Hiring an IT service provider can seem difficult. You need to be able to trust the security of your business’s information with them and trust them to protect your entire network. Whether you’re a big company or a small business, that can be scary. Do some research and check out local IT services and see what they have to offer. Here are some standard questions to ask when you’re looking at managed service providers in Dallas.
What Types of Protection are Offered?
Managed service providers in Dallas will know that protecting your information network isn’t just installing an anti-virus program on each computer. Many malware program designers know their way around the most common anti-virus protocols and can make their way onto your system despite your anti-virus software. A quality IT provider will manage your firewall actively and have access to intrusion prevention systems. Most common virus codes are annoying and mine data indiscriminately, but your IT provider needs to be active in working to prevent unauthorized remote access, for example from a possible targeted attack. Ask them to be specific in how they handle things when your system has been compromised.
Backups of Your Files
Hardware failures can happen, and losing data files usually comes with it. Your managed service providers should have a regular schedule for your network backups. Some providers might use a Cloud-based system where your info is remotely saved, and others might be more locally focused and install a server in your office. For the best security, you should have both, as well as a physical server that is off-site. Be sure which options are offered and which ones work best for you.
Maintenance and Updates
Ask your prospective IT services how they plan to keep your system up to date so that your business can stay functioning and compatible with the rest of your industry. Software programs come out with patches and updates regularly, as does Windows itself. As much as we all usually just hit the “remind me later” when a patch notification comes up, a managed IT service provider in Dallas should be able to manage these updates for you. They might be able to do so remotely when your staff has gone home for the day to avoid productivity disruptions, but they may need physical access to your system at times. How do they operate? Make sure their schedules work for your business.
Customer Service
Quality customer service is always in high demand. You need to know that, when your equipment is malfunctioning, you can call your provider in to fix it. Do they have a 24-hour support line? Are overtime or after-hours services exempt from your “unlimited” service contract? Are you allotted only a certain number of service hours under your contract? Will they manage your server only, or are they also responsible for the maintenance and repair of your actual computers? Ask your managed IT service provider in Dallas to be specific.
You know your business best; find a managed IT service provider in Dallas that works with how you operate. They’re job is to support your operations. It’s very much worth it to ask the questions ahead of time than to face potentially expensive problems down the road. Read the fine print on the contracts, this is one Terms of Service agreement worth reading. Click here for more details.