When you need IT support, you can always turn to a managed services provider (MSP). An MSP is an outsourced IT solution that offers a selection of services, from cloud migration to network monitoring and much more. It’s their job to ensure that your infrastructure is in top condition, your issues are solved quickly, and your infrastructure is protected. However, before you choose a vendor to partner with, you need to make sure they have the right MSP experience.
Finding a Partner With the Right MSP Experience
When you’re shopping for an MSP, it’s important to keep in mind that you’re entrusting the backbone of your operations to a third party. Finding the right vendor for your business is no small decision. You need to find a provider that has advanced MSP experience and fits well with your organization. So how do you choose a managed service provider?
There are a variety of factors to consider. Most businesses tend to focus on price, but it’s easy to forget that a low price doesn’t guarantee quality. If all you care about is the cost, then you’re doing your company a disservice. To find the right fit, you need to understand the managed services that the provider offers.
Here are some questions to ask a managed service provider:
Do You Offer Managed Services or Break/Fix Solutions?
IT support comes in two flavors: break/fix and managed services. Break/fix refers to you calling an IT company to fix a problem or perform an upgrade. It’s a reactive and outdated approach to IT service that has been mostly replaced by managed services.
Like with the break/fix model, you’re still relying on an outsourced provider with managed services. However, managed services take a proactive approach to IT. This means that you’re not waiting for something to go wrong before getting help. Rather, the MSP is actively working to prevent issues before they happen, in addition to troubleshooting. They can also prepare your IT infrastructure for your current and future needs.
Although MSPs can provide break/fix services, that should not be the only experience they have. You want a well-rounded provider with MSP experience that extends past simple troubleshooting. Having proactive solutions can help your business avoid downtime.
To learn about the capabilities of the MSP you’re considering, you should ask them questions about what services they offer. You should also ask about their certifications, staff skill sets, and availability. The best MSPs can handle all of your IT needs.
Do You Offer 24/7 Monitoring?
With the proliferation of cyberthreats, cybersecurity has become a growing business concern. In fact, the average cost of a data breach is about $4.24 million according to IBM and the Ponemon Institute. The last thing anybody wants is for their network to be hacked.
Remote monitoring is one of the best ways to stop a threat before it becomes a major problem. This service involves IT specialists monitoring and managing your network remotely. Using network monitoring tools, administrators are alerted to any abnormalities in your system. If a threat is detected, the MSP steps in to solve the problem before it can impact your operations.
Cyberattacks and network failures can happen any time. That’s why it’s important to have an MSP that offers 24/7 monitoring. This service is a first line of defense if there’s a malicious attempt on your infrastructure.
How Long Do You Take To Respond to Inquiries?
Downtime means your employees can’t work, and if they can’t work, your company loses money. No organization can afford prolonged downtime that prevents their staff from doing their jobs, so getting solutions quickly is crucial to your success.
The MSP you partner with should be available to provide assistance as soon as you need it. You can always ask your MSP candidate directly about their response time. However, you may also want to look at what their reviews are saying about their service.
Can You Tell Me About Your Customer Service?
Have you ever eaten at a restaurant where the food was great, but the service was terrible? Despite enjoying the food, you likely aren’t going back if it was a bad experience. While it doesn’t have a direct impact on the quality of their services, you don’t want to deal with an unprofessional MSP.
While you’re reading customer reviews, you should be able to get a sense of what the vendor’s customer service is like. As with any good business relationship, your MSP should see itself as your partner. A partner takes an interest in your business and wants to help you improve it. If there are any signs of unprofessionalism, you may want to look at a few other candidates.
How Are You Improving Your Services?
The technology landscape moves quickly, and MSPs need to keep pace if they want to provide the best solutions. An MSP should be strategically focused on improving their services. If they act like they’re content with what they already have to offer, then they may not be your best option.
Get the Managed Services You Deserve
The Logic Group is an industry-leading MSP that’s dedicated to the success of our clients. We follow managed service provider best practices to ensure you’re always getting the most out of your infrastructure. If you need customized service, we can tailor our solutions to meet your needs.
Contact us today to learn more.
