Jason Robison:
Hey guys, and welcome to our Q & A Series where we answer some of the most common questions we hear in office technology! The last time we got together, we talked about MSPs: what it is and really, who is it for. This time, we’re going to evaluate how to pick the right MSP for your business. Like we did last time, Jaime Hall is here with us and she’s going to help us answer this question. So Jaaime, what is the very first thing a business should look at when considering who to hire as an MSP?
Jaime Hall:
So, the very first thing that you need to consider is what is the service coverage area of that MSP and you need to verify that your business is located within it. Keep in mind that most issues can be solved remotely, however, there are going to be times that require an onsite technician. So, keeping that in mind, how far are you from that MSP? It’s going to affect the response times. And also, you might want to clarify if those visits are included in your agreement or if those are charged for an additional fee.
Jason Robison:
That’s a great point.
Jaime Hall:
Availability is the second thing. There are some MSPs that offer around-the-clock support, not completely necessary for all businesses. Other MSPs offer support only during business hours with an option to add emergency support that might include nights or weekends, holidays, even. It’s just important that you consider your own specific needs, make sure they align with what that MSP offers.
Jason Robison:
That’s good. Those are really great points. What are some of the must-haves? I know a lot of MSPs have different products or services and all that stuff, but what are some of the must-haves when considering an MSP?
Jaime Hall:
Let’s talk about 2021, especially in light of last year. One of the top priorities for business owners, this year especially, is cybersecurity.
Jason Robison:
Yeah, with COVID, I mean, cybersecurity took off. It has become such a bigger problem now than it has been in the past.
Jaime Hall:
Absolutely. Cyber attacks are on the rise. And not only cyberattacks, let’s talk about backup solutions in general. You should look for a provider that’s going to provide both local, which is “onsite” backup, as well as cloud backup, or what we call “offsite” backup. But more importantly to that is what you really want to look at is how often does that MSP test that backup solution and can they provide you documentation as a proof source that says, “Hey. We can get you up and running quickly. We can get all your data recovered. We can get you restored in an efficient way.” Because really, that’s the name of the game there.
Jaime Hall:
The second thing is – as kind of a must-have, if you will, is the strategic planning piece. Business owners aren’t IT people. So when you partner with an MSP, that’s one of the biggest benefits that we offer. An MSP should be constantly looking for ways to improve your business through technology initiatives. That includes evaluating what you’re currently doing, looking for new technologies to overcome challenges, helping you develop a procurement plan, and preparing a budget. The best MSPs really meet with their clients regularly to make sure those things are in line with our corporate objectives.
Jason Robison:
Yeah. So we’re really not just looking to outsource IT like, “Hey, you guys deal with it.”
Jaime Hall:
Right.
Jason Robison:
It’s more of a strategic partnership, so if a business grows, the technology has to scale to support that growth.
Jaime Hall:
Absolutely. And so when we talk about that, it’s critical that an MSP is in constant contact with the business owner or the C-level so that they understand what that business is dealing with at that time and they can make adjustments, like you said, scaling and evolving as those business needs change as well.
Jason Robison:
So we hear all the, “We need this, this, this, and this.” However, we all know that a lot of MSPs are not built the same. We have good ones, and we have bad ones. How does a business really determine whether or not the MSP that they’re talking to is good or bad?
Jaime Hall:
There are a couple of things to look for when you’re vetting an MSP. The first thing is to look for is a guaranteed response time. This is typically going to be outlined in the service level agreement, or what we call the “SLA”. The second thing is to ask for are metrics to support those claims. Those are big claims and you want to make sure that they’ve got the metrics to substantiate those.
The second thing I would ask for is references of current customers, not past customers, current customers. Get some references. And also, you might ask for a case study or two. Bonus points for any case studies that are relevant or within your same vertical.
Jason Robison:
Now a business, you guys have heard all the stuff. Will you tell the viewer how they can get more info? Because we just kind of scratched the surface here. Do we have anything that’s out there where they can really read and get to know this process a little bit better?
Jaime Hall:
Absolutely. Check us out online at www.Xceloffice.com. We actually have a blog post over this exact topic where we elaborate a little bit more. Like you said, we just touched on a few key things but there are about 15 or so factors and some kind of subfactors within that, that it’s really important to know, be aware of, and to discuss with your MSP during the evaluation process. If you’ve got any questions, you can also reach out to us over the phone. It’s (405) 748-4222.
Jason Robison:
Oh, excellent. And too, if you’re on YouTube, we’re going to leave that a link to the blog post. We’re going to leave that down below in the description. And if you are on YouTube, go ahead and give us a “like”. Let us know that you’re watching, as well as hit that “subscribe” button because we are going to release these videos once a month and you should probably know when they’re coming out. All right, guys, also finally check us out on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Guys, have a wonderful day! I hope this helps you in determining what the right MSP is for your business and if you do have any questions, we would love to help you out in any way. Guys, have a great day. Talk to you later.
