In the growing world that is ICT (Information and Communication Technology) there are allot of cowboys who know just enough to get themselves into trouble, but are not in a place to be running their own companies. Unfortunately, that is exactly what they are doing. So what should you look for when selecting your IT Service Provider?
A Knowledge of Latest Technologies
It may sound obvious, but the most essential characteristic for a managed service provider is the ability to offer a comprehensive suite of technology solutions. Businesses should ensure the service provider they select has a broad set of solutions available to meet not only current needs, but to scale and grow as the business leverages cloud and virtual technology to develop new products and services.
A fully equipped managed service provider offers support for virtual infrastructures, storage, colocation, end user computing, application management capabilities and more. They can manage a service level agreement (SLA) starting at the application layer all the way up the technology stack. Since a business’ applications may operate on a single, uniform platform or multiple systems, it is key that a provider is able to accommodate a range of applications and systems in their managed support.
Customisation to meet your Business Requirements
A second consideration when selecting a managed service provider is whether the partner is able to architect and maintain a customised solution based on best practices designed to meet a business’ unique goals and technology needs. Customisation begins at the design phase, and businesses should look for a service provider with the expertise to modify each architecture based on individual business goals.
Customer focused mindset
Businesses should select a managed service provider with a clear, customer-oriented mindset. A service provider partnership is a high-touch experience and the relationship should be led by a dedicated account manager who serves as the single point of contact and escalation for the customer. This support should be readily available and should result in swift attention and escalation to other service channels, if necessary.
There is more!
Unfortunately, there are many more aspects to check on to ensure an IT Provider is right for you, and we will address these in our next article.
Aotearoa IT Limited offer IT Service Brokering. We take care of the daunting task of sourcing the right Providers for your company environment and budget. Feel free to contact us for more information and to organise your free personal consultation.