Managing data and IT solutions in-house can be challenging and expensive. That’s why many organizations turn to Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Digitalization has forced Philadelphia-area businesses (and beyond) to alter their operations and make IT a huge part of their day-to-day affairs. Still, some owners need help to cope with the change effectively, so they hire a managed service provider to take care of the work.
What Is an MSP?
An MSP is a third-party company you can collaborate with to help manage parts of your business, such as your IT or cloud needs. It provides technology and expertise to boost your organization’s scalability.
At IT Acceleration, we believe that working with MSPs can have tremendous benefits for your business. For instance, their profound understanding of cutting-edge technology can help you improve performance, operations, and security while reducing overheads. In addition, they can offer several creative solutions to help you navigate the evolving landscape of the big data world.
Value an MSP Provides:
- Delivers tailor-made solutions that fit your company perfectly.
- Analyzes your business thoroughly and render their services according to your strengths and weaknesses.
- Considers the regulatory environment and compliance to safeguard against legal issues.
- Supports your business even after hours with measures and staff to maintain and protect your organization 24/7. MSPs can even tap into your system to resolve issues and deploy updates without going to your office using remote technology.
Overall, MSPs can help take your company to the next level. However, you can’t work with just any service provider. You need to select the right team for your organization, and this article will show you how.
Choosing An MSP in Philadelphia – What to Look for
Hiring an MSP shouldn’t be a hasty decision. Instead, you want to take a variety of factors into account. Here are the six important factors to keep in mind:
1. The MSP’S Track Record
Prospective MSPs should provide case studies and success stories to demonstrate they’re suitable for your business. You can also look for testimonials, references, and endorsements. These will help you determine if the team has been operating for a while and if its reputation is solid.
Working with a reputable MSP can give you peace of mind with the knowledge that your system will be appropriately managed. You’ll feel confident that the MSP will do all in its power to preserve its name.
The MSP’s success hinges on yours in some respect, so they’ll view you as a valuable partner.
2. The MSP’s Range of Services
MSPs offer a wide array of services. Some teams are full-service companies, meaning they address your cloud and IT needs comprehensively. In contrast, others may help you with different pieces of your tech puzzle. Consider your needs carefully and ensure your MSP can meet them.
Regardless of your service package, the MSP needs to keep up with the latest technology trends. Otherwise, numerous security issues may compromise your company and allow the competition to prevail over you.
3. Support
As previously indicated, MSPs can work round the clock to ensure your business is compliant and maintained adequately. However, they should also increase their support quickly and adjust staff schedules as your company grows.
4. Response Time
Your network can go down for any number of reasons, preventing your employees from working and your clients from reaching you. This situation can even cripple your reputation, customer base, and revenue. In the worst-case scenario, it can even make you shut down your business.
Fortunately, a high-quality MSP can help you avoid this scenario. They can identify threats to your system and neutralize them before hurting your company.
Moreover, if an incident takes place, they should respond immediately. They need to mitigate the risks as soon as possible to keep your organization from crumbling.
5. Security and Backup
One of the most important duties your MSP should perform is to shield your data from cyberattacks. This is critical to protecting your company and customers. Besides, safe data storage might be mandatory in your industry, which is why your IT department could use all the help they can get.
Once you work with an MSP, they should recommend robust security solutions and endpoint protection to combat harmful software. And throughout their engagement, they should consider compliance to help prevent legal issues.
Another major part of their mission should be the implementation of backup software. It enables you to retrieve your data in case of a breach. Such implementation may involve automation, a restoration plan, and a no-downtime policy.
With a failproof backup and security strategy in place, you should be able to run your company more confidently. The risk of downtime will be drastically lower, allowing you to operate smoothly, maintain high sales, retain customers, and preserve your brand.
6. Guidance on Workflow Options
Your MSP shouldn’t just deal with cybersecurity – they should also suggest adopting the best practices across the entire tech landscape.
For example, they should advise you on various CRM solutions and project management applications. They should also help you revamp your approach to workflow and data to create efficiency in all departments.
The fact is you can yield tremendous results from their guidance. Your team can work faster, collaborate in real time, and be more tech-savvy.
Recruit Your MSP Carefully
While price is important when selecting an MSP in Philadelphia, it pales in comparison to all the factors listed above. Be sure they’re a perfect fit for your organization, even if you need to pay more.
With high expertise, customized services, and an understanding of threats, the reputable team at IT Acceleration provides secure and cost-effective MSP services that can help you stay ahead of your competitors. See how IT Acceleration is different – schedule a free assessment today.
This article is used with permission from The Technology Press.