What To Look For in an IT Support Partner

If your business relies in any way upon email services or a computer network then IT operations play a big part in how productive your business is and how reliable your clients see your business to be.
For larger companies, throw into the mix an on-site business server, VOIP telephone systems or automated back-ups then your choice of IT partner becomes a vital factor in keeping yourself in business.
Modern businesses rely on IT for virtually every aspect of their day-today running.

Networks facilitate services and operations, email and phone systems connect businesses to their customers, any disruption to any part of this structure can result in productivity grinding to a halt.
There are many important factors to take in to account when choosing an IT support company and choosing the right IT support partner is not easy.
Below are a few key factors to consider before selecting your IT partner.
Response It is a simple fact that things go wrong. No matter how well maintained or how up to date your software or anti-virus protection is, no system is ever perfect and there is always a chance of failure.
Whether it be a hardware issue or just plain human error, how your IT support company responds to emergencies should be a crucial aspect of your partner choice.
You need to be absolutely sure that your IT support is equipped and able to respond quickly to issues quickly in the event of an emergency.

This could mean the difference between a minor inconvenience that your clients don't even notice and a major problem to your business. How your IT support partner deals with your major emergency issues separates the good IT support providers from the bad ones.

Level of Service Hopefully your IT support company responding to emergencies is not a service that you will use very often, it is more likely that the everyday service you receive from them will be an indicator of how highly you rate their support.
Don't be sold short on this area, a good IT partner that wants to nurture a long lasting relationship will provide services beyond just reacting to the minor support issues faced by your business and employees.

Your partner should be able to provide training for you and your staff, ensuring that you are using your systems, correctly, efficiently and to their full capabilities.

They should also offer sound advice on how your business IT infrastructure can be improved, streamlined and how it cam grow to your advantage in the future.

Flexibility Don't just gauge an IT company on how they suit your business right now. If yours is like most businesses then you are most likely hoping that it will continue to grow, so make sure that you select an IT partner that is flexible enough to match their services to support your requirements as your business evolves.
Building a good working relationship with your IT support partner is essential to ensuring that you don't need to chop and change IT companies.
Experience Look for a company that has been around for a few years.
IT support companies that fail to deliver when things go wrong don't tend to survive too long but the unfortunate truth is that these people generally just start up a new IT support business and continue to give the same poor levels of response and service.
Select a company that has a good history of providing quality IT support, read their testimonials and if possible speak to their existing clients. Experience of dealing with IT issues and getting systems back on track with minimal disruption is a factor that shouldn't be overlooked.

Value Don't just pick an IT company based on price. The budget that you have available for IT will obviously play a large factor in who you select to look after your IT requirements but before selecting a company because their basic level of services suits your budget make sure that the level of these services meets your requirements. Once you have found a company providing the services you require at a price that fits your budget then compare this with other IT companies.
Remember that cheap doesn't always mean value for money.