Almost 1 in 5 Canadian businesses was impacted by cybercrime in 2021. That is a staggering number that can seriously impact a business’s performance while driving costs upward.
However, if you work with a managed service provider (MSP), not only will you get solutions and services that can prevent these potentially devastating breaches, you could also benefit from some significant cost savings.
Many businesses have in-house IT teams to manage their IT resources. However, they sometimes find that their teams are not skilled enough to manage data breaches, technology upgrades and clients.
When this problem becomes an issue, it is time to consider using managed IT services.
But what exactly are the qualities to look for in a good MSP, and what benefits do they offer? In this article, we will take a closer look at what makes a great managed service provider (MSP), managed services questions to ask and how to choose a managed IT provider.
Your Complete Managed IT Services Checklist
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Before you decide on a partner, it is important for you to consider the following criteria as your business is continually evolving and you need to make sure all your needs will be met.
Use this checklist to develop your own managed IT services questionnaire to help you find a partner whose services align with your needs.
1. Skillset
This is a huge factor as you want to partner with an MSP that has superior IT skills, knowledge and expertise than your current IT team. You can also ask about their core competencies, technical expertise, qualifications and experience.
In essence, you want a team that can offer customized services, manage cyber threats and is able to work in your technological environment.
2. Experience
While some MSPs may be experienced, it doesn’t mean they are able to service your needs. So, you really need to find someone who has the experience you need and can sustain your business objectives.
Your managed service provider should have experience across multiple industries, as they will know how to deal with any situation that arises. The more experienced they are, the more capable they will be.
In addition, strong references go a long way, so don’t be afraid to ask for them.
3. Scalability
Your business will experience growth at some point, which is why you need to know how to choose a managed service provider whose services align with your vision and goals.
Good managed service providers are those that can offer you scalable services, which will allow you to add or remove resources when necessary. Ideally, you want a partner that can easily adapt to the changing demands of your company.
In addition, their response time needs to be fast, their security technologies need to be up-to-date, and they always need to be looking at ways to keep systems scalable and adaptable.
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4. Answer Your Questions
This may seem simple, but a lot can be determined by getting questions answered.
A potential MSP that does not offer you direct or relevant answers is possibly lacking the knowledge and experience in their services. So, when you meet with them, have your managed services qualifying questions ready and gauge their response.
For instance, ask about their disaster recovery planning. Or perhaps, the benefits of a managed security service. The answers they provide will determine their suitability for your business and its objectives.
5. 24/7 Service
Your business may not work around the clock, but your IT infrastructure needs to be a well-oiled machine and operate efficiently and effectively 24/7. For business continuity, it is wise to have an MSP that can offer you this service.
You don’t want common issues like your servers going offline for hours on end, which could bring everything to a halt, therefore impacting your bottom line.
6. Best Practices
It is important to find an MSP that works within the industry standards and is continuously evolving as this will certainly give you the confidence you need to be assured that you are receiving the best managed IT services.
Services such as design, operation, transition, recovery plan, and incident response are just some of the standard services you should be offered.
Also, continual service improvement and software and security updates should also be part of their managed security service best practices.
7. IT Support
The biggest driver for IT budget increases of small businesses in 2021 was the need to upgrade IT infrastructure (57%), followed by increased security concerns (38%).
In most cases when an organization is looking for additional IT support or an MSP, it could mean they are in need of further technical support. Or perhaps, they would like to strengthen or add to their security teams.
Whatever the case may be, you need to find a managed security service provider (MSSP) or managed IT services provider to complement your team.
Additional Items for Your Managed IT Services Checklist
Here are some important factors to consider when making your selection:
- The MSP’s offerings and service scope
- See if their business is right-fit for yours
- Make sure you understand their SLAs
- Qualifications and certifications
- Credibility
- References
Managed Service Questions to Ask a Potential MSP:
Here are some managed services qualifying questions to ask during your search. This is not an exhaustive list, rather a starting point for you to create your own managed IT services questionnaire.
- Are my systems compatible with yours?
- Do you offer any guarantees?
- When is the contract renewed?
Interested in learning more about managed IT services? Check out these blogs:
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Learn to Choose a Managed IT Provider That Will Propel Your Business Forward
When it comes to choosing the right managed service provider (MSP) for your business, there are many things to consider. The one that represents the best fit is the one whose offerings align with your goals.
At Yardstick Technologies, we help you reduce risk and control costs with our range of fully managed and co-managed IT services in Edmonton. We design our services to meet your IT needs today to ensure a better tomorrow for your business.
Work with a partner that checks all the boxes on your managed IT services questionnaire. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
