5 Conversations To Have With Your Managed IT Services Provider
Whether you are looking for an IT services provider or already have one, there are some valuable conversations you should be having with them. Let's take a look at 5 topics you may want to discuss regarding your organization's managed IT systems.
What is Your Disaster Plan?
No one wants to see their IT infrastructure go down, but it's important to know what the plan is going to be when things get ugly. Who will you need to call? Likewise, how will they notify you? What resources does the managed IT systems company have that they can use to restore your data in the event of a disaster?
This covers a wide range of topics, from machine failures to storms. It's also a good idea to review the terms and conditions of the contract to make sure force majeure can't be used as an easy out.
Can They Scale with Your Business?
Growing operations also need to know just how far they can push the capacities of their providers. You do not want to be stuck finding a new managed IT company to assist you in the middle of an expansion. Every time you need to build out capacity, there should be a fresh conversation about what will be required on the IT end to scale up and meet your needs.
What Are Their Business Plans?
It's wise to have some idea of what the IT provider's medium-term future is going to be. Are they planning an expansion? If so, how do they intend to strike a balance between their existing customers and new ones? You don't want your company's interests to become just one more item in a customer database.
How Wide is the Scope of Their Team's Skills?
Everybody has limits, and don't believe anyone who claims they can be all things to all customers. Discuss what are their limitations in terms of types of hardware and software they can work on. You want to know that their skills match your needs. If you require help with patching and upgrading servers, for example, you want to be working with a managed IT services team that can work in your preferred environment and on your preferred hardware.
What About Compliance?
PCI, GDPR, and HIPAA are just a few of the compliance regimes that hang over many organizations these days. Talk about who on their team can support your compliance efforts, and how they will monitor your setup to ensure that ongoing compliance is achieved.
For more information, reach out to a managed IT systems service provider in your area.
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