When it comes to finding computer network support specialists for your business, building a large internal IT department often doesn’t make sense. Instead of hiring full-time staff to manage your computer network, you can outsource your IT services to an agency specializing in providing these services to businesses.
By doing so, you pay for the support and intelligence of an entire organization devoted to premium computer network support at a fraction of the cost it would require to bring even half of this infrastructure into your own business.
Reducing cost isn’t the only factor to consider, however. A lower cost doesn’t save you anything if you’re paying for lower quality and/or less comprehensive service. Businesses should focus less on the cost savings of outsourced support, and more on the value created by partnering with a reputable, experienced provider at a competitive price.
Outsourcing is the best way of obtaining excellent IT service at a price most businesses can afford. If you’re on the hunt for an outsourcing partner, here are six things to consider.
One of the greatest benefits of outsourcing IT is the ability to leverage a broader base of expertise. Instead of hiring a couple of IT professionals directly to your company, outsourcing lets you access the intelligence and expertise of an entire agency.
Before hiring, find out how long the agency has been providing computer network support specialists as a service to other companies. You’ll also want to find out how long the specialists assigned to your account have been working in IT so you can assess their background and whether they have the expertise and certifications you’re looking for.
Whenever you outsource your computer network support specialists, the vendor will provide a service-level agreement package that outlines the scope of their service. You’ll want to review this carefully to make sure all required aspects of IT support are included with your service package.
Consider the availability of support, including 24/7 support across phone, live chat, and/or other channels, any IT training your company’s employees might require, security surveillance expectations, hardware replacement procedures, and anything else you deem important to your business.
If that scope of service doesn’t include IT support considered essential to your business, you’ll have to find another way to make sure those services are available—or risk the consequences of going without. If you don’t have 24/7 support, for example, you could suffer untimely system breakdowns that take your business offline and create revenue loss.
Most computer network support specialists provide remote services to clients. You’ll want to verify this is available for your company, and how the services are restricted, if at all.
Even if the service provider is local to your area, the ability to provide remote support allows outsourced IT personnel to provide faster service by logging onto your servers and applications wherever you are. Not having to wait for a technician to arrive onsite increases uptime and saves money.
If choosing between local and national/global service providers, keep in mind that in the heat of a crisis, it can be helpful to have an on-site presence you can talk to and strategize with face-to-face. This valuable communication and support isn’t always possible through support specialists based outside of your area.
When you outsource IT support, you want to work with experts who can guide you in adopting new, best-in-class technology that will support your business operations.
In-house IT professionals can also do this, but frequently they’re so overwhelmed with current IT demands that they struggle to perform consistent research on the latest and greatest technologies to hit the market. This is one of outsourced IT’s areas of expertise: They can guide you toward new technologies that improve business operations, increase efficiency and productivity, and optimize your IT spending all at once.
When you’re offered a service package from an outsourced IT support vendor, it may or may not include the cost for certain software licenses your business will need to pay to maintain its regular operations.
Some companies will offer a flat fee for services and then charge you individually for additional software licenses they need to purchase on your behalf, while others build this cost directly into your service package. Either way, you’ll want to know whether you can expect software licensing fees in addition to the cost of service, as this will affect the overall price..
For most businesses, outsourcing computer network support specialists is an easy way to increase services and performance while saving money compared to what they’d pay by hiring their own staff. But before you sign on the dotted line, you should look at the total costs you’re facing and determine what kind of savings you’re getting.
You also need to compare this cost with the cost of other IT support providers. Seek out multiple quotes for service to make sure whatever price you end up paying is fair.
By knowing what criteria matter most with an IT service, your business can choose a partner that fulfills all of your IT needs while saving your company money and optimizing your IT spend. SumnerOne is ready to be your all-in-one IT partner. If you’re interested in seeing how we can empower your organization, reach out to us for an IT Services Assessment today.