Switching IT Providers

exploring different it support options? we can help make the switch painless.

If your business’ technology needs aren’t being met, it’s time to switch IT providers and level up your support. We know changing providers can seem intimidating and complicated. But don’t put it off any longer if it’s time! We’re here to help make it simple – and we promise the outcome is worth it.

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Could it be time to find a new it provider? Here are a few telltale signs.

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Poor Communication & Follow Up

Lack of communication is a deal-breaker for any vendor in our book. Doubly so for managed IT providers who hold your entire business’ infrastructure in their hands.

If you ask multiple times for something before it gets done, can’t get a call or email back within a reasonable time, are rarely sure about the status of a project or support ticket, are the one telling them about major problems, and get different answers to the same question depending on who you talk to, that’s a solid sign to start looking elsewhere.

Your IT provider should make sure you don’t have to put in any more effort than is necessary.

Ask a question, you should get an answer without having to ask twice. Put in a support ticket, and you should get a quick response and resolution updates. You should feel confident that you’ll be kept up to date on work statuses. And you definitely shouldn’t be the one alerting your provider to a major issue – with proper proactive services they should know long before you do.

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You've Outgrown the Provider

Sometimes you just outgrow a business relationship, even when the service has been great in the past.

This often happens when your company was still small, and you found a similarly small IT provider to help support you. This worked out great for a while. But then your company grew and now you have 20 employees and a much more complicated infrastructure that requires a higher level of support. That small IT provider can’t keep up anymore and falls behind with maintenance. In this case, it’s definitely time to move on.

Some signs that you’ve outgrown your provider are:

  • They are on a drastically different business level than you – you have a large office and 50 computers, and they have one employee.
  • They don’t offer much or anything in the way of contracts, service level agreements, or documentation.
  • You notice it’s become more difficult to get problems resolved in an acceptable time frame, and/or to reach your provider when needed.
  • Standard business technology services – backups, disaster recovery plans, cloud implementation, mobile device management, network audits, consulting – aren’t available or being done properly through your current IT company.
  • They try to supplement their inadequate services by enlisting a client’s staff member as a “helper” – we’ve seen plenty of well-meaning office managers and admins roped into working on issues themselves because the IT support company can’t keep up.
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Lack of Strategy or Guidance

Do you only ever speak with your IT provider when there’s an issue? If so, that’s an issue!

A good managed IT provider offers frequent consulting and recommendations. Your provider should keep a pulse on your business goals and find ways they can help you reach them.

We’re always looking for ways to help make you more successful. In a partnered business relationship, the better your company is doing, the better it is for us.

Your IT provider should be invested in your success. Offering strategy and guidance towards your goals is beneficial for everyone.

 

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Frequent or Repeating IT Issues

Are you constantly noticing the same issues popping up? Are your computers, phones, internet service, etc unreliable and causing downtime? Does important software crash while you’re working? Does it seem like you’re calling for help more than doing your actual job?

These are all clear signs that you aren’t getting what you’re paying for. IT’s first priority should be to make sure you are working on reliable, secure, and fast devices that support your operations.

Unplanned outages, downtime, and slow devices are unacceptable in a world where businesses rely on their technology.

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Insufficient Security

This can be a tough area to audit without security knowledge. If your IT provider isn’t implementing adequate security, how are you supposed to know unless something goes wrong?

A few telltale signs here:

  • You notice frequent popups, website redirects, unwanted toolbars, and/or error messages when you’re working online. This suggests a lack of proper security measures and anti-virus and -malware protections, and poor monitoring for these issues.
  • If they are supposed to be managing your email, you notice a lot of spam, scam, and phishing emails making it to your inbox. A proper email security solution will ensure that the majority of these are filtered before they ever reach your eyes.
  • You get reminders and popups on your computer to update your anti-virus/malware programs, operating system, internet browser, and other software. This is a sign that your IT provider is not keeping up to date with these, which could open your device up to bugs, infections, and other security risks that come with outdated programs.
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Backups are Poorly Managed

Backups are your insurance against data loss. Without them, should something happen such as a natural disaster or ransomware infection, you’ve lost weeks, months, even years of your business.

Best backup and continuity practices are to backup both on- and off-site. You should have both a local backup, such as on a physical server, hard drives, flash drives, etc; and a copy elsewhere such as in a cloud service. This will ensure that if, for example, your office building floods and destroys the physical copies you’ll still have that data.

Backups should also be run regularly. This will vary depending on your business. Think about how much data you could survive without if it disappeared – one hour’s worth, one day, one week? Your backup schedule should take this into consideration.

This is another area that can be tough to audit without experience. If you suspect your backups aren’t sufficiently protecting you from data loss, we recommend finding an outside consultant to test them. We’ve often found that backups were corrupted, not running on the needed schedule, or severely outdated which is extremely risky for any business. The worst time to find out there’s something wrong with your backups is when you need them!

Burrows at Law

Managed IT Case Study: Burrows Law Group

Learn how this flourishing law firm gained back time and re-focused on core business by taking advantage of fully managed, outsourced IT support.

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Customer Satisfaction Rating

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90 Minutes

Average Ticket Resolution Time

21

Years in Business

The quality of your business relationships has a huge impact on how successful you are. Be sure that your IT partner is contributing to your success.

Are you tired of your current IT service provider? Aren’t getting the quality support you’re paying for? Perhaps it’s time to look into switching IT providers.

Technology is constantly changing just like your business, and sometimes it makes sense to switch from one service provider to another.

Could we be the match you’ve been looking for? Maybe, if you’re hoping for a provider that does it all – consulting, installation, maintenance, and repair. We’ve helped many clients switch from their former IT providers to us with no downtime or interruption in service for both desktop systems and network services.

Whether your business has grown, you’re looking for something your current provider doesn’t offer, or you’re just no longer satisfied with the service you’re getting, we can help. And if we’re not the new solution you’re looking for, we’re also happy to refer you to another trusted company.

Ready to chat about switching IT providers?

“We have been using Techvera for several years now. We went through multiple other companies before finding them and have been extremely happy with their service. We are a small business with about 30 employees and their solutions and customer service have been a great fit.”

Hunter Trim & Cabinets

Frequently Asked Questions About Managed IT Support

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What is managed IT support?

Managed IT service means that a company, known as a managed services provider (MSP), will setup, manage, and monitor your entire business technology infrastructure. This includes hardware maintenance, software updates, and monitoring of all systems to ensure they’re working properly.

MSPs will generally tailor their support to each business’ needs. You may only use them for IT support and maintenance, or you may use their services for additional things. For instance, your VoIP and telecom systems, data backup and disaster recovery solutions, and cloud services.

With managed services, you don’t have to worry about hiring someone full-time or spending hours watching over everything yourself.

Many companies are switching IT providers to take advantage of fully managed support. Their current IT company may not offer true managed services, or they may still operate on a break-fix, as needed model.

 

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What do managed services cost?

We’d love to give you an easy answer, but the truth is it’s different for each business. Cost is determined by things like how many people work at your company, how many devices (computers, phones, printers, tablets, etc.) you have or want, whether any equipment needs to be upgraded, how intricate your network and office setup is, how many locations your business has, the programs you use, the level of support needed, and many other factors that make each partnership different.

We tailor our solutions to the unique needs of your business. We aren’t a one-size-fits-all shop like many other managed service providers.

If you want to learn more about the different factors that affect pricing and what to expect when shopping providers, check out our blog post: What Do Managed IT Services Cost?

Your monthly cost could range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. We price our services per user covered, and this cost generally falls between $150-250/user. Unfortunately, we can’t give a more accurate answer than this until we get to know your company and its needs through a consultation!

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Why would I need managed IT services?

If you are a small business owner who doesn’t have the time or money to hire someone in-house to take care of your technology needs then these services might be perfect for you.

While some businesses may initially be turned off by a monthly recurring cost, it’s much easier for most to have one predictable expense. This allows for easy budgeting and avoiding unexpected bills. A manager who prefers to concentrate on more important things will appreciate getting one monthly bill rather than having to manage a budget for salaries, hardware expenses, tools and software, network management, etc.

Managed services can also help businesses scale up quickly without having to invest in additional hardware or employees.

You’ll have peace of mind knowing that your network is monitored 24/7 and everything has been taken care of so there’s less work and worry on your end.

Managed IT support makes sense for companies that rely on their technology to operate, are in (or want to be in) high-growth mode, don’t want to manage their own internal IT staff, or want to augment their current in-house IT team.

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What are the benefits of managed IT support?

Managed IT solutions are a good option if you don’t have the time or expertise to manage your own hardware, software updates, and other aspects of day-to-day operations. By outsourcing these needs, you will save money on hiring an internal staff member and won’t need to worry about updating all those necessary items yourself. The end result should be more free time for employees as well as better quality work from them when they aren’t overloaded with extra tasks outside their expertise.

The biggest benefits companies enjoy at a glance are:

  • Predictable and scalable technology spend
  • Better security
  • Faster response and resolution time for IT issues
  • Better ROI and value
  • Increased productivity and efficiency
  • Simplifying your digital transformation
  • Reliable systems and devices
  • Access to a full team of IT and business experts
  • Project management and strategic planning
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What's included in a managed IT service plan?

This can vary based on your needs, budget, and provider. Most business IT managed service plans will include all or a mix of these services:

  • 24/7/365 remote monitoring and management
  • Helpdesk services to solve user issues and offer IT support
  • Data backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning and management
  • Software updates, patches, and upgrades
  • Comprehensive, next-gen cybersecurity
  • Asset tracking and management
  • Business forecasting, future planning, and purchasing assistance
  • Service level agreement details
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