Managed IT service providers reduce operating expenses by offering external personnel, applications and systems to monitor, manage and support your network and IT infrastructure. By offering flat-rate payment plans and the most up-to-date technologies, managed IT service companies provide a predictable cost structure and the most current applications. In addition, round-the-clock administration services allow your own IT personnel to focus on more strategic IT issues.
Selecting the right managed IT service company is a difficult task for many IT managers, CTOs and CEOs. The IT services industry is a competitive one with more players entering the game every day. Let’s explore what you should and shouldn’t do during the selection process:
Do:
Find out how long each prospective company has been in the IT services business. Many experienced managed IT services companies have over 10 years in the business and have built strong reputations and relationships through repeatedly pleasing their customers. These companies have stood the test of time and are more likely to have experienced personnel and a wider variety of service offerings.
Don't:
Pick a managed IT provider based solely on the lowest price. The lowest price providers often have lower wage, inexperienced technicians working for them. These technicians are often certified, but lack the experience level and problem-solving abilities of the more experienced “Master” technicians. In addition, the lower priced firms often don’t stand by their work when something goes wrong and are more likely to cut corners which can lead to problems down the road in increased downtime, more frequent disruptions and services calls. You may save a little money by going with the lowest price. But, when things go wrong, you’ll wish you’d concentrated more on quality of service than price when making your selection.
Ask potential providers for at least 3 client references. Look for companies whose references have been with them for several years and ask them open-ended questions to elicit more lengthy responses. Through this process, you should be able to get a good idea of each provider and their quality of service, skill-set and customer service capabilities.
Don't
Switch around between several different service providers. Once you’ve carefully selected a provider, it pays to be loyal. If the company you’ve chosen is doing a great job for you, remaining loyal to them will help you out when you need them most. IT service businesses will go out of there way attending to their most loyal clients. You may need to call on them during a after- hours emergency or early morning business critical issue.
Find out what professional partnerships they have. Silver and Gold partnerships with companies like Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, and Symantec are very important. It shows that personnel are certified, up-to-date and committed to servicing your business with the latest technologies.
Select a provider who won’t stand behind their work with a good guarantee. The IT services company you choose should offer to fix whatever is wrong at no additional cost, and refund your money if you are still unsatisfied. There are some unethical companies out there who will charge you for re-visits or flat out refuse to give you your money back. For this reason, it is best to select a provider that explicitly guarantees their work and provides a guarantee in writing.
The benefits of outsourcing IT needs for a small business are numerous. But, finding a managed IT services company that will meet your needs is difficult. Remembering these dos and don’ts will make the process easier and help you get better results from your search.