CIO OPINION
IT services have become critical to business , so the cost of getting them wrong will far outweigh the expense of procuring them .
Raeford Liebenberg , Manager Silver Moon IT
Why African businesses need to outsource IT : Can you afford to get it wrong ?
South Africa has a shortage of IT skills , which makes resources difficult to find and to retain in-house and many local businesses are on the smaller end of the size scale , which means while IT services are key , they do not amount to fulltime jobs , explains Raeford Liebenberg at Silver Moon IT .
The debate as to whether to insource or outsource when it comes to IT is an ongoing one , and each area has its pros and cons . Businesses need to weigh up the perceived risks along with the benefits to decide what works for them , but in the South African climate in particular , there are more benefits than disadvantages .
Not only does outsourcing provide cost-effective access to a broad pool of skills and experience that can be difficult to source as an in-house resource , but it also brings with it an element of enhanced competitiveness that can help to propel businesses forward during challenging times .
The discussion of whether to outsource or insource typically centres around the elements of risk and cost . There is always debate about whether it is cheaper to retain skills in-house or to outsource them , but boiling this down to a pure Rand value can be hazardous ,
38 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www . intelligentcio . com