Let’s say you are going on a road trip with your friends. When it comes to taking turns at the wheel for driving, you will only hand over the reins to someone you know will not scrape or crash your ride. The situation is somewhat similar in the case of outsourcing your business’s IT requirements to a managed service provider (MSP).
Selecting an MSP to handle your IT infrastructure is a crucial decision. It must not be taken in haste and certainly not without the proper gathering of information about the services provided.
As per a report by Fortunly, 54 percent of all companies use third-party teams to connect with customers. Let’s go through a few pertinent questions that must be asked before choosing a reliable managed IT service provider.
How do they define the company’s work culture?
For any business partnership to flourish, compatibility is the key factor. The outsourcing partner you are looking for must provide solutions and not more problems to deal with. A thorough check of the company’s inner workings can help you gauge the company’s capability.
Who are the previous clients?
A portfolio of distinguished companies as the clientele is a fantastic resumé on its own. When a new business looks to outsource its IT needs, a firm with an established market reputation is more likely to be chosen.
What is the scope of their services?
All managed IT service providers don’t offer everything. Some may be offering network monitoring, while some may specialize in hardware installation and software patches. Small businesses need to go through the list of top-ranked MSPs to select the most suitable one if they need a complete suite of IT services.
What is their plan for disaster scenarios?
As important as it is to have a secure and complete IT management framework, equally important are the contingencies in place to cope with mishaps that can occur any time. As a business owner, you need to be in the know about your MSP’s disaster recovery procedures.
What compliance frameworks do they support?
Legal compliance is one of the most crucial factors to keep in mind while handling sensitive customer data. Although the compliance standards to be followed depend largely on the type of business, the MSP you will opt for must be certified to deal with compliance standards such as NIST, CMMC, GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 29001, SOC2, PCI & DSS which would be mentioned in the SLA furnished by the MSP.
How will they help you save costs?
Most people see low investments as saving costs. But what good is a low investment if it does not give higher returns? Some MSPs may provide much superior services for a slightly higher investment but will deliver profits many times over. This ROI figure will not only save further costs but enable incredible returns on their monthly subscription pricing plan.
Are they a ‘break-fix’ service provider or a proactive one?
Many MSPs only cover issue resolution when the need arises. Small businesses cannot afford the downtime and financial loss resulting from remediation delays. That is why your outsourcing partner should be running proactive monitoring and remediation rather than on-the-spot fixes.
Single Point of Contact is one of the largest comprehensive Managed IT Service Providers in North America. Founded in 1999, we have a proactive approach to information technology (IT) solutions and security services, which gives our clients the freedom to focus on their business instead of worrying about their network and protecting their data. We’re qualified to assist with all phases of IT management, security, cloud solutions, procurement services and complex projects. To learn more about how our services can benefit your organization, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
