Finding a reliable IT partner is crucial for your business to survive and thrive in a post-pandemic future. A managed IT services provider or MSP will maintain your IT environment and help you explore emerging technologies that will enable you to adapt to the ever-evolving business landscape. By entrusting your IT to an MSP, you can grow your company while saving on technology and related costs.
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Look for these five key qualities in an MSP to make sure you partner with one that can understand your unique needs and bring value to your business.
Technical expertise
An effective IT partner won’t just keep your networks and systems running optimally. They will also ensure that any technology that you adopt aligns with your business needs and goals. That’s why it’s important that you partner with a provider that’s knowledgeable in various facets of IT.
MSPs have substantial technical expertise to augment your company’s security, networking, and communication capabilities. They will take the time-consuming task of managing your IT infrastructure off your plate, giving you the freedom to focus on core business activities instead. What’s more, their pool of experts can impart advanced or specialized knowledge by training your in-house staff, making an MSP’s technical expertise invaluable to any business.
Industry expertise
An MSP must know the ins and outs of your industry so they can optimize your IT environment. If they have experience in and understanding of how businesses in your particular industry operate, then they can easily foresee potential IT challenges and opportunities. Additionally, they are better equipped to implement strategic IT solutions that meet unique operational needs.
For example, if you run a local clinic, then an IT expert with healthcare industry experience will be able to help you meet stringent data protection and security requirements. Otherwise, this would be a steep learning curve for an inexperienced MSP.
Flexibility and scalability
Businesses have different needs and pain points, and a dedicated MSP will take the time to understand these rather than provide you with a one-size-fits-all solution. Based on your requirements, they will offer specific products and services, from telephony options to productivity apps and software.
Furthermore, a reliable MSP will allow you to choose the type and level of service you will get from them. For example, if you only need consultation services for a particular project, they won’t force you to subscribe to a fully hosted IT solution with round-the-clock support. As your business grows and your needs change, your IT partner must be able to scale their offerings accordingly and provide you with all the necessary solutions and support.
Proactiveness
Rather than respond to IT issues as they happen, an effective MSP prevents them from occurring in the first place. For example, they will monitor and detect network bottlenecks long before your users have trouble accessing your network. But in case your network does experience downtime, a reliable MSP will make sure to bring it back up immediately. In any case, they will promptly inform you of any issues before these affect your users.
What’s great about proactiveness is it doesn’t just prevent technical issues from escalating. By constantly monitoring your IT environment, an MSP can also identify opportunities to improve, optimize, and innovate your systems and processes, which can go a long way in maintaining a competitive edge.
Availability
IT failures and downtime can cause serious consequences, which is why it’s important that an MSP has the ability to address issues swiftly. On top of providing prompt on-site servicing, a reliable MSP offers 24/7 support, often in the form of automated support solutions like a help center or a chatbot. However, the best MSPs have on-call technicians who can resolve IT-related emergencies remotely.
Related reading: Top tips when selecting an MSP for your business
Kortek Solutions can help your Las Vegas company make the most of current and emerging IT solutions and ensure that you prosper. Want to learn how? Call us today!