Managed IT Services: What’s Best for Your South Carolina Business?
It all comes down to managed IT servicesIt’s not possible to find a single-size-fits all solution. There are many factors that will determine the right managed IT services provider for you South Carolina company, such as your size, scope, IT requirements, budget, and other considerations.
Below is a set of questions you can ask prospective providers to assist in finding the right IT services provider for your business.
1. Which services are you offering?
Check to make sure that you have all of the IT managed services you require, such as data backups and recovery, email hosting, and security.
2. What are the services you offer?
Make sure you ask what the managed IT services provider includes. One example is that some service providers only provide basic support; others might offer data backup and recovery.
3. What are your charges for services?
Pricing for managed IT services varies depending on which provider you use and what services are required. Get a quote which includes all of the services that you are interested in.
4. How was your experience?
Experience is key when it comes to IT managed services. Ask prospective providers about their experience working with companies like yours and how long they have been in business.
5. Have you got any references?
A provider without references is a sign of trouble. Get references from companies similar to yours who have used the provider’s services.
6. Is there an uptime guarantee?
Consider if the potential provider can provide a 99.9% or higher uptime guarantee. It means your IT services are up almost every hour of the day with very little downtime.
7. Is there a plan for disaster recovery?
You need to be able to rely on your IT services in the case of an emergency or natural disaster. Talk to potential suppliers about their disaster recovery strategies and how they could keep your business running in case of an outage.
8. Which type of security are you offering?
Any managed IT service should include security. Make sure you ask prospective providers questions about security, such as firewalls and intrusion detection.
9. How do you support your clients?
It is important to have quick access to help if your IT services go down. Talk to potential suppliers about the support options available, such as phone support and email support. Live chat is also an option.
10. Are you covered by a Service Level Agreement?
A service level agreement (SLA) is between you and your provider. It outlines all terms and conditions of the service including support options and uptime guarantees. Ask potential service providers whether they provide an SLA.
Asking these questions can help ensure that you get the most qualified managed IT services provider in South Carolina for your business.
