Managed IT Services Elk Grove

Managed IT Services Elk Grove2020-04-24T01:38:17+00:00

Salient IT Support
› Managed IT Services Elk Grove

Choosing a managed IT services partner in Elk Grove

The managed IT services sector is now so huge that even some of its niches have their own niches. This means that there are providers of all shapes, sizes and areas of expertise. There are generalists, which can provide everything the average SMB is likely to need, to specialists, which can fill in the gaps other managed IT services companies may overlook.

Choice is great but it does mean that you need to know how to navigate your way through your options. With that in mind, here are some points to when choosing a managed IT Services Elk Grove.

Sort out any existing problems with your systems

Even though a managed IT services providers job is to ensure that regular care-and-maintenance tasks are performed efficiently and promptly, they will only take ownership of these tasks from the point where they officially take over a system. In other words, if you’re behind on your maintenance, then it’s your responsibility to catch up before you hand your IT systems over to your managed IT services partner.

Similarly, if you know your infrastructure needs to be updated or upgraded in any way, then you need to sort this out before handing it over to your managed IT services partner. In fact, even if you think your current infrastructure is fine, you may still need to upgrade it to meet their minimum standards.

 

Managed IT Services Elk Grove

Think about where you’re headed over the next five years (and beyond)

Moving to a (new) managed IT services partner is a bit like moving house. No matter how organized you are, there is inevitably going to be some degree of upheaval and expense (even if your systems are already up to standard). Just as with moving house, the longer you stay with the same managed IT services partner, the longer you will have to recover from the move and to recoup the expenses (and of course vice versa).

This highlights the importance of choosing the right managed IT services partner for your organization and, in particular, looking for one which will support you for years into the future. You can only make that decision effectively if you have at least some idea of what the future holds for you, hence the importance of having a full and frank discussion with all relevant stakeholders and getting clear insight into your needs, wants and financing situation.

It’s also strongly recommended to do some research into what legal and/or compliance changes are in the pipeline and to see if there are any indicators about what may come up further down the line. You will then need to check that any potential managed IT services vendor can manage your infrastructure (and data) in a compliant manner.

If you work with a managed IT services in Elk Grove (or at least near Elk Grove), then the chances are they will be familiar with your local laws and compliance programs and will probably need to comply with them anyway. If, however, you work with a managed IT services provider which offers services in Elk Grove, but is located elsewhere, then you could be opening yourself up to some interesting legal situations, so it’s advisable to think very carefully before going down that route.

Look closely at the ad hoc prices as well as the subscription ones

The vast majority of managed IT services partners will offer a combination of subscription-based pricing models (typically per user, per device and per service bundle) and ad hoc pricing. The very smallest SMBs might be best with per user or per device pricing but for most SMBs a combination of service bundles and ad hoc pricing will be the way to go.

Service bundles are great for getting what you need at a low cost, but be careful of over-committing to them, especially in the early stages. Remember that both projects and break/fix work will be billed as an extra service. Projects can and should be budgeted in advance but break/fix work, by its very nature, is reactive and basically costs what it costs (although you may be able to mitigate this with insurance).

You might, therefore, want to play it safe, by starting out with a limited subscription and purchasing ad hoc services as, when and if you have the inclination and the funds. You can then review the situation further down the line and decide if you would benefit from committing to a higher-priced subscription. Remember that upgrading contracts is usually a whole lot easier than downgrading them.

If you’d like to speak to a reputable and experienced managed IT services partner in Elk Grove, please click here now to speak to Salient IT.

Managed IT Services Placerville

Request Managed IT Services