These Are the Most Cost-Effective Ways to Tackle Downtime
This article is part of the ‘What’s Got Your Business Looking So Down(time)? (2025)’ series of articles based on market research conducted by CloudSecureTech.
In our earlier articles we’ve looked at the staggering productivity loss and costs downtime imposes on a business. (It ranges from $1210 for network outages to $133 for desktop issues; read more here)
Now the question arises: Is your organization ready to handle it? Are you investing the right resources in the right places to prevent and resolve downtime efficiently?
A major part of the answer lies in your approach to IT staffing and support.
Average Resolution Times for In-House IT Teams
The efficiency of an in-house IT team in resolving issues directly affects the overall impact of downtime. Our data shows that resolution times vary widely depending on the nature of the issue, but certain trends stand out.
Internet issues take the longest to resolve, averaging 117.9 minutes, followed closely by network problems at 97.0 minutes. These delays amplify their significant contribution to downtime costs and productivity losses.
Issues with laptops (84.4 minutes) and VPNs (89.2 minutes) also stand out as time-intensive, likely due to troubleshooting complexities or dependencies on external systems.
Printers (45.2 minutes) and desktops (51.7 minutes) have the shortest resolution times, reflecting their relatively straightforward troubleshooting processes.
In-house teams might know your internal systems intimately, but they also have limited bandwidth and expertise. When issues pile up or if vendor expertise is required, small delays can cascade into bigger disruptions.
Cost Comparison: Finding the Right IT Setup for Your Business
Below is a monthly cost comparison of the five most common IT support models. These figures are estimates for a 100-person company, meant to provide a general sense of scale. Actual costs can vary significantly by region, provider, and the complexity of your IT environment.
| Support Model | What’s Included | Monthly Cost (Estimate) | Estimated Annual Cost |
| In-House Team | Three full-time staff (covering salaries, benefits, overhead) | $26,105 | $313,260 |
| Managed IT Services | All-inclusive support (help desk, 24/7 monitoring, security) for 100 employees | $15,000 | $180,000 |
| Co-Managed IT | Two in-house staff + partial MSP coverage (proactive monitoring, overflow) | $24,166 (example) | $289,992 |
| Staff Augmentation | Specialized consultants on project- or hourly-based contracts | $10,000–$25,000+ | $120,000–$300,000+ |
| On-Demand Support | Pay-as-you-go incident handling (no fixed retainer) | $2,000–$30,000+ | $24,000–$360,000+ |
Detailed Breakdown of IT Support Costs
The Effectiveness of In-House Teams is Very Organization-Dependent
There is vast disparity in how businesses staff their IT departments. Some maintain a ratio (in-house IT staff : total number of employees) of 1:10, while others may have 1:9000. The technical ability of teams varies widely, too. Some hire do-it-all generalists, while others hire specialists to manage niche systems.
As a result, it’s difficult to apply a one-size-fits-all benchmark for how effective—or how costly—an in-house IT team might be.
To provide a consistent point of reference, we’ve followed the 1:33 ratio suggested by PwC—a commonly cited guideline for small and mid-sized organizations. Here’s what that ratio looks like for a 100-person company:
Staffing: 3 IT professionals
Annual Cost: $313,260 (or $26,105 per month). This figure includes just the median salary of an IT professional according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On the one hand, having a dedicated team on-site offers a level of built-in familiarity with your systems and processes. The direct, physical presence of in-house staff can enable fast hands-on troubleshooting. There’s also the “The CEO likes having someone available in the office” reason for maintaining an in-house team.
However, the effectiveness of in-house IT teams is highly dependent on the staffing ratio at the business. Moreover, the expense of maintaining an in-house team can escalate quickly if the organization grows, requires specialized certifications, or requires overnight support.
Finally, in-house IT teams have some of the highest turnover rates, at 40% per year. In practical terms, that means if you maintain a 3-person team at least 1 person will leave every year.
The payroll, recruitment costs, and lack of scalability make in-house teams one of the least cost-effective means of providing IT support across the organization (see calculator below).
Exploring the Alternatives to In-House IT Teams
IT Support Cost Calculator
Monthly Cost Estimates
In-House Team: $
Managed IT Services: $
Co-Managed IT: $
Staff Augmentation:
$ – $
On-Demand Support:
$ – $
For many organizations, maintaining reliable, up-to-date IT systems doesn’t necessarily require a fully staffed in-house team.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs)
Using the same 100-person company example, hiring an MSP can cost approximately $15,000 per month, based on a rate of $150 per user. Annually, this translates to $180,000, which is considerably lower than the $313,260 required for a comparable in-house team.
Because the MSP model is billed on a per-user or per-device basis, this expenditure tends to scale predictably as your organization grows or contracts.
MSPs also enable access to specialists in various domains, providing skill sets that can be difficult to replicate with a small internal team. Many MSPs operate around the clock, too, proactively resolving issues before they become business disruptions.
That said, an external provider may take time to fully understand proprietary systems, internal processes, and organizational culture. And while MSPs can dispatch technicians when necessary, they won’t have the same immediate, physical presence as an in-house staff.
Co-Managed IT
This hybrid approach splits responsibilities between your in-house team and an MSP. The provider typically handles advanced monitoring, specialized projects, or overflow work, while your internal staff manages day-to-day operations.
Many co-managed contracts start with a fixed monthly fee—often $50 to $100 per user per month—covering proactive monitoring and help desk services. Additional charges may apply for large-scale projects or after-hours support.
You still pay salaries and benefits for your internal IT staff. As you scale, you might find that you’re effectively bearing both in-house costs and MSP-like fees if your environment requires extensive external assistance.
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Staff Augmentation
Contractors may charge anywhere from $75 to $200 per hour, depending on skill level and location. A project that spans several months can cost $30,000 to $60,000 (or more).
If you only need a consultant for a limited engagement, staff augmentation can be cost-effective. However, relying too heavily on short-term contractors can become expensive, particularly if you face recurring issues that require ongoing support.
On-Demand Support
For many small businesses, this is how their IT journey begins. When something breaks, you call someone to fix it.
Also called “break/fix”, you pay an external provider only when issues arise. There’s no monthly retainer or long-term commitment.
Like staff augmentation, providers commonly charge on a per-hour basis for on-demand support. This can range from $100 to $250, while after-hours or emergency calls can incur premium rates.
While you may save money during quiet periods, a spate of unexpected downtime or a major incident could lead to a spike in IT costs–possibly exceeding what a fixed-fee agreement would have cost.
On-demand support providers also may not have the incentive to dive into the root-cause of issues, as their deliverables are symptom-driven.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to determining the best IT model for your organization. Ultimately, the decision should align with your organization’s strategic objectives, projected growth, and appetite for risk.
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