Choosing the right IT Company for your Business – Part 2

IT Support is still approached with caution in the South African small business environment.  In my previous post I set out some points to consider when trying to find the right IT Support and Managed Services Company for your business. As you may have realised by reading Part 1 of this series, finding an IT Company that understands your business and its unique needs is not an easy task!

For this partnership to be successful and drive your business forward, your IT guys need to be present, proactive and at least have some business sense instead of just hovering around in the background waiting for something to go wrong. 

Here is a list of questions to ask a prospective IT service provider before handing over the reins:

• Do they offer a range of flexible IT Support packages to suit your present needs and budget and also cater for your future growth?

• Do they offer unlimited telephone and remote support and are there any hidden or extra costs involved?

• Will your network be monitored 24/7? Will there be any other services such as after-hours server administration, maintenance and updates?

• What is their response time?

• What additional services and solutions does the IT company provide e.g.: cloud computing, virtualisation and server solutions, consultancy, financing, internet, software etc.? 

• What industry accreditations do they have? Are they a Microsoft Partner and what is their competency level? Also consider which platforms, software and networks they’re experienced with and whether they have specialists in these areas.

• Does your chosen IT support company understand your business and do they have other clients in your business sector?

• Does your IT support company have defective workmanship insurance? Accidents happen and you want to know that their insurance will cover any eventuality.

• Exactly what security measures will they implement to ensure that your records and business information are kept confidential and are available in the event of a significant data loss?

• How long have they been in business and what is their experience? How many clients (and in what industry they fall in) they have and who the key individuals in management are, speaks volumes about their experience.

• Testimonials – To measure their performance, get references. Ask for three references (which will naturally be good), then ask for THREE more!

Ask a lot of questions – the good ones can hold up to the cross-examination and the poor ones will bolt out of sight. In the next post I’ll provide you with a list of things to look out for and avoid when interviewing IT Support providers.

Read it here if you missed it: Part 1 of Choosing the right It Company for your Business.

To be Continued...

Written by: Christine Kleyn
Copywriter at The Computer Guyz Cape Town and Centurion.