Three Things To Consider When Choosing an IT Managed Services Provider
In the eyes of today’s Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), embracing new technologies such as mobile, cloud and analytics is one of the key strategic priorities for increasing engagement with their clients. This undertaking falls on the person responsible for their business’s technology, and they are being asked to adopt these new technologies utilizing less resources and less expertise than a managed service provider. This pressure will persist as the business continues to grow, making it difficult for the IT person or organization to continue to go it alone. At some point, a company will look to trust an IT managed service provider for assistance in quickly responding to business demands and in helping them adopt new technological innovations.
Three Topics
- Alignment with your Industry:
- Having an IT Managed Service Provider that is focused on your industry is important. Do they have a dedicated team focused in your industry? Does their CIO on that team have experience with your industry? You will want a provider that is experienced in supporting your line of business applications and in understanding your IT challenges.
- Proactive Approach:
- Ask whether the IT Managed Service Provider has a break/fix mentality or a proactive approach to maintaining your end-user devices and network. Make sure they go beyond simple monitoring and device management. Do they perform any analytics to drive incident prevention lower? Your provider should employ backend technology that can automate processes and solutions across your workloads.
- Financial Stability and Reputation:
- Whether you are considering a short or long-term strategic relationship, your IT Managed Service Provider’s financial stability is crucial. The length is time they been in business is a good reliable predictor of future longevity. Get them to back up their claims with client references.
If you realize you or your clients are at the point of needing an IT Managed Service Provider for an IT Consultation, connect with me today.