Growing your business is more than gaining new employees and earning higher profits. It also includes expanding your technology. Technology comes with many complexities that take time to solve. But with a managed IT service provider’s help, you can focus on your business and get the technical support you need.
Here is what you should consider when looking for the right provider.
What Does an Ineffective MSP Partnership Look Like?
Your MSP partnership should help your organization reach its business goals, not hinder them. If you’ve found yourself in an unproductive relationship, it might be time to consider finding a new partner.
Here are seven key indicators that your current managed service provider is ineffective:
1. Poor Communication and Transparency
If you’re not regularly hearing from your MSP or don’t feel like you have a clear understanding of what they’re doing for your organization, that’s a problem. Communication is key to any successful partnership and is more than simple updates.
They should be able to effectively communicate to a non-technical audience and be proactive in informing their clients of changes in management, networks, and your own IT environment.
2. Repeated Problems
Failure to update systems, missed deadlines, and slow response time are all red flags that your MSP is not meeting your expectations. If you’ve repeatedly brought up concerns only to see the same problems continue, it’s time to change.
3. Lack of Innovation
Technology evolves at a rapid pace. Your current managed service provider is responsible for keeping up with the latest trends and technologies—it’s part of their job. An effective IT professional will proactively seek out new ways to improve your organization’s IT infrastructure and keep you ahead of the curve.
4. Your Service Isn’t Worth the Cost
Managed IT service providers should offer a competitive pricing model based on your organization’s unique needs. About 51% of SMBs work with managed IT support services to save costs, but if there are concerns about the quality of service you receive, it’s time to reevaluate.
5. You are Monitoring Your Network
A sign your IT provider isn’t doing their job is that you do it for them. Part of an IT provider’s service is to proactively monitor your network for any potential problems so they can be fixed before they cause major disruptions.
7. Techs Don’t Understand Your Business
An MSP should understand your organization’s goals, objectives, and how its technology needs to support your business. If you have to explain your business each time you contact customer support, it’s a sign that they don’t understand your company culture or needs.
How to Choose the Right Managed IT Service Provider
When choosing the right managed service provider, look at the services they provide and their reputation in the industry.
Reviews
Reading reviews gives you greater insight into the managed service provider and information on whether partnering with the company would be a good idea.
Available 24/7
The best managed IT support is available 24/7/365. This means they have staff working around the clock to resolve any potential issues that may arise.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity threats are always evolving, so it’s important to have an IT provider that can monitor your network for any suspicious activity. The best IT professionals use cutting-edge tools and methodologies to identify threats and protect your data.
Cloud Services
More and more businesses are moving to the cloud. If you’re not already using cloud services, now is the time to make the switch. Managed IT service providers offer a variety of cloud services, such as storage, backup, and disaster recovery that can keep your company connected and secure.
Data Backup and Disaster Recovery
In the event of a disaster, it’s important to have a plan in place to protect your data. Managed service providers offer data backup and disaster recovery services that can help you get back up and running quickly after an interruption.
Security Awareness Training
It is important to offer security awareness training to employees to educate them on how to identify and avoid potential cybersecurity threats.
Partner with RedNight Consulting
Finding the right managed IT service provider is difficult, but we’ve got you covered. At RedNight Consulting, we offer a wide range of services and work with SMBs with 10+ users. We can help migrate, manage, and empower your company with our services. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business!