IT Company in Boston Shares What to Know About IT Outsourcing
There are a lot of reasons why someone may choose to outsource certain business processes. These reasons usually include reducing labor costs and offloading time-consuming tasks from the internal team. However, it’s worth noting that 72% of outsourcing contracts involve IT outsourcing. That shows that there are some significant benefits to IT outsourcing.
“Many business leaders have reasonable apprehensions about outsourcing any aspect of their business technology. The good news is that these concerns are easy to address.” – John Garner, CEO, iMedia Technology
While there are many tangible benefits, working with an IT outsourcing company is not without its risks. These risks are important to recognize, but they shouldn’t scare you away from the IT outsourcing model as a whole. All you need to do is weigh the pros and cons and find a provider with minimal associated risks.
In today’s article, a reliable IT company in Boston explores the pros and cons of IT outsourcing and offers guidance on how to identify partners who deliver the benefits without the risks.
What Are The Benefits of Outsourcing IT Services?
Lower Operating Costs
It should come as no surprise that IT outsourcing will help you save time and money. You can save on the costs of hiring and retaining full-time staff if you can’t yet afford an in-house IT department. If you already have one, outsourcing can help you avoid having to pay overtime costs because your provider can handle additional work when needed.
Access to Specialized Skills
Outsourced IT providers bring a wide range of certifications and hands-on experience with various IT systems, platforms, and security protocols. That means that you get support for niche software, complex integrations, or specific compliance needs without needing to hire multiple team members.
Flexible Resources
An outsourced IT partner makes it easy for you to add or remove technicians, licenses, and infrastructure on demand. Contracts can be adjusted as seasonal peaks, acquisitions, or migrations occur. This flexibility keeps your costs aligned with real needs. You also avoid overstaffing during slow periods and onboarding delays when demand is high.
Faster Access to New Technology
Working with an outsourced IT team can help you boost your competitive advantage. That’s because many providers have early access to vendor tools, platforms, and beta programs. They can introduce new capabilities without the delays that come from internal procurement and training cycles.
Reduced Risk of Shadow IT
CloudSecureTech notes that 1 in 5 employees know how to bypass company protocols to install unauthorized software. An outsourced IT provider helps reduce that risk in two ways.
First, they give employees a fast, reliable way to request the tools they need, which makes them less likely to go around the process. Second, they can monitor your IT systems independently to spot unauthorized installs without internal pressure to ignore them.
Quicker Recovery From Turnover
When internal IT staff leave, they often take undocumented knowledge with them. Replacing them can take weeks or months, and all the while, you’re left without someone who can fill the gap that your former employee left.
Outsourced IT partners prevent this challenge by maintaining their own staffing pipeline and keeping full documentation of systems, processes, and changes. If a technician leaves, another steps in with immediate access to your company’s records.
What Are The Potential Risks of Outsourcing Your IT?
Limited Transparency
Not all IT outsourcing companies offer full visibility into their operations, staffing models, or cybersecurity practices. This lack of transparency can make it difficult for you to assess the quality of service being delivered.
Misaligned Priorities
Outsourced providers operate as separate entities. That means that there may be a risk of them making IT decisions on your behalf that conflict with your true business objectives. There is also a risk that an outsourced technician may not have a full understanding of your customer expectations.
Accountability
Because many outsourced providers rotate staff across accounts, their clients can experience a lack of ownership or continuity in service. If accountability is unclear, critical tasks may fall through the cracks.
Limited Customization
Some IT providers rely on prebuilt service bundles or automation tools that don’t reflect how your business operates. This mismatch can cause frustration when workflows, tools, or systems don’t behave the way your team expects.
Over-Reliance
Switching providers after a long-term outsourcing relationship can be complicated. Vendors may control access to documentation, credentials, or systems that are difficult to transfer without disruption. These challenges can trap companies in underperforming agreements longer than intended.
How to Spot The Benefits & Avoid The Risks
Align Business Goals
Share your strategic roadmap and upcoming milestones. Ask the provider to present a support plan that backs those goals. Look for clear links between their proposed services and your objectives. Consistent alignment keeps their IT decisions tied to your revenue and growth targets.
Review Cost Flexibility
Ask for the provider’s full fee schedule, including recurring fees, project rates, and overage charges. Then, compare their costs to your current IT budget. Inquire about any possible price changes when you add or drop users, devices, or software licenses. A reliable partner should provide itemized quotes and update them in writing before any change.
Check Service Transparency
Ask for a sample service report, staffing roster, and SOC audit summary. Review how often they share ticket metrics, security logs, and incident reviews. Transparent partners are happy to give their clients portal access to live data and welcome third-party audits.
If you’re not entirely sure what to look for in these documents, here is a brief overview.
| Document | What It Is | What to Look For |
| Staffing Roster | A list of team members assigned to your account or responsible for support | Look for names, roles, certifications, and time coverage (e.g., who is available after hours) |
| SOC Audit Summary | A report from a third-party review of the provider’s security practices | Look for who conducted the audit, what was tested (e.g., data access, logging), and any gaps found |
| Ticket Metrics | Data showing how support requests are handled | Look for average response time, resolution time, ticket volume, and how many were escalated |
| Security Logs | Records of security-related events (e.g., logins, firewall activity) | Look for completeness, how often logs are reviewed, and whether you understand any flagged alerts |
| Incident Reviews | Reports about serious issues or breaches that occurred | Look for timeline of events, root cause, impact, and what actions were taken to prevent recurrence |
Examine Documentation Access
Request to view a redacted knowledge base entry for a sample client. Confirm that you will hold read access to runbooks, configurations, and passwords at all times. This step helps protect your continuity in case staff or vendors change.
Plan Your Exit Strategy in Advance
While you should plan for the best, the truth is that 63% of executives say they feel trapped in a B2B contract they no longer wish to be in. Before signing, ask how your data, credentials, and backups will be returned to you if you decide to terminate the contract. Review the lead time, fees, and support included during transitions.
Strengthen Your Business with Smart IT Outsourcing from a Leading IT Company in Boston
IT outsourcing can be a cost-effective way to enhance your organization’s technological prowess. Beyond cost savings, the right partner can also provide your in-house team with the necessary assistance without overshadowing their input.
Yet, you must do your due diligence to evade the potential cons of outsourcing. If you’re ready to start looking, explore iMedia Technology as an option. Our team is dedicated to giving our clients the IT resources they need with full accountability. You’ll work with a dedicated account manager who will always keep our technicians in line with your goals. Contact one of the most trusted IT companies in Boston, MA today to outsource with confidence and support your long-term success.
