Computer Network Support Company

There are a lot of computer network support companies out there. Some are good, some are great and some are just plain bad for your company’s health.

Just like there are many different companies to choose from, there are different ways to get support from your computer network support company. Because many firms are beginning to change the way they deliver computer network support (like this South Florida computer network support company) to their clients, you need to chose what type of computer network support you want before you can choose which company.

[For a full fact guide on how to ensure that you are selecting the best Managed Services Provider, please get into touch with us via the comment section below, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.]

Managed Services Provider vs. Hourly

The different types of computer network support are Managed Services and Break-Fix. They are industry speak for the two primary ways to deliver computer network support:

1. Managed Services – a fixed-fee model where you get a predetermined amount of services each month.
2. Break-Fix – a model where you call your computer support company when something breaks and they bill you hourly to complete the work.

Managed Services-Based Computer Network Support

With the Managed Services model, you can expect to pay a fixed-fee. The fixed-fee can be based on any number of variables, although, per workstation/server, per employee or a dollar amount that is agreed upon quarterly are all standard. The fixed price should provide, at the very minimum, automated workstation/server monitoring, system patching and some amount of preventative maintenance.

Many Managed Services Providers have plans that provide unlimited remote support in addition to the basic necessities, above. This benefits you in two ways:

1. No surprises - you are able to predict your monthly expenses for computer network support.
2. Aligned goals – the computer network support company is going to want to fix every problem perfectly, the first time, to prevent downtime and additional service requests. It doesn’t benefit them to fix a problem over and over.

[For a full fact guide on how to ensure that you are selecting the best Managed Services Provider, please get into touch with us via the comment section below, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.]

Break-Fix Computer Network Support

The most obvious benefit to the Break-Fix model is that you will have not committed to a monthly fee. Generally, this type of support is best suited for very small companies who cannot afford to be under a contract of any type. While less expensive in the short term, the long term effects of not having basic monitoring and preventative maintenance could be drastic.

Just like anything in life, it is generally more costly to fix something after it has failed. Especially if you find out that your backup hasn’t been working after you need it, or a security patch was not applied after you get the virus.

Picking the Right Computer Network Support Company

After you have determined that Managed Services is the way to go for your small business [hey, this is a site dedicated to Managed Services Providers], now it’s time to pick the right computer network support company.

Ask these Questions of your Managed Services Provider

Q. How long have you been in the Managed Services business?
A. Most pioneers in the industry have been in the business for 5+ years. Some as long as 10 years. Many Managed Service Providers don’t get their ’sea legs’ until year 3-5. I would be skeptical of any company that says less than 3 years and does not do a stellar job with the rest of these questions.

Q. What platform will you use to monitor and support my computer network?
A. Besides customer service, the platform they use is one of the most important pieces of the Managed Services offering. It is what alerts them to Exchange Server errors and SQL database errors. It is what handles preventative maintenance tasks like disk scans and Microsoft patching. There are many platforms out there, but there are only four primary ones. They are: Kaseya, Level Platforms, N-Able and Zenith.

Q. What are your Service Level Agreements (“SLAs”) and how often do you hit them?
A. Any good provider should be able to rattle off their SLAs for how quickly they promise to respond to your needs. Great providers (like this South Florida computer network support company) actually measure those numbers regularly and should be able to provide their performance to you. Be careful of a quick answer on their performance – it’s likely made up on the spot. Ask them to pull a report from their Professional Service Automation (“PSA”) system and send it to you. That way, you will be getting the real story.

Q. What professional organizations are you a member of? Any partnerships or community involvement? Any press?
A. Partnerships at the Silver or Gold level with companies like Microsoft, Citrix, Cisco, NetApp and other industry giants are very important. They indicate, not only that they are able to pay their annual partnership dues, but that they have a decent number of certified individuals associated to their computer network support company. Professional organizations like MSPAlliance and CompTIA do a good job of assisting Managed Services Providers to be their best and hold them to a ethics code. Computer network support providers who are involved with charities or their local community are more apt to provide good service because their reputation depends on it – word travels fast in those circles. While not necessary, any company who has been written up in local papers or in industry magazines like ChannelPro or CRN are obviously doing something unique.

Q. Will you provide at least three references who have been on your Managed Services program for longer than one year?
A. References are golden. References who have used the computer network support company for Managed Services for longer than one year are priceless in your assessment of their ability to deliver. Many Managed Services companies require a one year contract. If their client references have been with them long enough to sign on again, the company must be pretty good.

Questions to ask the Managed Services Provider’s References

When you speak with each of the computer network support company’s references, the questions you ask them are just as critical as the questions you ask the provider. The Managed Services provider is in the business of selling you their services – any decent provider s going to interview well.

However, unless they are family, their client references don’t care if you go with them or not. Ask them questions that will illicit much more detailed responses than “yes, we use them and they are good,” and you’ll have a better picture of how doing business with your new computer network support company is going to be.

For a list of questions that you should be asking your future Managed Services Provider’s references, please get into touch with us via the comment section below, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.