All businesses need IT. For small to medium sized businesses, it usually makes sense for them to partner with a managed service provider (MSP) for their IT needs rather than hiring their own in-house staff.
Whether you’re looking for a new MSP or simply investigating your options, the process can be confusing and difficult to navigate. You want to make sure you choose the right partner, but how do you know if they are the best fit — and will continue to meet your growing needs — for years to come?
Here are some factors (in our opinion) that make an MSP truly great.
Providing An IT Roadmap
One of the things we do for our clients yearly is have a meeting with them to discuss their IT Roadmap. This means giving them a complete overview and status report of every device in their IT infrastructure.
These are the types of things typically discussed in an IT Roadmap meeting:
- Internet Service Provider (ISP)
- Phone system
- Servers
- Firewalls
- Switches
- Access points
- Workstations
- Licensing
- Email/communication platforms
- Cloud backups
- Cybersecurity solutions/assessment
The report we provide will tell the business owner which parts of their network meet requirements, which parts will need attention in the near future, and which parts need urgent action. So when one or more of your devices are reaching end-of-support, or your ISP contract is up for renewal, or some of your workstations need to be replaced, you will know about it in advance.
Techs Are Highly Responsive And Give Frequent Updates
When there is a problem with one of your devices, you can submit a ticket to get it resolved. At Shartega, we have a few different options for getting in contact with our technicians.
Tickets can be submitted anytime through an email, web form, IT support app, or by phone call if the issue requires immediate attention. Our IT support app is accessible on Windows and Mac devices and is the preferred way to get support. After a ticket is submitted, you will receive real-time updates from our technical team with the steps they have taken to resolve your issue.
Accountability
A great MSP will always try to be improving on their customer service skills and want to know what their existing clients think of the support they are providing them.
One of the ways we accomplish this is with our customer satisfaction surveys through our partner SmileBack. After a ticket is resolved, the end user can submit a survey and indicate if the service they received was good, bad, or neutral and write a comment with it. Our entire team receives the feedback in an email and reads through them to know what they are doing right and what needs to be improved upon.
Certified, Professional Staff
If you’re going to hire someone to manage your IT, you want to make sure you’re gaining access to a fully loaded support team that has certifications in the required areas, not just a one or two man shop.
Our team consists of help desk technicians, field technicians, project/systems engineers, a service manager, and an account manager to assist you with any questions you may have. Our technical team holds certifications such as the CompTIA A+, CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate), MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), and ACSP (Apple Certified Support Professional).
Partnerships With Industry Leading Hardware And Software Vendors
Another important factor is the quality of the hardware and software your business will be provided from the MSP. Take a look at their partners if they have them listed on their website to get an idea of what hardware and services they are providing for their clients.
Shartega is proud to be partners with Microsoft, Apple, Cisco Meraki, SonicWall, RingCentral, ConnectWise, HP, Acronis, and more.
Procurement
This service goes hand in hand with an MSP knowing the requirements of your business and the lifecycle of your hardware detailed in the IT roadmap. A good MSP will assume responsibility for selecting and purchasing new equipment for their clients when it becomes necessary to replace aging hardware.
Clients typically don’t have the time to talk with multiple vendors or the technical expertise to determine what equipment they need, so procurement is always better handled by the IT provider. MSPs can also get cheaper pricing on equipment due to their relationships with vendors.
Takeaway
If you’re not already working with an MSP, I encourage you to take a closer look at the services an MSP can offer your business. By outsourcing the management of your IT needs to a professional firm, you ensure that the specific needs of your business are taken care of and that any new technologies that can help your business will be available when you need them. With an MSP, it’s possible for you to get exactly what you need from a provider in order to run a successful business.
Looking For an IT Team For Your Business?
Shartega IT is a Chicagoland-based managed IT service provider (MSP) that can provide you with all of the IT essentials at a flat-rate monthly subscription price. Our services include a 24/7 help desk team, network monitoring, hardware and software procurement, breach detection, cloud backups, and more. To learn more or schedule a meeting with us, click below.
