So if you are looking at this post it is either because you are looking for your first IT Support company as your business grows, wanting to free up a little more time by outsourcing the day to day management of the computer network or disgruntled by your current provider.

No matter which of the above is your deciding factor the same rules apply across the board. With over 20 years of experience in the IT Support business we thought it may be a good idea to give a little insight as to what our clients look for when contact us for this service amongst many others.

• A good listener – any company you make contact with should first of all listen to what you have to say. It is not uncommon for some lesser companies to charge in and say “right, you need this, you need that and we will do this for you! They should learn about your business processes, your current challenges and issues that stop you from doing your primary role which is of course running your business. Whilst in this learning process the experience of the support company should then apply the things they have just learned against services they offer or at the very least make mental notes as to how this could be addressed in the future.
• A good SLA – an SLA is a service level agreement. Sure, every business wants immediate support with someone on hand 24 hours a day at a moments notice, but realistically this level of service is generally for the companies that have very deep pockets. That said though, your new support provider should be able to apply common sense to issues arising within your network. For example, they are not going to drop everything to sort out a faulty keyboard, but should of course recognise that if a server dies this this is a priority as it may mean that all staff within your business cannot work effectively.
• Experience – it is always reassuring to know if your chosen provider has years of experience but it is as important to know that the experience in your particular field. It is no good having a company with 10 year’s experience in Microsoft products if you are using Apple for example!
• Continuity – like a good marriage, a good support company has a low staff turnover meaning that the company you are dealing with are stable and reliable, that reliability in their own business will filter in to the support you receive.
• Continuity continued – whilst it’s the same word we mean in a totally different capacity here. For example, if your support providers offices burn down, can they still look after your support needs. Basically it’s disaster recovery for you and them.
• Security – now with this we do not mean bars at the windows or alarms, no, we are talking about how the company you choose views security of your data. It is always recommended that you choose a company that has an accreditation such as ISO 27001 (by the way, we do!).
• Cost effective – whist cheap is great, the old adage is true, you get what you pay for and that is true in the IT Support world. You want a good service that has a price that you are comfortable paying for.

These are just a few of the things that you should consider when choosing a new computer support company or any potential supplier for that matter and we hope that you find these tips useful.

If you have any questions or would like to talk to us about your IT network support services, please call us directly on 01302 540280 or hit the contact us button.