You know that choosing the wrong managed service provider can result in a company not only not growing at its projected pace, but can actually take a firm backwards.
So, extensive research into the types of support and management available is essential, as is some way to make sure the decision results in obtaining everything necessary, but not a bit or a byte more. While your needs are unique in many ways, there are some things that all companies in need of a managed service provider have a lot in common.
Do some or most of these issues sound familiar?
- You’re working within a complicated web of vendors, whose individual components may or may not “play nice” with each other.
- You have your own proprietary products, designed to interface between various pieces of purchased software and/or equipment, as well as some created to do specialized things required for the production of your specific product or service.
- Every day you seem to need faster ways to diagnose and resolve different types of challenges.
- Your company keeps growing, which creates a constant need for vigilant assessment of areas of strength to work with and areas of weakness to compensate for.
The levels of complexity in your specific industry and in the world of IT seems to be increasing exponentially. Budgets are constantly shrinking, requiring you to constantly ask more and more of your already overworked IT teams. So how do you as the CIO or head of IT make this essential decision?
According to Pat Patterson there are seven essential questions that need to be asked and answered by any potential partner:
- Will the proposed service partner support your business strategy now and in the future?
- Do you trust them to have the necessary expertise and bandwidth to provide maintenance, deliver support services or assume managed-services responsibilities?
- Will they become trusted advisors that stay engaged and serve as an extension of your IT organization and business?
- Do they provide a portfolio of offers that span the entire service continuum and have the necessary flexibility to ensure a smooth deployment of managed services?
- What applications, diagnostics checks or analytic tools do they leverage to anticipate any problems or hidden issues?
- Do they provide a single point of contact that can quickly swarm experts to resolve an issue in your network?
- Do they really know you? Understand your solution?
Now that you know what types of questions to ask you can rest easy because we have all the answers.
Contact AE Technology and we’ll help you design and implement an infrastructure that works for you. We’re dedicated to helping you make the right decision for your individual company’s distinct needs both for today and tomorrow.
