Building a reliable IT infrastructure is critical in business today. From productivity tools to communication channels, you need an IT infrastructure that can help you run an efficient business. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.
That’s why the market for IT services has grown so large over the years. Believe it or not, the market for managed IT services is expected to surpass $400 billion in the next several years.
Since your IT department plays such a large role in the success of your business, you need to find qualified IT experts to handle the job. Use the guide below to learn how to find your area’s best-managed IT provider.
Determine Your IT Needs
Not every business has the same IT needs. There are many aspects to IT, from cybersecurity to support desks, which makes IT support a large field. If you want to find a company that can meet your needs, you need to figure out what type of IT help you need.
At a bare minimum, you probably need troubleshooting help. This is useful for small businesses that haven’t grown their IT needs yet. But as your company grows, you’ll probably need more support services.
Larger companies may need help setting up things like VPN services, firewalls, cybersecurity tools, and much more. Figure out exactly what you need today and in the future to know what you need to look for in an IT provider.
Consider Your Industry
Your IT needs may not be the same if you work in a unique industry. Take healthcare and finance, for instance. You need to follow countless rules to create a safe and secure IT environment.
Not every IT company has that experience. If you’re a large or small business owner, you need a team of IT experts with experience working in your industry.
Look at the industries your IT provider options have experience in to see if they can handle your unique needs. If you hire a team that doesn’t have the right experience, they may make mistakes that cause legal issues for your company.
Ask About Support Hours
Many businesses have employees that work at all hours. It’s because there is far more work to handle today, and many people now work off-hours instead of working a normal work day.
It’s not good when you have computer issues in the evening with nobody available for tech support. You’ll need to find an IT support company that offers support during those hours if you want your team to get work done in the evening.
Not every company offers 24/7 support, so ensure you understand the support hours available for companies.
Look for Cybersecurity Help
Even if you don’t have many IT needs, you can’t go without help with cybersecurity. Businesses of all sizes are at risk of cyberattacks, so you need to do everything possible to protect your network from attack.
Many IT companies like bestructured.com have a team of security specialists available who help their clients. They’ll perform an IT audit for your current setup to look for security issues and devise a plan to resolve them.
On top of that, you’ll receive constant security monitoring and updates that will help protect you in the future.
Check for Vendor Experience
If you’ve been in business for a while, the chances are good you already have preferred software and hardware vendors. While it’s probably not challenging for an IT company to support these vendors, some providers are better than others.
Many IT companies specialize in providing support for certain IT equipment and software. They work with the companies to get certifications that prove they’re an expert for support.
That’s why it pays to work with companies that can prove they have experience handling support for your current vendors. It means you won’t work with a company that needs to learn on the job to figure out how to support your business.
Look for Proactive Maintenance Services
It’s hard to run an IT department when all you do is respond to issues. Even if you do a great job of setting up an IT infrastructure, problems will still arise over time. Those problems may end up causing downtime that results in lost productivity for your team.
Luckily, you can take action to help you spot issues before they become bigger. You do this with monitoring services.
Make sure the IT team you hire can install monitoring tools on your computer equipment. These tools will alert your IT team to inform them about issues before they become more severe. That means you can get problems fixed before they cause your systems to go down.
It may not catch every issue, but it will prevent a lot of service downtime.
Check for Local Response Time
It might be tempting to look for a remote IT support company. Many services offer great support remotely, but that doesn’t mean they’re the right choice for your business. That’s true even if the company is local.
Some computer issues may require a technician to come on-site. It will be hard to do that if it takes hours for someone to arrive. That’s why you want to find a service that can offer reliable on-site support.
Look for a managed IT company that has a quick local response time. Doing this will ensure you get the help you need quickly and don’t need to wait for someone to come on-site.
Don’t Settle for less than the Best Managed IT Company
It’s not too challenging to set up a few computers and put them on the internet. However, things get much more complicated when you need to design a business network that will meet all your company’s needs.
You’ll need expert-managed IT services if you want to build your IT infrastructure successfully. Remember the guide above to find the best managed IT company for your needs.
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