When you’re looking for an IT support package, there are lots of things to consider. If you’re already receiving IT support, then you may have a good idea of what you want and don’t want. And if you’re stepping into this world for the first time, then many of the points below may be new to you. Either way, please read on – we hope this blog will help!

 

1. Do you need your IT systems monitoring 24/7?

One of the main things to consider is whether you need 24/7 monitoring of your IT systems. By this we mean, for example, the status of your anti-virus protection, backups and emails, as well as your disk space and memory use, and more. Without 24/7 monitoring, any support you receive will be reactive. This means an issue, such as a backup failure, would have occurred possibly well before you became aware (sometimes days, even weeks), which can leave your organisation in a vulnerable position. With 24/7 monitoring, your IT support package is proactive, so any issues are dealt with as soon as they arise (and sometimes before you even notice).

  

2. Do you need emergency out of hours support?

If an issue arises outside office hours, how important is it to able to access support? If you don’t operate outside office hours, or if you’re a micro business, then perhaps it’s not that important. But if your operations run 24/7, an IT issue occurring at 2am can be just as urgent as one at 2pm. If emergency out of hours support is included, then you know your organisation will be supported at any hour.

 

3. Do you need unlimited remote and onsite support?

Who’s to know exactly how much IT support your organisation will need over the next 12 months. Be wary of any IT support package that places a limit on the amount of incident support you can receive. Additional charges outside the contracted package may be hefty. If the support isn’t unlimited, be sure to find out indicative costs should a problem crop up.

 

4. How are you currently backing up your data?

Data backup (that’s your files, emails and systems) is essential – and it must be done securely, automatically and reliably. Some IT support packages include backups as standard. Not only is this a great perk if your current backup system leaves a lot to be desired, but it can be significantly more cost-effective to have data backup provided as part of a package than as a service in its own right.

 

5. How quickly do you need critical issues fixed?

Just how catastrophic would a critical issue, such as your server going offline or your email system being down, be for your business? Response and proposed resolution times to critical issues are likely to vary depending on not only the IT support provider, but the type of package you choose. The higher the level of support the package provides, the quicker the response to critical issues will be. It’s worth giving this some consideration.

 

6. What anti-virus protection are you currently using?

It goes without saying, anti-virus protection needs to be part of your cybersecurity strategy. If you’re already paying for protection separately, it’ll probably be more cost-effective to have protection provided as part of an inclusive IT support package.

 

7. What contract length are you comfortable with?

An annual IT support contract is typical, so unless you know and trust the provider, be cautious of entering any contract longer than this. At Orbits IT, we’re so confident you’ll love our IT support that our standard contract terms are just 30 days.

 

8. Would you benefit from the availability of loan equipment?

If your hardware failed, how would you get by until the replacement is procured? If you don’t have any spare resources, at best, you may be off radar and out of action for several hours – but it could be days. Some IT support packages offer loan equipment, which is a nice safety net to have, should you ever need it.

 

9. Would you benefit from an annual IT review?

As your organisation changes and grows, how are you keeping check on your IT infrastructure? How are you making sure your IT systems are functioning as efficiently, reliably and securely as possible? Are there any new technologies or services that may be beneficial? An annual IT review will give you confidence and peace of mind that IT in your organisation is being proactively monitored and managed. It’s a benefit worth looking out for.

 

10.  How do costs compare?

Of course, costs shouldn’t be the most important consideration, but it’s one that has be considered and compared nonetheless. In fact, in the Orbits IT December 2017 annual customer survey, a third of our customers said they chose us on the basis of cost. It’s just as well our customers rate our value for money a cool 9.9/10! We recommend you do your research and consider the bigger picture.

With these tips, hopefully you’ll find an IT support provider that ticks all the boxes!

 

Questions?

If you have any questions about the points covered in this blog, or, would like to find out more about Orbits IT’s IT support packages, please get in touch on 02920 003313 (Cardiff) or 0121 270 3377 (Birmingham).