Using IT managed services is a wise choice for many businesses. Hiring and training an in-house IT staff or expanding your existing staff might prove too costly, especially for smaller businesses. At the same time, you still need IT professionals to set up, manage, and strategically update your IT configuration, bringing it in line with ongoing technological developments and with your own business goals. However, when selecting a managed services provider, you need to choose one that fits well with your company.
Here are some of the questions you should ask a managed services provider before hiring them to help with your IT needs:
- Services and Capabilities: What types of services are offered? Some providers offer a variety of plans and can help you manage a wide variety of IT needs, including keeping your servers up-and-running in a secure fashion, helping you select and configure computing devices, maintaining a strong secure network with excellent up-time, and developing IT strategies that will promote business growth.
- Customization: To what extent can your IT managed services provider tailor their services to your company?
- Communication: How will you and your managed services provider communicate in order to keep each other updated? It’s important to maintain a reliable line of communication and make sure both parties understand each other.
- Security: Your IT managed services provider needs to place great emphasis on security, given the many potential vulnerabilities throughout your IT configuration. Ask them how they intend to keep your data and network secure, and furthermore what measures they have in place for disaster recovery (such as their strategies for backing up data).
Selecting a strong managed services provider can bring your business numerous benefits, including increased productivity, efficiency, and savings. You’ll also enjoy better protection against cyber attacks. Don’t put off managing your IT systems!