Security, performance, simplicity, flexibility, costs— outsourcing your IT infrastructure monitoring and support is no longer a privilege reserved for large companies. The choice of an IT infrastructure that centralizes all hardware and software equipment makes it possible to harmonize and secure your data, servers, and equipment in order to fight against IT attacks.
Checkout iam professional services, this gives employees continuous and secure access to applications, software, and data. A successful digital transformation is essential to ensure the proper functioning of tools and systems. To increase productivity, employees must be able to interact securely with the IT environment. From the choice of the service provider to its implementation, here are our tips for outsourcing IT infrastructure to a good start!
Outsourcing IT infrastructure: a practice source of tranquility
Outsourcing consists in entrusting to one or more external partners a task or an activity previously carried out internally. As an expert in this field, the service provider’s mission is to guarantee the security and reliability of the information system. To do this, he carries out maintenance, daily supervision, and performance optimization actions. He brings real added value to your infrastructure and lets you benefit from his expertise and technical skills.
Why outsource your IT infrastructure?
By choosing to outsource its IT infrastructure monitoring and support, a company will benefit from the following advantages:
- Global security
Data, applications and server security is the center of outsourcing. Also, your service provider, namely, Managed IT Services from SkyNet must anticipate threats, offer you appropriate solutions and continuously monitor your IT infrastructure. Outsourcing thus makes it possible to guarantee and maintain global security 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
2. Simplified management
Whether for day-to-day management or for solving any problems, outsourcing makes your life easier, because you no longer have to take care of it. The provider is there and they manage.
iii. Control and rationalization of costs
The budget related to IT resources is set for the year. This makes it possible to have a global vision and to transform this variable into a fixed charge. To calculate the budget to be allocated, the easiest way is to carry out an audit. This will make it possible to represent the IT department and its optimization needs by taking it into account.
- Size
- Maturity
- The technologies used
- Current and future projects
- Continuous optimization of the IT infrastructure
An information system is not fixed and it must evolve with your needs and those of your company, but also remain secure and efficient. This is why outsourcing also includes the monitoring and continuous upgrading of the technologies used for storage and management.
- Flexibility in the choice of outsourced elements
You are free to outsource all or part of your IT infrastructure— IT asset management, data hosting, applications, software, etc. It’s up to you and the service provider is there to advise and support you in this process.
2. Combination of the IT infrastructure
Outsourcing also allows you to overhaul your entire infrastructure. By analyzing the existing system, the service provider will offer you its technical architecture and adequate sizing specific to your company. Combination and rid of superfluous elements, your infrastructure will start again on a healthy and simplified basis.
How to outsource IT infrastructure monitoring and support
Before rushing headlong into an outsourcing project, it is important to ask yourself the right questions and take the time to define your real expectations and needs. The final implementation will be facilitated.
To do this, here are some good practices that can help you in the realization of your project:
- Identify their needs
It is essential to identify the objective of your outsourcing project. It will then be necessary to ask the right questions to clearly define the elements that will compose it.
- Will outsourcing concern all of your information system or only part of it?
- Why do you want to outsource my IS?
- What are your expectations in relation to the context of your company?
- What are your expectations of the service provider?
- What impact will this outsourcing have on current internal operating methods?
- How does this relate to other systems?
- What are the pros and cons of outsourcing IT infrastructure for your business?
- Select a competent and recognized service provider
The first piece of advice, choose a single service provider. This will allow you to more easily control how your different applications are handled. Then, some points are to be checked. Some are basic, but others will really make a difference in the long run.
- Technical skills
- Provision of customer support
- Response time in times of a problem
- Availability of support and sales contact
- Accommodation Security
The key will be to find the right match between the service provider’s technical offer and the functional needs of your company.
- Make employees aware of the approach
The outsourcing of its IT infrastructure is an important milestone for employees. Changing operations can take time and some employees may be reluctant to change. It is important to take this context into account.
You will then have to support your teams in this change and this requires good communication. The objective here is to reassure them about the project that will be implemented but also to convince them that this choice will not lead to a loss of responsibility for the teams. On the contrary, this change will allow them to focus on tasks with higher added value and also benefit from the service provider’s technical skills.
- Define the right measurement indicators
Defining the most important indicators to measure is one of the essential steps in this change. Indeed, change is good, but measuring the benefits is better. Depending on your objectives, you can define different measurement indicators— service availability, response time, level of security, quality of service, etc. You can thus check the relevance of your outsourcing operation and put in place areas for improvement if necessary.
IT infrastructure, in short, how to successfully outsource?
Whatever the reason or the context that pushes you to outsource, you must keep in mind that to succeed in this type of project you must above all take care of two essential points— prepare well beforehand and be accompanied by a professional. Hope the guide will help you to outsource IT infrastructure in the right way.