that can address their unique requirements without settling for inefficient ones.

As businesses become more acquainted with technology, the goal is to let technology simplify each and every task, and software applications can do just that. However, hiring a full-time software developer might not be the most cost-effective decision for small businesses. That is why outsourcing application development projects to a team of experts is going to become a popular choice, especially when they can also offer cost-effective maintenance and management solutions.

Administrative Duties

IT administrators have the tough responsibility of making sure that every IT component within the business is synced and running at optimal performance. That means making sure all software and operating systems are updated and patched, ensuring that servers and networks are always up, and constantly checking for potential issues. IT administrators are like the guardians of your IT infrastructures, and should be able to handle any disruption to your workflow.

From performing routine audits, to managing new hardware, to technical troubleshooting, these are all functions that have become core to everyday business. Businesses now recognize that these tasks cannot be left unattended, and that they impact the overall performance of the business. Outsourcing these tasks to a team of specialists will enable businesses to run with no interruption.

If you have a small IT team, you need to make sure that they are investing their time and skills in more strategic functions, rather than mundane administrative tasks. As we enter the modern business era, the role of a small business owner has become flexible and requires them to focus on multiple tasks simultaneously. By handing over small but important tasks like administrative management, business owners will benefit from the freedom of being able to focus on their core goals while being highly organized.

Cyber Security and Device Management

BYOD policies and cloud technology has enabled even small businesses access to great efficiency and productivity. However, working in these new environments means that your business will be vulnerable to newer forms of viruses and hackers. With many new devices joining the network and multiple users accessing files on the cloud, you need to make sure that security measures are in place.

Keeping up with the increasing sophistication of ill-intent attackers can be tricky for small businesses. You do not want to leave your business secrets and data exposed to potential breach or theft, nor do you want to miss out on the great benefits of BYOD work environments and cloud computing.

Backups and Maintenances

While adding layers of security to your business is great, it still does not guarantee business continuity. Accidents like fire, theft and loss of hardware and storage devices can leave businesses with substantial damage, and even unable to recover.

As we move towards an era where data and information rules success, small businesses should take extra measures to make sure that their valuable files are backed up and easily recoverable in case of emergency, and regularly maintained for optimal performance. From maintaining websites, servers, networks, storages to keeping off-site and cloud based backups, IT outsourcing offers businesses the safety and reliability they need.

A small business owner has a lot on their plate, and IT outsourcing can make some of these issues easy and inexpensive. The above list summarizes some of the most common issues businesses can solve with sourcing. If you are looking to know more and seek expert IT consultancy in Philadelphia, give Zenetrix a call today.

The following blog post 4 Core IT Functions Small Businesses Should be Outsourcing in 2016 is courtesy of: Zenetrix IT Support Blog