The market for IT providers is becoming increasingly saturated, and thanks to modern technology and remote workplaces, you can even use the services of a partner that isn’t local. So, with all the choice in the world, the question becomes: How do you find the right IT provider for your business?
Whether you haven’t worked with an IT provider before or you aren’t completely happy with your current partner, there are multiple things to consider when beginning your search. In this month’s blog, we’ll deep dive into how to choose the right IT provider for your business and give you some starting points to consider.
The 5 things to consider when looking for an IT provider we’ll highlight are:
- Focus on cyber security
- Effective service offering
- Good customer relationships
- Fast response times
- The right expertise
1. Focus on cyber security
The cyber threat landscape is becoming more and more complex. Every day, cyber criminals are developing new, innovative ways to try and find vulnerabilities in a business’s defences. And it’s not just large enterprises that are targeted; increasingly, criminals are targeting SMBs, with a study from March 2023 finding that 38% of small businesses suffered a cyber breach over the last 12 months. That’s why it’s crucial that your IT provider is placing the cyber security of your business at the top of their priority list. Make sure to thoroughly look at their security offering and ensure they’re using modern and robust technologies to protect your company data from cyber threats.
2. Effective service offering
You will also want to take a look at the rest of their service offering. Your IT is closely linked to your company. If your IT fails, your processes will also come to a standstill. That’s why an IT provider should provide you with effective solutions and services that ensure that your operations always run smoothly and minimise your downtime. The magic word is proactivity. A good IT provider will not only fix something when it’s broken, they will offer monitoring services that ensure they catch issues before they occur and actively test for vulnerabilities.
3. Good customer relationships
If you already have an IT provider and you’re reading this article, chances are you know how important it is to have a good relationship with your IT partner. When searching for the right IT provider it’s worth checking if they have any case studies or testimonials on their website which can give you a great insight into how they work with their clients. Once you begin talking to IT providers, it’s important that you feel like they’re really trying to understand your unique business and what you need from your IT rather than just trying to sell you something. The more responsive they are to your questions, concerns and requirements, the more likely you are to be able to build a long-lasting relationship that supports your business processes.
4. Fast response times
Suffering from downtime or IT issues are likely to put your entire business operations on hold. That’s why there aren’t many things as frustrating (and detrimental to your business) as having to chase your IT provider. A good IT partner will be able to respond quickly so that you lose as little time as possible. Response time is harder to properly judge before you actually start working with an IT provider, but you can look at client testimonials, ask questions about their incidence response strategies and ensure they have remote and on-site support as part of their service offering.
5. The right expertise
Whether you’re working in a specific sector or offer niche services and products, it’s crucial that your IT provider understands not only what you need from your IT, but also the industry you work in. For example, when you work in financial services, your IT provider needs to understand the data protection requirements that come with the sector. You need to ensure they can help you not only protect your data and IT, but also keep you compliant at all times. When choosing your IT provider, it’s worth finding someone that has a track record of experience either in your industry or with similar businesses.
Elevate your IT with a provider you can trust
When it comes to IT providers, you have lots of choice. It’s finding one that’s right for your business that’s going to be more difficult. You need to ensure they can offer what you need, are responsive, will keep you protected, and above all: one that you can build trust with.
At Entegraty, we have been working as a client-centred IT service provider for almost 20 years. Our main priority is building strong, long-term relationships with every one of our clients so that we can accompany and support them on their business journey.
We offer managed IT support, cyber security as well as consultancy solutions to ensure we’re flexible enough to give our clients the support that they need—in whatever shape or form that may take place. Delivering the right IT solution means focusing on your business first. Are you ready to take the next step with your IT? We’d love to chat! Reach out to our friendly team or click the button below to learn more about our IT services.
