What is the cost of outsourced IT?

The financial picture of outsourced IT

Because Bryley shows a Business Continuity Pyramid with various cybersecurity tools listed at different levels, you might think you can buy, for instance, an antivirus tool off-the-shelf like a hammer at a hardware store. Of course there are businesses out there that sell antivirus directly (and some of the other tools on the pyramid’s layers). That’s not what Bryley is known for¹.

Bryley is a Managed Services Provider (MSP) – constructed to be an outsourced IT department. Bryley’s role is to provide an organization with reliable technology performance in support of the organization’s goals at a regular cost that can be budgeted.

Some options

So when Bryley works with your in-house IT team (a scenario we fulfill about half the time), we can take on a role that supports your organizations’ needs. For example, Bryley can provide the foundation for your organization (like handling patch management, performing backups/recovery, cybersecurity and being a resource for escalation in troubleshooting or peak-demand scenarios). This can allow your in-house team, with specialized knowledge of your workflows and processes, to advance the business strategically, and/or help employees on the frontlines. On the other hand, because of how Bryley’s built – from help-desk techs to senior engineers, Bryley can also act as a virtual Chief Information Officer. But again, there are many possible ways an outsourced IT department can help.

And the other half of Bryley’s work is for when an organization doesn’t have an in-house team. Bryley fits the roles that meet those organizations’ expectations and requirements. This can take the form of a basic help-desk all the way to functioning for your organization as virtual Chief Information Officer.

Like any kind of business support, the roles Bryley people fill for your organization are not predetermined. Bryley’s role is dependent on each organization’s wants and needs.

The X factor

An organization’s investment in outsourced IT is shaped by factors like a business’ size (number of tech users), industry requirements, current infrastructure and growth plans.

And while price is important, making that the focus of a provider search often leads to:

• service gaps (like when techs are limited to a reactive break-fix model versus a team that looks to keep problems from occurring in the first place)
• unexpected costs or
• providers who don’t understand your industry’s unique requirements.

Like any purchase, the goal of choosing an MSP isn’t to get the cheapest, it’s to find the value that aligns with your organization’s needs, service expectations and budget. When your organization and an IT provider fit right, it should feel like you’re making an investment in your organization through:

• reduced downtime
• the assurance that your technology infrastructure has professional-grade management
• the deep technical bench that would be costly to hire internally

Many Bryley clients find that outsourced IT management costs less than alternatives like hiring specialized staff, dealing with major outages or trying to navigate complex technology decisions without expert guidance.

Some of the factors that affect IT pricing

1. Business size and numbers of tech users
2. Industry-specific requirements
   • Healthcare: HIPAA compliance, specialized software, security requirements
   • Financial services: regulatory compliance, data protection standards
   • Manufacturing: operational technology integration, uptime requirements
   • Professional services: mobility needs, client data protection
   • Retail: customer data protection
3. As-Is IT infrastructure state
4. Service level needs
   • 24/7/365 vs. business-hours support
   • On-site vs. remote support: geographic factors and travel costs
5. Growth trajectory, strategic planning and scalability
   • Rapid growth planning: Infrastructure that can scale quickly
   • Seasonal fluctuations: Flexible capacity requirements

Most important: Determine the coverage that works for you

Before requesting IT services quotes, take time to assess your current setup, define your service level expectations, and understand your compliance requirements. This preparation will help you have more productive conversations with potential MSPs and ultimately make a decision that serves your business well for years to come.

Unlike a one-time vendor who disappears after the sale, Bryley’s the one who takes the urgent phone calls, Bryley’s the one who has to defend IT costs and it’s Bryley’s reputation on the line. This leads to a powerful alignment of interests – we succeed when your technology works reliably and cost-effectively – and that’s the recipe for sustainable, long-term partnerships.

And this is just the reason Bryley has worked with hundreds of New England clients since 1987. Please call 978•562•6077 or email Bryley’s Roy Pacitto or complete the form, below, to discuss your IT needs.

And in the next of these Bryley special reports: ‘but we’re too small to be targeted’ – how cybercrime’s tech tools (especially the scaling achievable due to chatbots) is changing what a smaller organization can realistically expect.

1 Bryley was listed this month by Worcester Business Journal as the seventh largest IT Services Provider in Central Massachusetts