Managed Services and IT Outsourcing: Markets and Trends

Managed Services or IT Outsourcing refers to the subset of IT services that enable companies to outsource the installation, maintenance, and software updates of:

• Servers
• Cloud-based virtual machines
• Workstations
• Mobile devices
• Local and wide-area networks
• Complex systems composed of software applications and databases
• Cloud-based application systems in the form of "Software as a Service"

The reasons for outsourcing vary from cost optimization needs to the necessity of acquiring increasingly specialized skills, certifications that are difficult to obtain internally, and, increasingly, the delegation of significant aspects of corporate cybersecurity (which is not covered in this article as it requires separate treatment).

An Overview of the Italian Market

In 2024, this sector generated nearly €10 billion in revenue and is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of more than 30% over the next five years.

Source: Statista

It is also interesting to look at the growth in average spending per employee: not only will the overall market grow—due to more companies adopting IT outsourcing—but the amount of money spent per employee will also increase by approximately 40% over five years.

Source: Statista

Europe

At the European level, Italy presents a similar profile to Spain, while Germany and France have significantly larger markets, likely due to the presence of bigger companies, which are more inclined to outsource IT spending.

Source: Statista

Types of Providers

Looking at IT outsourcing service providers, only 16% of the market is controlled by major players such as Hitachi, IBM, SeSa, Atos, Capgemini, and Cognizant, while the rest is managed by smaller operators.

Source: Statista

SLA, RACI, Certifications, and Privacy: Three Key Aspects

When choosing to outsource, companies must consider the following key elements.
SLA = Service Level Agreement This answers the question: "How quickly will the outsourced operation on servers/systems be completed?"
The formulation of this element depends heavily on the type of operation. The minimum level to be specified is the time for "problem/activity acknowledgment" within different activity windows (working hours, night shifts, holidays, etc.). Often, but not always, there is also a statement about "resolution" (if possible), "activity execution," or, in the case of problems, "problem containment" if an immediate solution is not feasible.
Contracts may also include penalties—either direct financial compensation or a credit toward future payments if agreed-upon service levels are not met.

RACI = Responsibility Assignment Matrix
This answers the question: "Who does the work, and who is responsible?"
The RACI matrix is named after the initial letters of the English terms defining the roles in business process execution:

• Responsible (R): Performs the task
• Accountable (A): Delegates and reviews the work
• Consulted (C): Works with the Responsible party
• Informed (I): Must be informed at the time of execution or upon completion

Assigning a RACI matrix to each activity ensures well-defined roles.

Certifications and Privacy
Beyond commonly requested certifications—such as ISO 9001 for quality management systems and ISO 27001 for information security—there are sector-specific ones, including the recent NIS2 and DORA regulations on security. It is crucial for an IT outsourcing provider to possess basic certifications and for contracts to include clear privacy provisions ensuring compliance with the European GDPR.

Retelit's Perspective

As an ICT infrastructure provider for operators and an ICT solutions provider for businesses, Retelit has integrated a broad portfolio of managed services into its offerings in networking, voice, cloud, and data centers.
Services, developed in-house or through specialized partners, are highly granular to meet specific needs. Retelit's managed services portfolio includes:

• Spoc: First-level support via phone, email, and portal
• Monitor: Proactive and reactive monitoring of workstations, mobile devices, and infrastructure (networks, backup systems, databases, etc.)
• Service: Management of IT incidents and change requests for servers, networks, workstations, mobile devices, and cloud environments
• Patch: System and application patch management, software distribution for workstations, and similar tasks
• Third-Party Management: Handling IT vendor relationships for hardware and software interventions
• MWM: Management of Microsoft 365 environments and Active Directory

To execute these services, Retelit holds key certifications, including:

• Security and Compliance: ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR Compliance
• IT and Service Management: ITIL, COBIT
• Networking and Cybersecurity: CompTIA Security+, CISSP, CEH
• Cloud and Infrastructure: Microsoft Azure Expert MSP, AWS Managed Service Provider, Cisco CCNP/CCIE

Contracts always include SLA agreements and penalties, supported by additional service monitoring and reporting tools to document operations and identify areas for improvement, ensuring professional, long-term service tailored to customer needs.