If you run a small or medium-sized business in the UK, you may rely on a managed IT provider to look after your systems, support your staff and help protect your data.
If you’ve received a quote, you might be wondering: Is it good value? Am I comfortable with the contract? And how do I know I can trust this company?
Here are a few things to check before you choose.
Start with what you need
Think about the problems you want your provider to solve. Do your staff wait too long for support? Do you need help managing Microsoft 365, improving security or planning a move to the cloud?
Write down your priorities and the systems you use. This gives providers a clear brief and helps you compare their proposals fairly.
Check their experience and qualifications
Ask whether the provider supports businesses like yours and knows the technology you rely on. Speaking to a client reference can give you a sense of how the provider communicates and handles problems.
Qualifications aren’t the be-all and end-all, but they can help show that a provider practises what it preaches. Ask what each one covers and check that the certificate is current and applies to the team and services supporting you.
Cyber Essentials focuses on five technical areas designed to help protect organisations from common cyber threats. Cyber Essentials Plus adds independent technical testing. Neither guarantees that a business won’t be affected by an attack.
ISO/IEC 27001 is a standard for managing information security. Ask to see the certificate and check its scope, expiry date and whether the certification body is accredited. Find out more about ISO/IEC 27001.
Understand the support and SLA
Before you sign, find out how your staff can get help, when support is available and how urgent problems are handled. Check what’s included in the monthly fee, as some devices or types of work may be excluded.
The service-level agreement (SLA) sets out what the provider has agreed to deliver. Check how it defines response and resolution times, when support targets apply, and what happens if the provider misses them. A quick response doesn’t always mean a quick fix, so make sure the SLA reflects what your business needs.
Check security, costs and contract terms
Ask how the provider manages system access, applies updates, protects backups and responds to incidents. Be clear about which responsibilities sit with the provider and which remain with you.
Look beyond the monthly price. Check for setup fees, extra charges, renewal terms and price changes. Make sure you know who owns your data and documentation, and how you can leave if the relationship isn’t working.
A word from our Managing Director
“For an Small to Medium business predictable costs matter, but the cheapest quote may leave out support you really rely on. Compare providers on the same services, and check what the monthly fee covers for your users and devices. Ask about setup fees, hardware procurement, backups and charges for extra work and see if it’s within your budget if the worst case scenario was to play out.”
Ryan Butler, Managing Director, Network Ltd
Choose a provider you can rely on
The right provider will understand your business, explain what it will do and show how it plans to meet its commitments. Check references and qualifications, read the SLA and contract, and ask what onboarding—and leaving—will involve.
At Network Ltd, we support businesses with managed IT and cyber security. If you’re reviewing your current support or looking for a new provider, find out more about our IT support.
