Devon Arscott
Cyber threats are always evolving, so it’s imperative for companies to increase their cybersecurity measures. Meanwhile, the high demand for cybersecurity professionals isn’t slowing down, and it’s estimated that there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions by 2021.
These industry changes create a difficult situation for managed service providers (MSPs) — there is increasing demand for their services, but the market is highly competitive, and profit margins are shrinking.
Business never sleeps and hackers don’t keep office hours, which means more and more companies are demanding 24/7 coverage of Network and Security Operations from their trusted MSP. Smaller MSPs tend to take a DIY approach and field calls from their customers at 3 am, while larger MSPs often turn to outsourcing for a (seemingly) fast and cheap solution for 24/7 coverage.
Outsourced solutions quickly solve the problem of coverage, but sometimes come with downsides like vague, bundled pricing models, poor customer service experiences, and overall loss of control. In this blog post, we’ll outline 3 questions to ask before making changes to your Network and Security Operations Centers.
Do I just need more staff?
Identify the areas in which your in-house staff would benefit from additional support, and to what extent. Do you need another full team in place or just a few extra hands on deck?
If you already have the fundamental tools, systems, and processes in place, total outsourcing might be unnecessary. For smaller MSPs, one or two new hires could make a big difference in efficiency. And if you do decide to outsource, that doesn’t mean you have to give up your in-house team entirely — you can outsource partially, using remote teams to fill in coverage gaps on nights, weekends, and holidays.
Is a shared services solution the right fit for my customer?
Most, if not all, MSPs have built their businesses on personal connections, reputation, and trust. It’s no secret that customer service experiences leave a lasting impression, so many MSPs are reluctant to hand over their operations to outsourced teams (and rightfully so). When a client calls with an urgent issue at 3 am, you want to know who’s going to pick up the phone, and you can’t afford to have a rude or uninformed representative on the line.
Which model will support my growth?
Experimenting with outsourcing is undoubtedly easier when your organization is financially stable, and when you know what to expect. Businesses that have been around a little longer have the benefit of a more complete picture of operational costs.
If you have well-established metrics in place, you’ll be able to more accurately measure the success of outsourcing efforts. If your growth is stable and relatively flat, an outsourced shared solution may be a good option.
But rapidly growing MSPs might struggle to find outsourced solutions that can scale at a similar pace. If you anticipate significant growth, and want to maintain control over the quality of service, then remote teams and flexible pricing models are the way to go — you don’t want to get locked into a shared services solution that may be hard to move away from in the future.
The bottom line
There are pros and cons that come along with NOC and SOC outsourcing solutions, and not all solutions are created equal.
Talent-as-a-Service (TaaS), delivered through dedicated remote teams, provides the speed and affordability of outsourcing, without all the downsides. If you want to maintain control, extend your systems and processes, and manage customer experiences while you grow, Bolton Secure can work with you to craft a solution that is right for you and your customers.
