If you are looking for new network software, you should determine if you want it insourced or outsourced.
If you make a decision before educating yourself on the differences, you could end up being frustrated if you purchase the wrong one for your organization.
There are many benefits to both insourcing and outsourcing. The best decision depends on the specific needs of your organization.
Coeo understands the importance of a reliable network and wants to help you select the best solution for your organization.
We want to provide you with the right information on the differences between insourcing and outsourcing your network which will enable you to make the best decision for your organization.
By the end of this article, you will know what insourcing is, what outsourcing is, the pros and cons of each, and which one is better suited for your business.
What is insourcing?
Insourcing takes place when an organization invests in the people, tools, and infrastructure to operate a function internally without the assistance of an outside organization.
In the case of your network, you would likely purchase the software and hire an engineer, an IT person, or an entire IT team to manage your network software.
What is outsourcing?
Outsourcing entails hiring a third party to perform a task or job outside of your organization.
This might mean hiring a freelancer or hiring an outside organization to perform all aspects of a specific function needed within your organization.
Typically, outsourcing takes place when the organization does not have a core competency in a particular functional area and can acquire this expertise through the firm providing the outsourced services.
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Pros and cons of insourcing your network software
Pros of insourcing your network software
There are multiple benefits to insourcing your network software. The benefits include control over your network and a customized solution.
More control over your network
If you hire an employee or team of employees within your organization to work on and manage network software, chances are you will have more control over your network.
Because the employee is hired by your company, they manage the network so your organization can monitor what is happening and make necessary changes.
Customized solution
Similar to the previous advantage, since your network is being managed within your organization, you will have more control. This allows you to customize your solution to exactly what your organization needs.
Your company may have specific requirements that need to be delivered. Since your company knows what those needs are, you can address those needs with the control you have over your network.
Cons of insourcing your network software
The challenges of insourcing your network software include lack of expertise and long wait time.
Lack of expertise
Network software is complicated and can be difficult to understand. If you are looking to insource your network software, you must make sure that your employees have enough expertise to get the job done correctly.
Not managing your network security well can lead to data leaks and cyberattacks.
Long wait time
Building an internal function can take a significant amount of time. Building a team, training them, purchasing software and related tools, and, if necessary, building out space within your facility requires time that can be longer than some organizations are willing to commit to.
If your network is unreliable, it may frequently crash causing employees to be less productive. If your network is not secure you could also be at risk of a cyberattack costing you thousands if not millions of dollars.
Making sure your network and network software are up-to-date, reliable, and secure is not something to wait on and should be addressed as soon as possible.
Pros and cons of outsourcing your network software
Pros of outsourcing your network software
The benefits of outsourcing your network software include more time for your IT and higher quality of service.
More time for your IT department
If you have an IT department, they may be over-tasked with other issues within the organization.
Outsourcing your network software will allow your IT department to focus on the most important issues providing the greatest results to your organization.
Higher quality of service
If you are outsourcing your network software, chances are your organization will receive a higher quality of service.
The organization that you decide to outsource provides these services as the main focus of their business.
This means they have the expertise and knowledge that your organization otherwise may not have. With this expertise, you can expect a higher quality of service and a better overall network solution.
Cons of outsourcing your network software
One disadvantage of outsourcing your network software is poor vendor selection.
Poor vendor selection
The main disadvantage to outsourcing your network software is poor vendor selection.
If you do not do enough research on vendors to outsource your network software, you could end up choosing the wrong vendor for your organization resulting in frustration and poor network performance.
Making sure to choose the right vendor is an important step in making sure your organization has the best reliable network and features that best fit your company’s needs.
Click the link below to use this free tool to learn how you stack up against your peers and learn how to stop poor network performance, reduce outages, and learn best practices for maintaining a resilient network. 
Choosing whether to insource or outsource your network software
If you are insourcing your network, be prepared to spend a significant amount of money initially and your network software may take longer to be turned up.
If you’re comfortable with the upfront cost to insource your network software and it is not an urgent need, you may want to have your network software insourced.
Outsourcing your network software may be a better choice for your organization if you have an urgent need and want a higher quality of service.
Also, if you don’t have an IT department or your IT department is overwhelmed, you may want to outsource your network software.
In addition to insourcing and outsourcing, you might consider a hybrid option that allows you to do a mixture of both.
Coeo for instance can provide you with the software you need and provide management of the software if your organization requires it allowing you to choose between insourcing and outsourcing or a combination of the two.
Next steps to figuring out if insourcing or outsourcing is best for you
Now you know what insourcing is, what outsourcing is, the pros and cons of the two, and how to figure out which one is better suited for your organization.
This will help you make a better buying decision when it comes to insourcing or outsourcing your network software.
No one wants to have an unreliable network or a network that is not secure. This could result in poor productivity among employees or even a cyberattack costing you thousands of dollars.
Coeo has helped many customers with their network and knows just how important a reliable and secure network is to an organization.
We want to make sure you have all of the information you need to make the best decision possible for your organization.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about insourcing and outsourcing and managed providers or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment. 
Now you know the differences between insourcing and outsourcing network software. Read this article to learn if a managed network service is the right fit for your organization:
