Small and medium businesses have been turning to outsourced IT support to provide the help necessary to efficiently run a business in today’s fast-paced, technology-dependent world. There are many benefits to outsourcing IT support compared to having everything “in-house”; these include cost savings, availability, experience, and superior tools. However, it’s important to remember that not all IT support companies are created alike.
Whether you’re looking to transition from on-site support to outsourced, are dissatisfied with your current provider, or are growing to the point that the office administrator is quickly (and reluctantly) becoming your IT person, there are a few crucial questions to ask yourself before choosing an IT provider:
- How available are they? This is important to know prior to signing with an IT provider. Not only do you need to know how quickly they’ll be able to respond, but if they can do so outside of typical business hours. Are they located close enough to get a technician on-site quickly if necessary? Do they respond in minutes, hours, or days? If you call their office, can you speak to a person right away, or do you get lost in a web of auto-attendants and voicemails?
- What are they selling? Not necessarily the specific products, but rather, do they seem to be making suggestions based on your business needs, or their bottom line? Cloud services, such as Microsoft Office 365, can dramatically reduce both upfront costs and maintenance compared to on-site hardware and services, especially for small and medium businesses. Make sure that what they’re offering makes sense for your business. A red flag, for example, would be an IT provider coming in with expensive hardware solutions without even understanding the scope of your business.
- Do you understand each other? Make sure any potential IT partner takes the time to help you understand the benefits of what they’re proposing. If it seems they’re trying to lose you with jargon-speak and vague warnings, they’re probably hiding something. Beyond that, though – make sure they understand you and your business, your aspirations and your vision. A true partner will work with you to not only maintain operations, but to implement solutions to accomplish your goals and help you succeed.
At Layered Systems, we believe that quality service is the most important product we offer. There are plenty of companies that are technologically knowledgeable – but the real question is, how many are out to make a quick buck, and how many look for long-term partnerships? Our philosophy is to grow with your company, to be seen not as just another vendor but as a part of your team. We accomplish this by understanding your business and helping you grow; by providing intelligent, well-scaled solutions; and by responding promptly and courteously to your employees’ requests. To see what kind of difference we can make in your business, Contact Us today.
