Intro
So, your company is expanding, and you've decided its time to bring in some help to managed your IT - congrats! Or, if you already have a provider and you're just looking to make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck, also congrats! We've outlined some quick pointers for making your decision before you put pen to paper and sign with a Managed Service Provider ("MSP"):
P.S. Not sure you need an MSP? Read more here.
Considerations
1. Price: Obviously, this goes without saying, but we'll mention it anyways. While it may be tempting to hire the lowest bidder, consider all other factors before jumping on what might look like a "good deal". Likewise, don't assume you'll get the best service just because someone charges the highest rate. As with any profession, some service providers may simply charge a higher rate just because they can - with no intention of providing you the quality of service to back it up. While there's many pricing factors and strategies out there, in general, you can expect to spend anywhere from $100-$300/user/month. Keep reading to learn about other factors to consider besides price alone.
2. Support Availability: Generally speaking, you'll probably want the hours your MSP's support is available to match up with your hours of operations. This availability is often defined by a service-level agreement ("SLA") and outlines the obligations your service provider needs to contractually meet. The SLA's a service provider offers may differ based on their primary target verticals and pricing, so make sure to find the one that best fits your needs. For example, an accountancy firm will be probably well-suited by M-F, 8-5 support hours. A 24-hour urgent care, however, will probably require a service provider with 24-hour support availability, or at least an after-hours line for true emergencies. A small motel might be comfortable either way, based on their ability to find failover solutions in the event a support request needs to wait until the morning.
3. Service Scope Inclusions & Exclusions: Many MSP's will include some additional value-add offerings on top of their general support functions. This might include free email hosting, user trainings, or a productivity suite like Microsoft 365© for your employees. Regardless of how much you're paying a service provider though, there will be some things that they will have to charge an extra fee for. This might include device repair, trip charges, or backups. While there's no "right" answer to what a MSP should or shouldn't include in their services, consider your business needs and if their included offerings make sense for your company. You wouldn't want to bring on a MSP just to find that you're paying additional fees at every turn.
4. Size: While you don't need to hire a Fortune 500 service provider to make sure your business is well covered, it's worth considering how big your MSP's team is. Some business owners may value a smaller team and seeing familiar faces. Others may just want the biggest team possible to make sure hold times are short. Again, there's no right or wrong answer here. Choose what feels right for your business!
5. Compliance: With regulations constantly evolving, it's important that not only you understand your compliance requirements, but that your MSP does too. Be it HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or SOC, most industries have some level of oversight and regulation. Make sure your MSP is both willing and able to meet those requirements (as necessary) too. In fact, some MSP's may present upcharges if your industry has specific compliance requirements.
Conclusion
There you have it! Five quick considerations for choosing an IT service provider. While this list can go on for days, we think focusing on these will generally put you in a good place to make an informed decision.
As always, if you're looking for a MSP, we encourage you to reach out to us at (559) 248-1933 to speak with one of our friendly staff members or book a free consultation on our website. We hope we'll fit the bill!
