Best Practices For Choosing A Managed Services Provider
Choosing a managed services provider can be quite a tedious task. As a business person looking to grow and build an empire, you’re going to need to have everything running properly. Everything needs to be suited to how you operate, and every facet needs to be pulling in the same direction. If you get one or two things wrong, then a domino effect could occur, knocking down other areas. The IT side is just as important these days due to the fact that pretty much everything we do is logged down and noted online – or through other digital means.
Some companies choose to hire their own IT staff and train them into becoming a competent strand of the business, but hiring an exclusive IT company and allowing them to go to work is the much more prevalent option these days.
So, how can a business make sure they’re making the right decision when it comes to opting for a managed service provider? Well, there are a few factors that come into play. Let’s delve into a little more detail.
What Actually Are Managed Service Providers
Managed service providers are strands of IT companies that deal with overseeing the way a business’s systems operate. They deal with a wide range of issues regarding the IT side, including system administration, cybersecurity, and plenty of other technical areas. Their work revolves around providing the right service package for business before giving them a managed solution to any problem or issue they face.
They not only deal with issues that a business might be facing at that particular moment in time, but they also deal with what the future holds. They keep business safe from cyber-attacks by diagnosing issues and figure out what’s happening. Still, they’ll also hold meetings and consultations in terms of how to best take the company forward from an IT standpoint.
What Is Included In Managed Services?
What are managed services? Simply put, it is outsourcing the day-to-day tasks of running your business to a third-party provider.
The services include things such as hardware and software maintenance, technical support, security, and storage. A managed services provider will take care of these things for you, freeing up your company to focus on what it does best.
If you don’t have the time or expertise to manage your network, managed services may be the right solution for you. Essentially, managed services is a contract to have a service provider to help you manage and monitor your network.
The provider is responsible for fixing any issue you may have. The arrangement is similar to hiring a company to manage your air conditioning or heating system.
Managed services include several services such as deploying and running applications, managing networks and servers, providing secure access to your data, as well as monitoring the performance of the systems and network.
How To Find An IT Company That Follows Managed Service Provider Best Practices?
When looking for the right service provider, you’re going to need to do a little research and reconnaissance yourself. You need to find a group that provides the right level of service as well as meeting your exact needs in terms of the way you operate. Here are some things you can do:
Surf through all the competition: there will be all kinds of different providers out there with all kinds of aims. Going through every single company might seem tedious, but it’s the right thing to do in order to gain a clear idea of how to proceed. You have low-level, mid-level, and high-level MSPs in the industry, and it’s a case of finding the correct group for you. Within each of these types, you have more specific information regarding what they work with.
Ask all the right questions: when enquiring about whether to go with a particular group, you’ll want to make sure you cover every single topic. You’ll want to know exactly what you’re paying for. Ask whether they adhere correctly to the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) as that is important in terms of receiving the best possible service. Think also about if they’ve been audited efficiently and appropriately, and have received a certificate for ISO 20000. These are all significant aspects of finding the perfect company.
Look at their results: take a look at how they’ve worked with others. Different companies will receive mixed reviews, but the best groups will have all the praises and positive testimonials. Before you sign the contract, you’re going to want to be sure that this service level agreement is going to take you forward.
Working With An Accomplished Managed Service Provider
If you have an accomplished, competent, and experienced MSP working alongside you, then you’re going to be in a much better position for now and the future. You’re going to be relieved of any issues financially and practically as you’ll have a lot of areas taken care of. Not only will you be keeping with the times, but you’ll also be building on what you already have as most MSPs tend to have the best possible software and hardware.
Managed Services At ExterNetworks
ExterNetworks provides fantastic managed services for any business looking to get digital backing. They’ve nearly twenty years of experience, so they know a thing or two about dealing with what a company needs from an IT standpoint. Not only will they deal with you through any issue, but they’ll also look to build an empire with you throughout the years.
