Choosing the Right IT Partner: What to Look for in Managed IT Services

For decades, technology has thrived due to a special synergy of talented, visionary partners. Think of Bill Gates and Paul Allen of Microsoft, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at Apple, and Larry Page and Sergey Brin who launched a little startup called Google. Some partnerships are serendipitous, brought about by the chance meeting of individuals with similar interests and goals. Others result from a conscious search for the Yin to one’s Yang. Either way, when it comes to business and technology, two heads are better than one. But if you are searching for a Managed IT partner, how can you ensure your result is more Larry Ellison and Bob Miner (Oracle) than John Candy and David Spade? At KMF Technologies, our managed IT services have proven to be the perfect fit for numerous New Jersey businesses. We recommend that business owners focus on these nine points when selecting a Managed Service Provider (MSP).

1. Assess your current status and immediate/future needs — What can you say about your IT network’s age and performance? How will it support your business processes and manage compliance issues? How does its current status jibe with your business development plan? If you had your druthers, in which direction would you like your IT network to go?
2. Develop and budget and ask for quotes — Before you go shopping for a managed services provider, you need to know how much you can afford to spend on upgrading and maintaining your network. You can then ask a few candidates to submit quotes for services. This is preliminary, since you won’t really know the scope of your issues until you select a few prospective providers to take a look under the hood and present you with a proposal. But in this process, you should be able to get a feel for the MSPs who are earnestly trying to address your needs and those who are looking to make a killing off your network.
3. Does your candidate IT partner understand your business? When selecting a number of potential partners, you want to screen for ones who understand your line of business, your processes, and the common tech pain points of a company your size in your locale and your industry. Managed service providers with that requisite knowledge will be able to recommend specialized software programs, security and compliance strategies, and networking solutions. Check each candidate’s client base to see if they service companies in your industry sector.
4. Do your homework on MSP offerings — Request the candidates’ services portfolio and review their offerings. You want to make sure that your IT partner offers services that address your needs, such as 24-hour network monitoring and support, remote data storage, disaster recovery, etc.
5. Research each candidate MSP — Consumer reviews can provide useful insights into the way a company does business. See what customers are saying about your candidate MSPs in areas such as technical expertise, communication and responsiveness, technical support, client satisfaction and retention, etc.
6. Factor in scalability — Your network demands will change over time, and so the MSP you select must offer flexible service plans, allowing you to ramp up or draw down without being locked into a rigid program.
7. Are they proactive or reactive? Your MSP is your first line of defense against intruders, so you want someone who is determined to keep a couple of steps ahead of the bad guys. A proactive MSP keeps you forewarned and forearmed against costly failures. Your MSP can also be a valuable QC source by observing network pinch points and recommending solutions that enhance performance.
8. Scrutinize costs for their value — When you engage an MSP, every cost should deliver value for your company, by enhancing the security and/or efficiency of your operations. Don’t pay for features you won’t use.
9. Assess partnership potential — When you hire a key employee, you want someone with the talent and drive to rise within your organization. Similarly, with an MSP, you want someone who can be a dedicated partner over the long haul. Inquire into their customer and employee retention rates. If they’ve got churn in either category, that’s a red flag.

When you retain KMF Technologies as your managed service provider, you get an IT partner dedicated to your sustained success. We’re happy to discuss all the pertinent aspects of your company and your plan for business development, so we can demonstrate all the ways we can help you achieve your business goals. Call us today.