Information technology infrastructure collectively refers to the equipment, technology, hardware, and even software being used in an organization. In generic terms, it includes computers, the cloud, DevOps, operating systems, software, servers, etc. These items often act as the backbone of work productivity in almost every company.
Each employee is a resource in terms of business. The organization has to pay him/her irrespective of his/her performance. We often set regular targets(KPI), quality standards and other parameters for them. We even keep account of the facilities offered to them. What if the computer of a particular employee is down for hours or complete day letting him/her remain idle? Employer still has to pay but does not get any output.
Let us describe another scenario. Suppose if the main server stops working in a bank then all the employees’ machines in that particular branch will not function. The malfunctioning of server will affect the operation of connected ATMs as well. Such serious lapses result in not only monetary loss but also dissatisfaction of consumers.
As uninterrupted functioning of IT infrastructure services is absolutely essential to sustain productivity so is its maintenance backed by proper support, some organizations have internal IT support team for this work, while some prefer third party services.
IT infrastructure support requires a team of IT engineers so that a proper work schedule can be maintained and continuous monitoring, support and availability can be ensured. A team can leverage the expertise of each individual so that issues can be resolved efficiently. Only such work standards can ensure smooth functioning and 24/7 uptime of machinery which is required to avoid any productivity loss.
Internal vs. Outsourced Teams Comparison for IT Infrastructure Support
In case of internal team, some of the challenges they face include limitation of knowledge, incapability to analyze organization’s technology needs, inability to adapt to the latest technologies, non-availability of specific expertise and tools that team members are not competent enough to work with etc. You need to address each and every issue to make sure that your IT team functions efficiently. The ideal solution would be to combine and leverage the benefits of both internal and outsourced IT infrastructure management teams. A Service provider’s specialized and technologically capable expert team can train your internal team and enhance their skills and more importantly they can bring broader industry perspective, project expertise and specific advanced technologies which your internal team may not be capable of handling.
In some cases, it has been observed that, the internal IT support team costs more than a third party IT support service. With an on-demand remote support provider, one or two internal IT professionals may even be sufficient. Budget constraints, training requirements, 24/7 availability issues, issues related to technical expertise and other factors lead many organizations to opt for third party services for IT Infrastructure Maintenance and Support.
