Server outsourcing: advantages and disadvantages

Because their needs are more and more important and specialized, most of the companies today use an outsourcing service for their servers. A popular solution because it concentrates many advantages for few disadvantages. Explanations.

Server outsourcing:

IT outsourcing consists in outsourcing all or part of its information system to a company specializing in this type of service: Digital service companies (ESN). To understand What is IT Outsourcing? You can read this article: IT outsourcing: definition There are indeed several models of outsourcing that can be divided into two categories: partial outsourcing and total outsourcing.

Partial outsourcing consists in outsourcing part of its information system to one or more service providers, while total outsourcing is characterized by the complete outsourcing of the information system.

Finally, if you enter more technical considerations, there are also several types of outsourcing, including the outsourcing of operations and application management. The latter consists in entrusting the management of the company’s software and software packages (and possibly their development) to an external service provider. The outsourcing of operations, on the other hand, consists in outsourcing the technical part and in particular the data hosting. We enter the field of competence of what is commonly called server outsourcing.

Server outsourcing: Many advantages

Server outsourcing, which is therefore materialized by the outsourcing of data hosting, is a solution chosen by more and more companies because it is adapted to changing needs. Those of today and especially those of tomorrow!

Streamlined costs

The first advantage is of course economic. The development of cloud solutions and in particular the advent of the public cloud makes efficient data hosting and backup services accessible. By outsourcing its servers, the company frees itself from investing in expensive equipment and above all the costs associated with their maintenance and upkeep. Server outsourcing also makes it possible to adjust the solution to the specific needs of the company and the fixed price corresponds to the resources actually used. The costs are thus fully budgeted upstream and perfectly rationalized.

Optimized security

Since data security and confidentiality are now a major issue for companies, outsourced hosting solutions are now particularly effective in this area. By entrusting its data to a specialized company and professionals, the company increases its protection against theft or simply the loss of its digital assets. This is the subject of very regular backups and is hosted in secure servers. In this respect, a very important criterion must be considered: We strongly recommend that you check that the servers are physically. Indeed, in the event of a dispute, you will be in a known and controlled legal environment.

Cutting-edge technology

It is already complex enough for a company to organize its activity to stand out from its competitors, so as not to have to spend time on support functions. By entrusting its servers to an innovative outsourcer and constantly on the lookout, it makes sure to benefit from the latest technologies in the sector. It also avoids setting up a sector watch since this is the job and role of its service provider. The latter will thus evolve the solution according to needs and technical advances. Ideal when you are an SME that needs to focus on its core business. 

Modern solutions

By outsourcing the management and hosting of its data, the company also benefits from modern solutions. Those for which it has neither the time nor the resources to train and which nevertheless make it possible to optimize the use of the information system and the activity of the company. With server outsourcing, all company data is centralized and accessible anywhere and from any device. Operation is secure and simplified, minimalist equipment and users’ mobility needs are fully met for more efficient employees.

Server outsourcing: Some disadvantages

The drawbacks of server outsourcing are not really intrinsic to this solution but rather related to the choice of service provider or the poor assessment of the company’s needs.

An unsuitable offer

Some companies, by virtue of their size, their geographical disparity or the technical nature of their activity, have specific demands and demanding needs in terms of data hosting. Server outsourcing can respond to this, including by setting up private servers , if necessary, installed directly on the company’s premises, provided that these needs have been properly assessed beforehand. This step is essential to turn to an optimized offer in terms of price but also technical. An external audit and in particular the calculation of the IT TCO must make it possible to assess the needs as well as possible. To learn more about this essential notion, you can consult this article: Computer TCO: why is it important to calculate it?

Loss of control over data

Losing “control” of your data is the main fear of companies that choose to outsource their hosting. A fear that can be justified if the data is hosted on poorly secured servers and physically located in countries that do not apply very strict regulations. To avoid this pitfall, it is necessary to turn to a SEO Sydney service provider offering a local hosting solution, and with whom you will have defined a clear responsibility matrix. As you can see, server outsourcing is clearly a relevant solution. Particularly modern, it logically tends to generalize. If it corresponds to the needs of the company and if it is tied with a serious and competent service provider, it will make it possible to rationalize costs, optimize data security and benefit from advanced technologies .