In-house IT vs managed IT
For most UK SMEs under ~50 people, the decision is less “hire vs outsource” and more “who owns outcomes when something breaks on a Tuesday”.
Quick verdict
- Hire in-house when you have enough volume for a full-time role, a clear manager, and specialised systems that need daily hands-on ownership.
- Use managed IT when you need coverage, escalation path and security baselines without carrying holiday, sickness and recruitment risk alone.
- Hybrid works — an internal coordinator plus Teknikal for depth is common and healthy.
Side-by-side
| In-house hire | Managed IT (Teknikal) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost shape | Salary + benefits + tools + training | Predictable retainer + project work |
| Coverage | One person’s hours and leave | Team backup and defined response |
| Depth | Depends on who you attract | Breadth across Workspace, network, security |
| Risk | Key-person dependency | Vendor dependency (mitigated by docs & access) |
| Best fit | Larger / specialised estates | SMEs that need reliability without a department |
Total cost most owners undercount
Salary is visible. Invisible costs include recruiting time, tooling licences, overtime during outages, and the opportunity cost when “the IT person” becomes the unofficial project manager for every SaaS rollout. Managed IT does not remove spend — it makes it explicit and scoped.
Related: IT support, IT support FAQs, Cyber Essentials prep.
Unsure which model fits?
Book a short IT health check — we will say if you genuinely need a hire.
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