Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Managed IT Services Provider

Choosing to work with a Managed Services Provider (MSP) is a big decision for a business. An MSP offers numerous benefits, such as keeping downtime to a minimum, providing tech support, managing cybersecurity risks, and predictable costs. Despite all of these benefits, not all managed IT services in the Bay Area are equal. Keeping a few things in mind is critical to finding an MSP that best meets the needs of your business.

Here are a few questions to ask before partnering with an IT service provider in the San Francisco bay area.

How Will You Improve My Business?

Understanding how an MSP can improve your business is essential before you sign a contract. Partnering with an MSP can often benefit your company in a variety of ways, such as boosting employee productivity, limiting costs, and giving you the best protection against cyber threats. An MSP may specialize in certain areas and comparing each of their services is essential in finding the right fit for your business.

Are You Available Around the Clock?

Technical issues can arise at the worst of times and make it impossible for employees to complete their tasks. The vast majority of these situations can be avoided by selecting reliable equipment, building redundancy into your system, practicing regular system monitoring and hardware maintenance, and observing data security best practices. For help addressing issues that may arise outside of regular working house, choosing an MSP that offers around-the-clock support can be a good way to address these challenges. This allows employees to reach out at any time to receive immediate assistance, reducing downtime and creating a less stressful workplace. However, this level of service comes at a higher cost so it’s important to carefully consider how critical “24×7” support really is to your business. If you’re part of a large organization with offices and employees in multiple time zones, then you may require 24×7 support. If, however, you work standard business hours and your employees work those same hours and are in the same geographic area, then perhaps 24×7 support is NOT worth the premium cost.

How Do You Handle Cybersecurity Issues?

Cyber threats are a major problem facing organizations. Phishing scams, malware attacks, and ransomware are just a few examples of cyber threats facing organizations. A successful cyber- attack can ruin the reputation of an organization and create hours of downtime. Using an MSP that focuses on providing the best cybersecurity protection available is critical in keeping your organization safe against these evolving attacks. This can include 24×7 data security threat monitoring and response.

Will You Keep My Technology Up to Date?

Technology is ever-changing in today’s work environment. Trying to keep up with these changes is often an impossible task for organizations. However, using an MSP gives you an opportunity to take advantage of the latest technology without having to constantly spend additional money.

What is Your Pricing Model?

Understanding the pricing model of an IT service provider is always a top priority for business owners and other organizations. Some providers may charge fees based on specific services performed, which can vary widely from month to month. A fixed-fee model can be preferable due to the predictability of its costs. In fact, it is this fixed fee model that typically distinguishes an MSP from other IT service providers. With fixed fee models, additional fees are only incurred for new projects which a reputable MSP will always discuss with you first. This ensures that you are never caught by surprise by any hidden fees.

GSDSolutions offers managed IT services in the Bay Area for a wide range of businesses. Our proactive IT support helps limit downtime and maximize efficiency for your organization. We also offer data security and virtual event management services. Choosing to outsource your IT services is an important decision, and our team of experts are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Contact GSDSolutions today to learn more!