Selecting a managed service provider should be like selecting any employee. You need to make sure that your expectations are going to be fulfilled, and that your selection will be there when you need them to be. However, the criteria you examine your potential IT service provider by should be a little different than how you evaluate your other prospective team members.

To help you out, we’ve assembled four of the big considerations you should make when weighing your options when choosing an MSP.

Industry Experience
Having an MSP with plenty of experience isn’t enough. You need to make sure that your MSP candidate has experience with the information technology needs of your particular industry. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck with a provider who doesn’t have the know-how that comes from dealing with certain things hands-on.

Response Times
It’s one thing to work with a technology resource who knows what they’re doing, it’s another thing entirely to work with one who knows what they’re doing and gets right to doing it. Your time is valuable--too valuable to waste waiting for your IT management resource to start working on your problem, and the same goes for your employees. Time is money after all, so the longer it takes to return the given resource to productivity, the more it will cost.

Scope of Service
Returning to the thought of hiring a new employee, one of the big considerations that is taken into account is how well-rounded their experience is. After all, having an employee that can serve one purpose isn’t nearly as helpful as an employee who has the ability to step into whatever function you need them for. Your MSP should be the same way. Your company’s IT covers a wide range of solutions and devices, all of which your MSP should be able to manage and repair if needed.

On-site Services
While a great many IT issues can be identified and resolved remotely, there are some that need a hands-on approach. Your MSP needs to be willing and able to visit your location and attend to your technology issues if it should become necessary. While remote maintenance is preferable for many reasons, there are occasions that call for a technician to be present. You don’t want to find yourself without a reliable resource if your hardware is on the fritz and the only way to return to production is to have that hardware functional.

At 415 IT, we hold ourselves to these considerations and strive to live up to them every day, making us an excellent candidate to fulfill your IT requirements. Give us a call at (415) 295-4898 for more information.