Companies of all sizes at some point look to outsource at least part of their technology support primarily to allow their existing staff to focus more on the business’s core competencies rather than day-to-day IT issues. Because daily support issues can be time consuming and require a great deal of time and attention, companies look to third party managed service providers who specialize in technology support issues. While it sometimes makes sense to bring in a third party technical resource for a small project, working with a managed service provider is usually a long term relationship, which means it’s important to do your homework to make to choose the right one for you.

First of all, it’s important to outline out what services you are looking for, and what kind of support you need. There are some firms that offer 24/7 support, while others only offer support during regular business hours. Also, it is important to know whether you will need the firm to send consultants to your site or if you would like them to work by tapping into your systems remotely to help you with your technology concerns. Most managed services providers work in a way where you can contact them through email or over the phone and they will respond in whatever mode is best suited for the job, including remotely accessing your network to support the issue.

More recently, companies have been moving towards cloud and virtual solutions. While these are definitely cost-effective and beneficial to companies to set up, they can still be demanding in terms of regular support and maintenance. It is important to find a consulting firm that is comfortable working with these technologies and can help troubleshoot incidents you may have with cloud computing or VMware servers. In order to verify this expertise, ask for VMware certified professionals, to make sure that the company has people on staff who have proven knowledge and experience working with these sensitive environments.

Lastly, If your firm is in an industry that has strict regulations to comply with, it is important to find an IT consulting firm that has the experience and certifications to be working on sensitive data and information in your industry. For example, if your firm is in the life sciences industry, which is rigorously regulated by the FDA, it is important that the firm you choose for your managed services solutions is familiar with HIPAA standards and regulations for data protection and integrity, and it is crucial that the technology consultants you bring in are GxP certified to validate your systems and hardware based on latest regulations. For firms in the financial industry, it is important that IT support staff is abreast of Sarbanes-Oxley regulations and is certified to be working in such a sensitive environment.

As mentioned in a previous blog post titled  “Domestically Outsourcing IT Services and Support,” the primary reasons to outsource IT services and support are to reduce and control operating costs, improve company focus, gain access to world-class capabilities, and to free up internal resources for other purposes. Thus, it’s apparent that outsourcing IT support, especially for day-to-day support issues that pull away resources from a company’s core function,  can be a good investment for a company. However, it is important to choose the right managed services provider based on your specific needs, including the size and type of your business, what kind of services you’re looking for, and what industry standards you have to comply with. By researching numerous managed services providers, and making sure to choose the one that best fits your needs, you will be able to find a solid partner for the long haul.

Life Sciences IT | Technology Consulting | MUSA | Managed Services | Domestic Outsourcing