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Choosing the Right IT Partner
By Dale Walls
Over the last 10 years there has been an undeniable growth in not only the capabilities of information technology (IT) but the reliance on these capabilities by businesses of all types, shapes, and sizes. The reliance on IT of our area businesses has a direct impact on the success of their daily operations. For reliable IT, your business needs a reliable IT Partner. The challenge of most businesses is determining what to look for in their IT provider. This article will outline 5 things to look for in selecting the proper support for your business systems.
Qualifications
The first thing to look for in your partner is qualifications. What experience and credentials are being brought to the table in support of your business? It is important to realize that there is more to your technology than memory upgrades and operating system reinstalls.
A successful IT partner has documented certifications affiliated with both the company as well as its technicians. I am not suggesting that there isn’t good IT support available that does not carry certifications, but demonstrated knowledge through industry certification does show a level of commitment and tested ability in the field. Ask what credentials your partner has? As we know, technology does not stand still so also inquire about what credentials they are pursuing. Look for the certifications that relate to your systems. After all, what good is a Novel certified engineer to your Microsoft environment? Today’s certifications are not as easily obtained as those in the past, therefore a non-certified support technician may be an indicator that they just are not qualified to work on your systems. Top certifications include those of Microsoft (such as MCSE) and Cisco (CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP, and CCIE). Others include CompTIA, Novel where applicable, and those certifications related to security, programming, database design, and project management.
Not only is it important to ask what your IT partner can do for you, but just what have they done for others. What have they contributed to the success of other businesses like yours? Experience is a must in reviewing the credentials of your provider. A successful partner has documented experience demonstrating the successes of their customers in addition to the satisfaction of those same customers. Another good characteristic of a qualified IT provider is technical leadership. Ask about the senior engineers and management. Who is leading the team? What do they know about upper tiered problem resolution, project management, preventative solutions, and technologies to improve your business? Without the proper experience, valuable time is lost trying to learn on your billable dollar while your business is halted due to a systems failure.
Capabilities
Another good question: Just what is your chosen IT provider capable of? Are they only a systems shop or do they know networking? For your sake they better know the ins and outs of both. Systems and networking are the foundation of any IT environment. Do you have a web site? Can your provider support it? They should. How many accounts payable should you have to maintain relating to your technology? Just imaging having a provider for systems, another for networking, one for Internet, two for your phones, three for sales, one for your line-of-business application, and another for your web site! All of which are pointing fingers at the other during times of chaos. Who do you believe? Who’s accountable? Look for the IT providers who have demonstrated capabilities to support your whole technology infrastructure, top to bottom, sales and service.
Availability & Support Options
What will you be in the middle of when your server or network goes down? More importantly, where will your IT provider be? On the phone? Onsite? With another customer and they’ll get to you sometime tomorrow? How’s next week because he or she is on vacation. If you’re in need of immediate support, find the provider who can give it. Look for IT partner who has the ability to get someone to you when you’re in need, your business is counting on it. This is the requirement where you have to ask yourself if the guy who runs his support operation out of the trunk of his car and over his cell phone is really going to cut it. A one-man (or woman) operation can quickly be overwhelmed, putting your business on the waiting list.
Also take the time to evaluate the process for which you are receiving or will receive support. Nothing is more frustrating as leaving voicemails while your computer is on the fritz and costing you valuable time and money. Look for the quality of support that you deserve.
Benefit to Your Business
There is an obvious play on the word geek in the IT industry these days. By definition of dictionary.com, a geek is a person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy; one who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept. Now let’s compare that with a word to describe the partner that you should be looking for, professional. A professional, who by definition is of, relating to, engaged in, or suitable for a profession. A professional conforms to the standards of a profession. Which do you think is more suitable to support your business systems? Which will not just fix your problem, but prevent it from happening again? An IT professional will bring your IT environment beyond that of its current functionality and help you use it to make your business more efficient or cost effective. An IT professional will have some business savvy to align your technology with your business goals.
Return on Investment
Lastly, look for the partner that knows what ROI is. Keep in mind that technology, when properly implemented, is an investment. Only through poor design is it always a repeated expense. Return on investment is the difference of a successful relationship with your IT partner and one seemingly endless cost to your operations. Your IT support should be but so much break/fix, and more devoted to implementing solutions to improve your business and prevent problems from affecting your business. This means that your partner should actually care about your business and its success. Primarily this is the reason for my use of the word Partner throughout this article. Your IT Partner should maintain an interest in ready response to your requests. Your IT Partner should provide knowledgeable, committed, and experienced solutions to operational problems. Your business relationship with your chosen IT Partner should be an investment.
Dale Walls is President of Corsica Technologies, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner & Small Business providing complete IT Solutions for businesses, government, and home computing in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. Feel free to contact Dale at 443.262.9290, or by email at dale@corsicatech.com.
