Choosing the Right IT Services Provider
If your organization is looking for a new IT support solution, it’s important to know that not every company that calls itself a managed services provider (MSP) is being honest.
Many so-called MSPs offer less than comprehensive support or outsource a large number of client issues to other parties. So as you look for a new provider, there are five specific things you should be on the lookout for.
Your Business First
Too often, IT Service Providers want to focus on your technology — what application you use, what security you have in place, the age of your equipment, and so on.
These are all important areas of focus, but a great ITSP will start by learning all about your business, your people, and your story. They will, hopefully, have experience with similar companies in your industry and are able to use that experience to provide you with a custom IT solution that best meets your needs.
Comprehensive Assessment
Many IT Service Providers will offer two to three levels of services packaged together into some variation of silver, gold, or platinum. These packages are out-of-the-box solutions that don’t often meet your company’s needs.
It’s very important that any IT Service Provider you hire begins with a comprehensive assessment of your entire operation. They need to learn about your business, talk to your people, carefully inspect your systems, and audit your IT assets before they provide you with an IT roadmap and budget.
Strong Security Focus
Security requirements are one of the main reasons small to mid-sized companies partner with a new IT Service Provider. No business is too small to be safe from hackers, and with data now a critical resource in nearly every industry, there’s no such thing as below-average security needs.
Any ITSP you consider partnering with should have a thorough list of questions to answer during their assessment to ensure all their security systems can comply with your unique needs.
Compliance Expertise
Compliance is a complex knot of regulations that often change at the whim of governments and other entities. Sometimes, maintaining compliance is as easy as having cyber insurance and keeping up with your industry’s best practices. Other times, it’s driven by a specific business requirement, such as being a Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, or Google vendor, or being the recipient of a grant from a large foundation.
This makes it critically important for a prospective ITSP to dig deep into your company’s compliance needs so they can engineer IT solutions that meet those needs right from the jump.
A True Partnership
The best ITSPs work closely with multiple levels of a company to understand needs and workflows. At Dynamic Computing, each of our clients works with a primary technician for handling day-to-day IT needs. Your people have a familiar name and a face to reach out to. A single point of contact that is always available and who understands how various employees and departments operate.
We also conduct recurring monthly calls with each of our clients, as well as our quarterly or bi-annual strategic IT review meetings. This lets us review things like processes, reporting, and upcoming budget needs so there are no surprises.