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These days, technology is a critical resource for businesses, both big and small. However, keeping in-house IT experts is a costly and unsustainable venture. So, how can you get high-quality IT support and management without hiring an internal team? The answer is simple: get a managed service provider!
MSPs, or managed service providers, are third-party teams dedicated to providing IT management services to businesses. MSPs can deliver all of your IT needs without the high costs of having your own IT department.
How Much Experience Do They Have?
A person’s level of experience in the IT industry will translate directly to their skills, knowledge, and strategies in the field. Always look for an MSP with plenty of experience in the IT industry. You should also ensure that your potential choices are knowledgeable about your particular IT needs. Whether you’re running a manufacturing company, law firm, or anything else, the exact services you need will vary.
If you have industry-specific needs, be sure that the MSP you select is able to aptly fulfill those needs. Take a look at their available services–do they have what you require, or are their services mostly irrelevant to your industry? If it’s the latter, you’ll want to search for an MSP that does offer the necessary services.
What’s Their Availability?
Constant availability is imperative to keeping your business’s tech safe and effective. The MSP you choose should be monitoring your network around the clock and on call for off-site inquiries 24/7. If not, cybercrime or tech failures could spell disaster for your business.
Alongside off-site availability, your MSP should be able to show up on-site for hands-on assistance and face-to-face discussions. Be sure to ask potential MSPs how often they will be available and how much they’ll be monitoring your network.
Do They Use a Proactive Approach?
Proactive approaches are key for anyone involved in the IT industry. It’s easy for an MSP to be reactive–when a problem occurs, you go in and fix it. However, this is not a productive way to handle cybersecurity and technology issues, and they take up valuable time and resources.
Instead, an MSP should allocate their time and resources to finding a proactive approach to IT issues. Rather than waiting for a problem to arise so they can fix it, a proactive MSP will prevent those problems from happening in the first place. By building infrastructure designed to stop these issues, you’ll be saving plenty of time and money in the long run.
Do They Value Transparency?
Transparency on both sides is key to forming a successful working relationship with your MSP. Your MSP should be able to show you exactly what they have been doing for your business, as well as what they plan to do in the future.
If an MSP is not completely transparent with you, it might mean they are untrustworthy and could cause harm to your business. Before you start working with an MSP, have a conversation with them and find out just how important transparency is to their team.
What Do Their Reviews Look Like?
Reviews are the best way to understand how effective an MSP actually is. Take a look at reviews from past customers. Were they satisfied with the MSP’s services? What did they like about it? What could be improved upon? By finding answers to these questions, you’ll get a better feel for how the MSP operates and whether they would be a good fit for your small business.
Managed Service Provider in Edmonton
In need of an MSP for your small business? Alt-Tech Inc. offers professionally managed IT services for businesses in Edmonton. Our variety of services includes 24/7/365 network monitoring, infrastructure design management, and backup and data recovery. With Alt-Tech, you won’t need to worry about handling your own technology and networks–just leave it to us! Contact us today to get started.
