A large number of schools currently outsource their catering or cleaning services, because these tasks aren’t an integral part of the skillset of the school staff team. They call in specialists to take away the hassle and let them worry about the processes, laws and risks.
Today, many forward-thinking schools are also outsourcing their IT support and are enjoying the benefits that a specialist technology partner can bring. In today’s budget-sensitive economy it’s becoming increasingly important for schools to be able to deliver a high level of ICT resources whilst also keeping costs down.
How Can Schools Benefit From Outsourcing IT Services?
Many schools today have an in-house person or team to manage network management and IT optimization. Sometimes this is just a regular employee who is relatively tech-savvy. However, schools have a lot of moving pieces and this can be a huge responsibility for one person or team. That’s where the benefit of outsourcing IT services comes in.
When schools make the decision to outsource IT to a team of specialized professionals, they can rest assured that there is a focus on the ‘big picture’. Instead of in-house IT employees struggling to troubleshoot and juggle different IT issues. A team of IT professionals, whose sole focus is the school’s network, can watch from above and solve problems before they even begin.
Here are the top benefits of outsourcing your school’s IT management:
Improved management and monitoring
Here’s the thing. In-house IT professionals are incredible at what they do, but they’re often overloaded.
When schools outsource to a professional IT company, in-house staff can rest assured that their network is running optimally and securely. This means the entire school has access to a healthy network and the productivity benefits that come with it.
Cost reduction
Many people associate outsourced IT services with a cost increase. The reality is, in the long run, outsourced IT services can translate into huge cost reductions. If you decide to outsource fully, your school can save on the many costs associated with recruiting, hiring, and paying an in-house team.
And partnering with a managed service provider can help you get access to a variety of hardware and software for cheaper prices than you’d get on your own. Not to mention, with a team of IT experts in your corner, problems will get solved quicker and downtime won’t leave your paid employees twirling their thumbs.
Strategic expertise
The best part about outsourcing your school’s IT services is that you’ll instantly be connected with a reliable group of certified technology professionals. With this kind of strategic experience and expertise in your corner, you’ll know for sure that your IT infrastructure is being monitored, managed, and optimized by the very best.
Increased flexibility
Another benefit of outsourcing to a team of IT professionals is that your school will have much more flexibility from end to end. A strategic IT provider will be able to position your school’s network for optimal scalability.
This means your network can grow alongside your school as staffing levels change. This kind of built-in and flexible scalability is exactly what schools need to get the very most out of their IT infrastructure.
Productivity and efficiency boosts
Adding a professional team to your school can translate into huge boosts to the overall productivity and efficiency of your school’s IT operation.
When you have a dedicated team your staff and students will have a seamless and productive experience when they use school technology. Even better, you’ll free up employees from dealing with tech troubleshooting and disruptions to the learning.
Peak data security
Schools collect, store, and transmit a great deal of confidential information. Without reliable data security, sensitive information can be left vulnerable to data breaches or network crashes.
A managed service provider will have a plan for securing and encrypting school data. This way, you can say goodbye to worrying about security gaps that threaten your school’s network and reputation.
Finding The Right Provider
Once you take the time to consider the benefits, all that’s left to do is find a reliable managed IT service provider for your school. While choosing the right provider can seem daunting or tricky, the process doesn’t have to be an uphill battle.
Here are a few guidelines to help narrow your search:
- The best providers are teams of IT professionals who have experience optimizing IT for schools
- Don’t be afraid to ask for specific examples of how providers have helped schools do more with their IT infrastructures
- If a provider has worked with other schools in the past, don’t hesitate to ask for references.
- Talk to other schools, find out whether they’re outsourcing and ask for provider recommendations.
If you’re ready to start your search for an outsourced IT provider, we suggest reaching out to our team of IT professionals at MTS IT. Our team has extensive experience providing IT services and support to educational institutions of all shapes and sizes. We’re committed to optimizing IT in a way that improves the lives of administrators and enriches the learning experience for students.
We’re happy to have a chat with you, confidentially if needs be, about how happy you are with the quality, proactiveness, cost and capability of the IT support in your school, and what your vision for improvements might be.
Our team will help you harness your entire IT infrastructure to ensure your entire school is positioned to run efficiently and effectively. Contact MTS IT anytime at 0116 467 0155 or info@mts-it.com
