So you’ve decided to outsource some aspects of your IT systems to a third party. Or, maybe you’re outsourcing the whole unit. Likely it’s a decision to help cut infrastructure costs and improve productivity in certain areas. It’s a technique employed by many businesses looking to make the most of modern advancements such as cloud computing and a solid one overall. However, outsourcing or using third party IT support providers does come with a few risks.
It’s important to look for specific conditions and characteristics in third parties, whether you’re in Chicago or on the far side of the world. An absence of quality in areas can have serious ramifications, so be wise when choosing support providers.
Make sure they understand the Chicago area and your target demographic
Whether you’re merely located in Chicago or have services directly focused on the local population, a third party needs to understand these local needs all the same. Some support providers are aimed at nationwide support and this is fine, but if your company is specifically aimed in city bounds, IT should be on the same page.
Research their reputation
It might seem obvious, but understanding how well reviewed your IT provider in question is important. How reliable are they? How good is their pricing? Do they have solid infrastructure? If there are reviews, pay attention to any well written complaints or cons you find and consider if they are too big a factor.
Experience
IT problems are a dime a dozen. Some are obstinate and complex, others simple. So with that said, does this hypothetical provider have a lot of experience dealing with multiple issues and clients? How new is their team? It shouldn’t be a deal breaker just because they’re not a veteran service, certainly everyone deserves a chance, but if you can’t afford to be generous check to see how long they’ve performed as a third party support system.
BDR
Backup disaster recovery has a huge emphasis in the industry of data and for good reasons. Natural disasters, human error, or external malicious factors can compromise huge sums of information like consumer credit info. Depending on what you use a third party IT service for, if they don’t have a BDR plan ready to go, you may want to steer clear of their services. In fact, a BDR is one reason why companies work with cloud computing or the like, because it protects on site data in a unique fashion. A lack of this is a major weakness in external IT.
Flexibility and pricing
The last thing to consider is the services offered and how well they work for your Chicago business. Do they enforce needless packages or emulate only what’s necessary? How are their prices? Stacking or growing with services used? Remember, you use outsourced IT to trim costs and create more productivity, don’t take on a service that puts your right back where you started financially.
If you would like more information about what to look for in an IT support provider, Stratosphere Networks can help. Call us today at (877) 599-3999 or fill out our contact form.