5 Things To Look For In An Office IT Provider

When considering the things you need to look for in an office IT (support) provider, many factors come into play. But none are more important than the following five:

Location

Wherever you are in the world, you want to be able to contact your network support provider and talk to a real person - and not just someone who is employed to answer the phones and pass messages on. You need a provider who is available to help you when you most need them.

You may also need to think about where your servers are and whether your provider will be able to deal with issues such as cloud computing. And it's not just server issues but also legal issues you need to think about carefully. Your provider needs to be aware of any legal restrictions that may affect your business, such as which data is saved in relation to GDPR.

Dedicated Support Staff

Location is also important for the type of interaction you will be able to have with your IT provider’s staff. In a perfect world, you’re looking for a dedicated support manager and a specialized technician. You don’t want to find yourself having to repeatedly explain yourself to get anywhere.

If you are based in London and your IT provider is based in America or Australia, the fact of the matter is that you may not be able to contact the person you want at the times of the day most convenient to you. Having someone you know and, maybe more importantly, who knows you and your infrastructure, there at the end of the phone wherever you need them, means getting issues resolved quickly, and efficiently.

Professional Certification

When there are so many different IT-related problems that can come up, it’s essential to know that your support provider is up-to-date with all the latest information. Of course, there are many types of certification, so the problem is knowing which ones have value. Here are a few worth mentioning.

A Microsoft Gold Partner is a company that has achieved a level of knowledge of all things Microsoft of the very highest standard. In Britain, there is GCHQ Certified Training that is held by companies that know what they are talking about when it comes to cybersecurity. 

ISO Accreditation

Many people are aware of ISO accreditation but seem to think that it is just something companies do to get some brownie points. This is not the case and many of the best IT (support) providers will take serious steps to gain important ISOs. Here are just a few that you may want to look out for when assessing any prospective providers.

ISO 27001 is awarded to companies that have shown a high degree of commitment to information security. Another prestigious accreditation is ISO9001. Many companies hold this one as it indicates the company is committed to providing excellent customer care.

Different Support Levels

Finally, you want a company that offers different levels of support. Sure, your company may be a vast multinational, but then I doubt very much you’re finding this relevant. You’re more likely to be a small-sized business looking for help, and you need an IT provider who can do that for a price that won’t bankrupt you.

Wrapping It All Up

There are bound to be other factors that are relevant to your company too, and of course, they must also be given weighting when it comes to choosing your ideal IT provider. But the above five things above are certainly worth giving due consideration to before you go ahead and make that all-important decision.