Outsourced IT Services vs In-House IT: Finding Your Perfect Partnership

You're sitting in yet another meeting about your company's technology strategy, and the question keeps coming up: should we build our IT capabilities in-house, or should we partner with a managed services provider?

Here's the thing—you're asking the wrong question.

This isn't actually a binary choice anymore. The smartest business leaders aren't asking "either/or." They're asking "how can we build the best possible technology foundation for our business?" And increasingly, that answer involves a strategic partnership model that gives you the best of both worlds.

Let's talk about what that actually looks like in practice, and how to make the right decision for your business.

Understanding the Real Difference

Before we dive into comparisons, let's level-set on what we're actually talking about.

In-house IT means you hire, train, and manage your own technology team. They're on your payroll, they know your business intimately, and they're dedicated exclusively to your organization.

Managed services means you partner with an external provider who brings an entire team of specialists, enterprise-grade tools, and strategic expertise to support your technology needs.

But here's where it gets interesting: according to a 2024 Gartner study, 73% of organizations now use a hybrid approach, combining internal IT resources with external managed services partnerships.(1) Why? Because the technology landscape has become too complex for any single approach to handle everything effectively.

The In-House IT Reality

Let's be honest about in-house IT—when it works well, it can be incredibly valuable. Having someone who knows your business, understands your people, and can respond immediately to issues is genuinely important.

But let's also be realistic about the challenges:

The Resource Gap

Your in-house IT person (or even team) can't possibly be an expert in everything. Cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, compliance requirements, AI integration, network management, backup and disaster recovery—the list goes on. Technology has become too specialized for any one person or small team to master it all.

According to the 2024 Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey, 65% of technology leaders cite skills shortages as their biggest barrier to digital transformation. (2)

You're not just competing with other businesses in your industry for IT talent—you're competing with tech giants, startups, and every other organization that needs these specialized skills.

The Coverage Problem

What happens when your IT person is on vacation? Or sick? Or dealing with a major project? Who handles the emergencies?

In a 2023 study by Datto, 94% of small and medium-sized businesses reported experiencing downtime, with the average cost reaching $427 per minute. (3) That's over $25,000 per hour your business isn't operating.

The Strategic Challenge

Here's a big question: is your in-house IT person spending their time on strategic initiatives that move your business forward, or are they constantly putting out fires and handling help desk tickets?

Most in-house IT professionals end up in reactive mode—fixing problems, resetting passwords, ordering new keyboards, troubleshooting issues. There's simply not enough time left for strategic planning, proactive security measures, or leveraging technology to create competitive advantages- like AI.

The Managed Services Advantage

This is where the managed services model fundamentally changes the equation. When you partner with a provider like Sentry, you're not just hiring a vendor—you're gaining access to an entire ecosystem of expertise, tools, certifications and strategic capabilities.

You Get an Entire Team, Not Just a Person

Think about what Sentry brings to the table:

• Cybersecurity specialists who live and breathe threat prevention

• Cloud infrastructure experts who optimize your systems

• Compliance professionals who keep you protected from fines and lawsuits

• Strategic technology advisors who help you budget, forcase and plan strategically

• 24/7 monitoring teams who watch over your systems while you sleep

• AI Engineers who can design, build and implement custom AI tools

One person could never match this depth and breadth of expertise (and certifications). Even a team of three or four in-house IT professionals couldn't cover all these specializations effectively.

Proactive vs Reactive Support

Here's where the model really shows its value. With 24/7 monitoring and automation, we're identifying and resolving issues before they impact your business. That server that's starting to show signs of stress? We're already working on it before it crashes. That security vulnerability? We've patched it before it can be exploited.

According to a 2024 CompTIA study, organizations using managed services experience 42% less downtime than those relying solely on in-house IT. (4) That's real money staying in your business instead of being lost to technology failures.

Predictable, Strategic Budgeting

With in-house IT, your costs are unpredictable. Hardware fails. Software needs upgrading. Security breaches happen. Suddenly you're facing a massive unexpected expense.

Managed services change this equation entirely. You get predictable monthly costs that allow you to budget strategically. No surprises. No emergency capital expenditures. Just consistent, reliable support that you can plan around.

Maybe the solution for your technology strategy is simply a phone call to Sentry to start a conversation. That's a quick phone call that could unlock a world of technology!

A Second Approach: The Partnership Model

Here's a second approach that's working for some successful organizations: they're not choosing between in-house IT and managed services.

They're strategically combining both.

The Best of Both Worlds

Imagine this scenario: You have someone internal who understands your business, your people, and your day-to-day operations. They handle immediate needs, provide that personal touch, and serve as the liaison between your business and your technology strategy.

But they're backed by an entire team at Sentry. When they need specialized expertise, they have it. When they need to implement a major project, they have support. When they're out of the office, coverage continues seamlessly.

This partnership model means:

• Your internal person isn't overwhelmed or burning out

• You get strategic expertise beyond what any single person could provide

• Coverage is truly 24/7, not just "whenever our IT person is available"

• Your technology becomes a competitive advantage, not just a cost center

How Sentry Partners With Your Team

At Sentry, we don't see ourselves as replacing your internal IT—we see ourselves as amplifying their capabilities. We've worked with businesses that have in-house IT teams, and we've seen how powerful this partnership can be.

We handle:

• The strategic technology roadmap and planning

• Cybersecurity monitoring and threat response

• AI strategy and implementation

• Infrastructure management and optimization

• Vendor relationships and technology procurement

• Compliance management and documentation

• Advanced troubleshooting and specialized expertise

Your internal team focuses on:

• Understanding the unique needs of your people

• Providing that immediate, personal touch

• Handling routine requests (level 1) and user support

• Serving as the liaison between business needs and technology solutions

Together, this creates something neither approach could achieve alone: technology that truly propels your business forward while maintaining the personal connection that makes your team feel supported.

Making the Right Choice for Your Business

So how do you decide what's right for your organization? Let's look at some real-world scenarios.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Can your current IT approach handle these scenarios?

• Your IT person resigns with two weeks' notice

• A major security breach happens at 2 AM on a Saturday

• New compliance regulations require immediate changes

• Your business wants to open a second location

• Your cyber security insurance has major questions

• You need to integrate AI tools into your operations

If any of these scenarios make you nervous, it's time to consider a managed services partnership.

Is technology holding you back or moving you forward?

• Are you leveraging technology to create competitive advantages?

• Can you confidently say your business is protected from cyber threats?

• Do you have a strategic technology roadmap aligned with business goals?

• Is your team as productive as they could be with the right tools?

If you hesitated on any of these, you're not alone. Most businesses aren't getting the full value from their technology investments because they don't have the strategic expertise to make it happen.

What to Look for in a Managed Services Partner

Not all managed services providers are created equal. If you're considering this path, here's what matters:

Partnership Over Products

Are they trying to sell you products, or are they committed to understanding your business and creating solutions that actually work for you? At Sentry, we start every relationship with our Technology Maturity Model assessment—because we can't help you get where you want to go until we understand where you are.

Proven Expertise and Resources

Do they have the team depth to truly support your business? Can they provide references from businesses like yours? Have they been doing this long enough to have proven their approach? Sentry has been trusted for the last 10 years by companies just like yours to keep their businesses secure, productive, and connected.

Strategic Thinking, Not Just Break-Fix

Are they bringing you strategic insights about how to leverage technology for business growth? Or are they just waiting for things to break so they can fix them? The best managed services partners are constantly thinking about how to use technology to increase your security, productivity, and profitability.

Transparency and Communication

Do they explain things in terms you understand, or do they hide behind technical jargon? Do they provide regular reporting on what they're doing and why? Do they communicate proactively about issues and opportunities?

Cultural Fit

This matters more than you might think. You're going to be working closely with this partner. Do they share your values? Do they understand your industry? Do they respect your team and your business?

Your Next Step

The question isn't really "managed services vs in-house IT." The question is: "How do we build a technology foundation that positions our business for success?"

At Sentry, we navigate the complex tech landscape for you.

Whether you're facing cybersecurity threats, operational challenges, or seeking strategic advantages through technology like AI, we're your trusted guide. Our expert team creates clear plans for your specific needs, safeguarding your business and optimizing your tech investment.

The businesses thriving in today's market aren't the ones trying to do everything themselves. They're the ones who've built strategic partnerships that amplify their capabilities and free them to focus on what they do best.

Ready to explore what a true technology partnership could look like for your business?

Let's start with a conversation about where you are and where you want to go. Schedule a discovery call with Sentry, and we'll walk you through our Technology Maturity Model assessment—no obligations, just honest insights about how to leverage technology to keep your business safe and thriving.

To learn more about how managed services can transform your technology from a cost center into a competitive advantage, visit our Managed IT Services page.

Don't let another week go by being frustrated with technology that should be working for you, not against you. Partner with Sentry and discover what's possible when you have an entire team of experts working to propel your business forward.

Footnotes

1. Gartner, "Market Guide for Managed IT Services," 2024 ↩

2. Harvey Nash/KPMG, "CIO Survey 2024: The Generational Shift" ↩

3. Datto, "Global State of the Channel Ransomware Report," 2023 ↩

4. CompTIA, "4th Annual State of Managed Services Report," 2024 ↩