Most growing businesses reach a point where their current IT setup starts to feel reactive rather than supportive. If you’re weighing up in-house IT versus managed IT services, this tech talk breaks down the real differences and helps you work out which approach actually makes sense for your business.
This is a conversation our sales team have a lot with new customers. It usually starts with something like, “We’ve got an internal IT person, but things still feel reactive,” or “We’re not sure if managed IT is overkill for a business our size.”
If you’re weighing up in-house vs managed IT services, you’re not alone. On paper, having someone internal can feel simpler. However, the decision is a bit more complicated, especially for small to medium sized businesses.
In-house IT typically means a single IT manager or technician or a very small internal IT team.
For some businesses, this works well. This is often the case where IT is closely tied to daily operations.
What we often see, though, is in-house IT being stretched thin. One person covering helpdesk tickets, security, backups, vendor management, projects, future strategy, and compliance is a lot to ask, especially in the technology space which is constantly evolving. Even the most capable individuals can end up stuck reacting to issues rather than planning ahead and keeping up to date with the latest tech.
Managed IT services are essentially outsourced IT support, but delivered on an ongoing and proactive basis, not just “call us when it breaks”.
A managed IT provider, like Mother, will usually look after daily support, monitoring and maintenance, cybersecurity, backups and disaster recovery, and longer-term planning. The key difference is coverage. Instead of relying on one person, you have access to a wider team with different skill sets and specialisms.
At first glance, in-house IT can appear cheaper. One salary and no monthly contract feels pretty straightforward.
Once you look a little closer, hidden costs often emerge. These can include salary related costs like pensions and training, a lack of cover during holidays or sickness, and the need to pay extra for external support when something falls outside your IT person’s realm.
Managed IT services come with predictable costs. You pay a fixed monthly fee that usually includes support, tooling, monitoring, and ongoing improvements. It is not always cheaper, but it is far more transparent and easier to budget for.
This is where the difference often becomes most obvious.
Many internal IT staff are excellent at keeping things running day to day, but do not always have the time or headspace to stay on top of evolving cybersecurity threats, compliance requirements, long-term IT strategy, or new technologies that could genuinely benefit the business.
With managed IT support, you are not dependent on one person knowing everything. Problems that span networking, security, cloud, and hardware are handled as part of the norm, rather than becoming a crisis.
And then there is the uncomfortable question many directors eventually ask: what happens if our IT person leaves?
A common concern is losing control by outsourcing IT. In reality, it is less about control and more about collaboration.
The best setups are where the business owns decisions and priorities, and IT, whether internal or managed, advises, implements, and challenges when needed. Managed IT should not mean handing everything over blindly. At Mother, we like to act as an extension to your organisation, constantly working with your organisation to see what works and what doesn’t.
There is no universal answer.
An internal IT team can make sense if you are large enough to support a full team, IT is central to your core product, or you need a constant on-site presence.
Managed IT services tend to work well if you want predictable costs, value proactive support over firefighting, need access to a wider range of expertise, or want to avoid IT becoming a single point of failure.
Some businesses choose a mixed approach, keeping internal IT while using a MSP for additional help with things like cybersecurity and strategy.
From our side at Mother, most businesses do not come to us because their IT is completely broken. They come because it is likely holding them back or because too much pressure and responsibility sits with one individual.