In 2023, the majority of businesses rely on digital technologies in one way or another. Whether to manage accounts, maintain contact with customers, scope out new opportunities or manage an inventory, technology plays an important role in the vast majority of organisations, but managing it is not without its challenges.
Keeping on top of software licensing, maintaining equipment, managing network security and securing, patching and configuring devices all takes time, and in business, time is money! Small to medium-sized businesses in particular, often struggle to undertake basic IT maintenance duties in-house, leading many to explore an enticing alternative: outsourcing.
In the United Arab Emirates, IT accounts for over 60% of outsourced services spending, making it by far the most outsourced business function. Despite this, the practice of outsourcing often carries some negative connotations, with some believing it means relinquishing control or suffering an inferior service. We believe this couldn’t be further from the truth, and that when done right, outsourcing can provide a myriad of business benefits compared to operating a costly, inflexible, small IT department. Here are 5 key reasons your Dubai business should outsource its IT support.
Cost-Efficient Access to a Wide Range of Skills
Outsourcing grants your business access to a pre-assembled team of experts and technicians who are capable of providing a range of IT support, management, project and consultancy services. You’ll likely be assigned an account manager, tasked with coordinating your service experience and ensuring your expectations are met. There will be a team of helpdesk technicians on-hand to provide post-incident support whenever a crisis arises, and you’ll likely have access to experts in a broad range of disciplines, including cyber security, networking, cloud projects and compliance.
For a fixed monthly fee, you’ll enjoy access to a broad talent pool without the hassle of undertaking a potentially long, arduous recruitment process, and typically for far less than the cost of hiring a single full-time employee.
Flexibility and Scalability
Many smaller businesses don’t have IT with the scale or complexity to warrant a full-time staff member. If this applies to your business, outsourcing could prove a cost-effective way to access the management and support you need. Plus, with flexible pricing you can tailor the service to accommodate the ebb and flow of your business’s technical requirements.
The cost efficiency of IT outsourcing also extends to software and infrastructure provision. Economies of scale mean that IT providers can leverage their purchasing power (relative to smaller client businesses) to negotiate lower prices on software and hardware from vendors. The result: by outsourcing your IT you’ll enjoy more favourable prices for the latest solutions and hardware components.
You Can Focus on Your Core Competencies
Many small businesses that don’t have dedicated IT personnel often find themselves partitioning management activities among staff. While this can prove viable for small businesses with very limited IT needs, you could find your small team stretched thin, especially if employees lack technical skills necessary to carry out IT tasks competently.
By outsourcing your IT, you’ll give your employees more time to focus on strategically valuable activities, such as developing your sales pipeline or investing in relationships with clients.
Industry Insights
By outsourcing your IT to a provider with experience serving your sector, you’ll stand to benefit from the insights they’ve gained from serving clients similar to your business. They’ll likely know about emerging technologies gaining popularity in your sector, and they should be well-versed in moulding technology around any industry-specific compliance challenges.
With the help of an IT provider who knows your industry, you’ll enjoy strategic guidance that will help you maintain a competitive advantage over peer businesses.
An Unbiased Perspective
As humans, we all experience something called ‘confirmation bias.’ In short, this describes the tendency to seek out information that confirms our pre-conceived notions and ideas. In the context of IT, this might mean only seeing the good, and failing to spot glaring defects and vulnerabilities in systems and infrastructure.
By outsourcing your IT to a third-party provider, you’ll enjoy a fresh, objective perspective on your business’s IT. They’ll be able to provide an unbiased evaluation of your environment, helping to shine a light on sub-optimal network elements and drawing attention to areas where your technology is inhibiting your productivity and conflicting with your business objectives.
Conclusion
From cost-effective access to a wide range of proficiencies to a degree of flexibility that simply cannot be achieved with an internal team, outsourcing IT provides a level of support and guidance that would otherwise be out of reach for many smaller businesses.
IT Support for Dubai and UAE based Businesses – Truly Secure
Truly Secure provides IT management, support and strategy to technical, professional and regulated businesses in Dubai and across the UAE. We help businesses big and small overcome commercial challenges, surmount regulatory hurdles and scale new heights of efficiency using expertly managed, tailored technology. Get in touch today to find out how Truly Secure could help your business reach its potential through technology.
