In-house IT or outsourcing – what makes more sense for your company?

Comparing costs properly: a salary is not the total cost

A salary is only part of the cost of an in-house IT position. On top come employer contributions, workplace, training, tools, cover and the time spent on recruiting. If you employ only one administrator, you also carry the risk of vacation, illness and resignation. With outsourcing you pay for agreed services; check scope, response times and contract term closely there so that offers are truly comparable.

For IT service there is no flat price tag at Nano Concepts: we prepare an individual quote based on scope, locations and time windows. That makes sense because needs and assignments differ greatly – a single rollout has different requirements than ongoing support. Ask every provider which services are included and what is charged on top.

Response time, on-site visits and availability

One argument for in-house IT is proximity: when the printer fails or a workstation goes down, someone is there. However, modern service providers solve many problems quickly by remote maintenance, without travel. Only hardware replacement, network cabling or installations need physical presence. What matters, therefore, are the agreed service hours, availability and the question of who can be on site at short notice if needed.

With several locations, the calculation shifts: a single employee cannot be everywhere at once. This is where a service provider with partner teams and a nationwide deployment model helps, coordinating rollouts, replacement projects and on-site service. Nano Concepts, headquartered in Dudenhofen near Speyer, carries out IT assignments and rollouts across Germany with partner teams.

Data protection, security and contracts in outsourcing

As soon as a service provider has access to systems containing personal data, a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is generally required. This includes clear rules for access rights, logging, subcontractors and deletion. Just as important is a service contract with a description of services, response times, availability, notice periods and the handover of documentation at the end of the contract. This does not replace legal advice.

Depending on the industry and company size, additional requirements for IT security and reporting channels may apply, for example through the European NIS2 directive or requirements from customers and insurers. You should check this case by case. A reputable provider documents its measures and supports you in this – but responsibility for IT security cannot be fully outsourced.

The middle path: what to keep in-house and what to outsource

Most companies do best with a split. Decisions, priorities and knowledge of the business processes stay internal, often with one person as IT lead. Tasks that require specialist knowledge or capacity and can be standardized well are outsourced: help desk, remote maintenance, server and network operation, security updates, backups, rollouts of new workstations and migrations.

A good way in is to switch in stages: first a clearly bounded area such as a Windows migration, a support hotline or the new equipment of a location, then evaluate the experience and only afterwards outsource more. That way you test collaboration and quality without committing fully right away, and you gain a solid basis for deciding which further areas can be outsourced.