5 things to look out for when choosing a Remote IT Support company

5 things to look out for when choosing a Remote IT Support company

One of the most challenging things for a business is choosing the right IT support company. This is an essential service because it is not uncommon for technical problems to arise especially with many companies having to transition to work from home. Your business should be focusing on getting more revenue, not computer related issues. Outsourcing your IT needs can help alleviate the burden so you can get back to focusing on a scaling your business.

Here are five things to look for when looking for an IT support company:

1. No long-term lock in contracts

When searching for a remote IT support service provider, make sure that their contracts are not years long. At first everything can seem great; however, it is only with time where you would find out if the service provided to you is exemplary or not. In the case that you are now happy with a vendor (or if you just have a change in your business and need to reevaluate vendors), you should be able to change your contract or leave at any time.

Ideally, look for a company with month-to-month contracts with an out clause of 30 to 60 days. Most modern IT companies are moving towards this model, but you’ll still see long-term contracts for some IT companies.

2. Proactive management and monitoring

Certain IT companies work on a reactive fix or break service manner where tickets such as troubleshooting email problems or fixing broken printers. There is nothing wrong with these kinds of tickets because these will make up a large chunk of your IT supports needs, no matter the remote IT support company you choose to go with.

The right IT company will take an active approach and try to reduce these tickets by proactively managing your network. At a minimum, your network should be monitored by your IT company every day, so they can pick up any sort of IT related issues and minimize downtime.

In fact, proactive management should go beyond just monitoring, though. The remote IT support company you go with should be familiar with your environment and your industry and help you choose tools to make your team productive and reduce downtime. The best IT companies will do that and regularly meet with you to discuss your business goals and form a technology plan to help you meet those goals.

3. Data security expertise

Strong data security is no longer optional. It should be wrapped into every part of your business – especially your technology. Look for an IT company with data security expertise who can craft a security plan to fit your needs and your budget. If you’re in a regulated industry, they need to understand the industry and how to help you stay compliant.

Cyber security threats are constantly evolving which is why the IT company needs to have a data security expert to help protect your sensitive information. If your IT company is not keeping up to speed, they will fail to protect your business from data breaches.

Remember, there is never a guarantee when it comes to data security, even with the best tools and training. Any company who promises you will not experience a data breach is either lying to you or doesn’t know what they are talking about. When you have a remote IT company that houses Data security experts, it means that your company’s reputation and integrity are maintained in the event of a data breach.

4. How fast is their response time

Your contract with an IT company should have clear guaranteed response times (usually called service level agreements or SLAs). These should be outlined in your contract (along with what happens if they don’t meet the SLA for some reason). You shouldn’t be left wondering when your issue will be addressed.

Please note, SLAs typically refer to when they will start addressing your issue – not necessarily when it will be fixed. If they guarantee they can fix issues within a certain amount of time, that should be a red flag.

Unfortunately, some IT issues can take some to some time to fix, especially if it involves dealing with another vendor (like an internet service provider) who isn’t bound by an SLA. If your IT company is promising to fix any issue within a certain amount of time, it’s possible they are just using band-aid solutions – not addressing the source of the problem. The worst case would be you reach out to your service provider, and they take 3-5 business days to respond. You want a company that is reliable and has a quick response rate. Even if the issue may not always be salvageable within that moment, at least you would know that they have received your request and have started working on a solution. This in turn will give you a peace of mind.

5. Is their technology cutting edge?

With ransomware being common, when looking for a remote IT service provider, it is crucial that they use cutting edge tools that make remote IT support service possible. With COVID-19 having changed the way that everyone now works, a reliable remote IT provider will ensure that a layer of security such as a firewall is added for employees who access on site, cloud-based and web files. Firewalls are essential because it provides intrusion detection and prevention for you and your team especially when working remotely. It is during this time that employees are most susceptible to malicious attacks. When a firewall is installed, this layer of protection will attempt to prevent hackers from looking around and installing malicious files. This should one of the first things that the IT remote company should recommend because the benefits are endless: prevents hacking, stops spyware, stops virus attacks and more.

Conclusion

It can be overwhelming and quite challenging to find a remote IT service provider with so many claiming that their service is the best. When trying to decide, consider the above factors, it will help you find the right match for you. Having the right remote support during these unprecedented times is essential can be essential to the survival of your business.