Searching for a good, local IT support company, according to the president of a New York-based financial firm, felt like falling into a black hole. The choices can be overwhelming, and if your company is new to the world of outsourced IT, it may be difficult to figure out exactly what you need. There are plenty of New York IT support companies to choose from, but there are significant differences in service offerings and capabilities, expertise and experience, responsiveness, quality, and price. Among them RisingMax is the leading it consulting companies nyc helping out businesses in tremendous growth.
Here are ten pointers to help you narrow the field – and select an IT provider that is right for your company:
1.Locate a Local IT Service Provider
While many IT companies claim to serve the New York City area, this generalization can cover a large geographic area. If a provider’s consultants work out of an office in New Jersey or New England, travel time and distance will limit their availability to serve you.
In an emergency, a provider’s prompt on-site response can help you avoid productivity – and even revenue – losses. Look for a company whose consultants work within the city limits, rather than across state lines, so that travel is limited to within the city.
To ensure even more continuity, make sure your IT firm has a reserve of back-up consultants in case of illness or vacation. Because day-to-day technical issues cost businesses an average of two weeks’ worth of work, ensuring that your IT provider is in town and that a help desk is open 24/7 to meet all of your daily IT needs is critical.
2.Operational Expectations Should Be Documented
Talk is cheap when it comes to describing what’s included in an IT service. The IT service provider should provide a written description of the services to be provided. A contract or service agreement will include measurable details about what you can expect in terms of service performance and quality, such as help desk operating hours, issue resolution response times, or cloud-based service availability parameters.
Compensation for excessive downtime or other contract violations should also be documented. These clear guidelines will assist you in determining exactly what a service provider can provide for your company and your specific industry needs.
3.Stay away from quick-fix IT solutions
In the short term, implementing a workaround may keep users productive and processes running, but this is not the type of IT that will keep your business secure and stable in the long run.
Cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated, and they’re increasingly targeting small businesses, so your technology partner should prioritize infrastructure upgrades and security barriers similar to those used by Fortune 500 companies.
Make sure your IT provider has the experience and integrity to provide solid solutions that solve problems once and for all, rather than relying on band-aids, bubble gum, and duck tape to keep your company running.
4. Determine your level of interest and expertise
While having expertise in one area is beneficial, having expertise in multiple areas can truly help your IT reach the next level. The focus of your discussions with an IT provider should be on YOU.
Their knowledge of your business objectives, how your employees work, the processes and supporting technologies you use is crucial, as it will enable them to align your business processes and goals with the right IT services and capabilities.
Move on to the next provider – quickly – if they’re more interested in selling you a one-size-fits-all solution or pushing you to the latest technology without first determining its fit for your business.
5. Anticipate Changing IT Requirements
Obviously, most businesses begin with the intention of expanding, and with New York having the third largest economy in the country, businesses require a flexible strategy. Many factors can influence – or impact – that growth along the way.
Your technology requirements change as your employee and customer bases grow and shrink. Seasonal businesses experience natural ups and downs in user and customer activity, as well as reciprocal changes in technology resources.
An IT provider should be able to scale their IT services, support, and associated costs to meet your changing business needs, especially in the fastest-growing industries in New York: healthcare, life sciences, and technology. In the long run, having a good IT provider who can adapt and pivot will benefit your business.
6. A well-vetted network of technology partners
Many technology companies, such as Microsoft and Cisco, require IT professionals to be trained and certified in order to install and maintain their products. Specialized skills are required because your IT needs will span everything from communications to server and software technologies.
Look for an IT firm with consultants who are vendor-certified in a variety of technologies. These certifications and partnerships certify that they have been trained on the latest technologies from those vendors, that they have the necessary skills, and that they follow best practices when implementing and maintaining those vendors’ solutions.
7. Demand local referrals
A New York City-based IT company should be able to provide numerous local customer references. Make a request for a list, then begin calling and asking questions. This research will pay off by providing you with valuable customer feedback on the provider’s performance, quality, experience, and overall services.
Pay special attention to business references from similar-sized companies in the same or similar industries as yours, as these will be the most relevant to the work you’re looking for from the provider.
8. The Most Appropriate Solutions for Your Company
Did you know that some businesses aren’t suited for the cloud (at least not yet)? In order to implement the best technology solutions for your business – not just deliver the latest technology – an IT provider must be willing to learn about your business and your specific goals.
A reputable IT firm will accomplish this by conducting a thorough evaluation or assessment of your IT environment as well as your goals, which will be unique to each New York company. Consider this: you wouldn’t trust a surgeon to operate without first performing an x-ray or physical examination, would you?
9. On-Demand Assistance
There’s never a good time for technology to fail, a system to go down, or software to malfunction, especially in New York, where tech start-ups are booming. Look for an IT company that offers critical network operations support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even better, see if they provide proactive services like remote monitoring, which can detect – and allow you to resolve – potential problems before they occur.
10.Create a Redundant Network
Backing up your data is critical, but many businesses only back up to devices in the same office. That’s great – until your building is destroyed by fire or the region is flooded. Many IT providers provide geo-redundancy options, which allow you to back up your critical data to a second device located somewhere other than your office – and often in a different part of the country. These options provide extra security and remote access to your important data when you need it.
Conclusion
When looking for an IT support company, look for one that is committed to the long term. Spend some time going over the websites of potential clients, looking at their leadership team, partners, awards and industry recognition’s, and certifications. RisingMax is also among the top 10 IT consulting firms in dallas. Consider contacting an RisingMax expert and requesting a free IT consultation for more information.
