Why MSPs Crush Internal IT Teams
- Brayden Cantzler
- Jul 14, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 10, 2025
In today’s fast-paced business world, managing IT isn’t just about “keeping the lights on.” Small and mid-sized organizations are juggling rising cyber risk, complex cloud platforms, hybrid work, and a persistent talent shortage. ManpowerGroup’s 2024 Global Talent Shortage report estimates that 75% of employers struggle to find skilled talent, with IT roles among the hardest to fill (https://www.manpowergroup.ae/workforce-insights/2024-global-talent-shortage).
When you stack an internal IT hire against a mature Managed Service Provider (MSP), the difference shows up in coverage, risk, and long-term cost—not just salary. Based on our experience and current industry data, here’s why MSPs like TEC Services Consulting, Inc. often outshine internal IT teams.
Save Money and Avoid Hidden Costs
Hiring internal IT means salaries, benefits, training, recruiting, and a growing stack of tools and licenses. You’re also on the hook for coverage gaps during vacations, illness, and turnover.
An MSP, by contrast, gives you access to a full team for a predictable monthly fee. Research summarized by Auvik shows organizations can reduce IT costs by roughly 25–45% when they shift to a well-structured MSP model (https://www.auvik.com/franklyit/blog/msp-vs-internal-it/). Those savings come from:
Lower direct staffing costs (fewer full-time hires and benefits)
Shared access to enterprise-grade tools the MSP spreads across many clients
Proactive monitoring and maintenance that reduce outages and “surprise” emergency invoices
Instead of pouring budget into reactive fixes and fragmented tools, you can redirect dollars into things that move the needle—like new services, marketing, or staff capacity.
TEC Tip: When you compare MSP vs internal IT costs, don’t just line up salaries. Include recruiting fees, benefits, training, tools, coverage for PTO, and the cost of downtime when something breaks at the worst possible moment.
Access a Team of Experts (Without Adding Headcount)
One internal IT generalist might keep things running day to day. But modern environments demand depth in multiple areas: cybersecurity, cloud architecture, networking, identity and access management, device management, compliance, and more.
Auvik’s 2025 “MSP vs. Internal IT” report found that 56% of mid-sized companies are facing IT staffing challenges—and many struggle to find or afford the specialized talent they need (https://www.auvik.com/franklyit/blog/msp-vs-internal-it/). Globally, that picture is even tougher: ManpowerGroup reports that 75% of employers are struggling to fill skilled roles (https://www.manpowergroup.ae/workforce-insights/2024-global-talent-shortage).
An MSP solves this by giving you “expert access on demand”:
Security specialists who stay on top of evolving threats and controls
Cloud engineers who can design and right-size your environment
Network and endpoint experts who keep your infrastructure stable and monitored
Instead of trying to hire all of these roles internally—often at a premium—you tap into a bench of specialists that your MSP has already recruited, trained, and managed.
TEC Tip: When you talk to your board or leadership team about moving to an MSP, frame it as “access to a full bench of specialists,” not just “outsourcing IT.” You’re trading single-point-of-failure risk for a deeper, more resilient team.
Focus on Your Business, Not IT Firefighting
Even when you have an internal IT person, they’re often stuck in reactive mode—resets, printer issues, VPN problems, vendor tickets—leaving little time for strategic work.
According to Auvik’s research, 64% of internal IT teams spend 10–20 hours every week handling reactive requests, and some spend more than half their week on break/fix work (https://www.auvik.com/franklyit/blog/msp-vs-internal-it/). That’s a lot of time not spent on planning, security, or improvements.
Meanwhile, cyber risk continues to rise. IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report pegs the global average cost of a data breach at $4.4 million (https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach). A serious incident can be financially and reputationally devastating even for a small organization.
A well-run MSP:
Handles day-to-day monitoring, patching, and incident response
Implements and maintains core security controls (MFA, EDR, backups, least-privilege access, etc.)
Helps you plan a 12–24 month roadmap instead of reacting to whatever breaks next
That frees your leadership team to focus on clients, programs, and revenue—not troubleshooting the Wi-Fi or wondering if last night’s backup actually ran.
TEC Tip: Consider: “What percentage of our IT time is spent on strategic improvements versus firefighting?” If the answer is mostly firefighting, it’s a strong signal that an MSP could help you regain control.
How to Decide if an MSP Is Right for You
MSPs aren’t “better” in every possible scenario—but they are a better fit than internal IT for many small and mid-sized organizations. Here are a few questions to help you decide:
Do we rely on one person for everything IT?
What happens if that person resigns, is out sick for two weeks, or is pulled into a big project?
Have we had an outage or security scare in the last 12–18 months?
How much time and money did it cost? What would it cost if it happened again, or lasted longer?
Is our IT roadmap clear for the next 12–24 months?
Or are we mostly reacting to tickets, vendor emails, and whatever breaks next?
Do we have the budget to hire all the specialists we realistically need?
Security, cloud, networking, compliance, and device management are now distinct disciplines.
Are executives or non-technical staff making IT decisions they’re not fully confident in?
That’s a recipe for overspending on the wrong tools—or under-investing in critical protections.
TEC Tip: If you answered “yes” to #1 or #5—or “no” to #3—it’s time to run a side-by-side comparison. Line up your current internal IT spending (including hidden costs) against an MSP proposal that covers 24/7 monitoring, security, and strategic planning.
Your Next Step
If your current IT model feels expensive, risky, or stuck in “firefighting mode,” it may be time to move beyond the “one-person IT department” and partner with an MSP that’s built for organizations like yours.
TEC Services Consulting, Inc. can help you:
Compare your existing internal IT costs with a managed services model
Identify coverage gaps in security, monitoring, and support
Build a practical 12–24 month IT roadmap that aligns with your budget and goals
Contact us to schedule a conversation about your environment and objectives:
Phone: (630) 305-7486
Email: info@tecsinc.com
We’ll help you evaluate whether an MSP model is right for you—and, if it is, design a plan that fits your team, your risk profile, and your budget.
