If you have a business, small-scale, medium-scale or even an enterprise, you are sure to use an online platform, and when you get online, you need to protect your IT or technological aspects. And if you fail to do so, you might end up losing precious data and information and be prey for the crime criminals. With 76,000 cybercrime reports in Australia (Annual Cyber Threat Report 2022, ACSC), having strong IT support has become crucial, not just for cybercrime prevention but for many other aspects.
In simple words, IT companies deliver services related to computer systems, networks, and software for companies and individual customers. They hold strong calibre in the management of computer systems and networks, conducting system backups, ensuring network security services and helping companies with their technology needs. If a company lacks an IT provider, most of the time also referred to as a Managed IT service provider, a business network and system could have severe effects and consequences. So, if you opt for an IT provider, you can either have the option of a fully remote IT company or a local IT support provider. Both options have advantages; here, let’s look into local IT providers.
What is a local IT provider?
A local IT provider is basically an IT company based in your area that provides services related to IT, cloud, software, networks, and computers.
There are many advantages to choosing local support for your IT-related aspects. Some of them are:
- The personalised service can be unlocked as the face-to-face meeting adds a personal touch and customer service.
- A local IT service provider knows the community, what it is like to do business there, and possible challenges.
- In case of disaster recovery, a local IT services provider provides an instant advantage as they know the most danger-prone area and have service planned accordingly.
- On-site support with local technicians is available. This kind of support can be delivered to you within half an hour and help in reducing downtime costs.
- Local IT service providers can help businesses by offering in-person training and on-site group training sessions.
- They also contribute to the Local economy while supporting the local clients. In fact, they also create local jobs and offer solutions to unemployment in the local region.
So, if you want to avail of tech support from a locally based managed IT support provider, you might be in the state of asking how to proceed. Well, for that, you may have to look into some aspects. To help you out on this, we have come up with some tips on choosing the best local IT support company for your business,
Tips to Choose the Best Local IT Support Company for Your Business
1. Find out the distance and support a company of your size
Long-distance relationships can be difficult, especially if you have an IT provider that operates remotely. Suppose your IT issues show up, but they can’t be solved over the phone. In this case, Local IT support can provide you with quicker service. As mentioned above, any sized business can opt for IT support. To be sure of whether your business can be served well, you can ask the engineers if they have dealt with businesses similar to yours.
2. Check if they have worked with companies similar to yours.
A significant difference in service delivery is noticed when working with a local IT provider that knows a niche industry or has worked with clients similar to your business. These IT providers are seasoned and are familiar with industry-specific compliance regulations, common issues, work requirements, and cutting-edge technology. Suppose you’re an eCommerce company. Your goal is to get as many customers as possible while ensuring data security. An experienced IT provider in eCommerce can help you by providing support specifically to your needs.
3. Look for their own reputation in the Industry.
A company’s reputation is precious as it acts as a factor in expanding the company’s network and further connecting to new clients. To earn a reputation, the IT company must have diverse, certified, and experienced IT support professionals who can provide the best services at the right time. Furthermore, the awards, partnerships, and certifications can add to the IT company’s reputation. To know more about the company’s reputation, you can look for reviews and see what their clients have experienced. In fact, the best IT Companies work their best to maintain the earned reputation and offer the best possible services. Additionally, to make sure your local IT provider is an established provider, you must look for partnerships with major IT companies like Microsoft, Dell, and HP.
4. Inspect if they have different Agreement options for IT Support.
In the realm of outsourced IT services, there are different kinds of IT support arrangements. But in the majority, there are two support arrangements. They are:
- If you don’t have or don’t want to have an Internal It team, you can opt for a fully managed or all-inclusive IT support agreement.
- If you have an internal IT person or IT department, then you can go for a co-managed IT support agreement.
In either scenario, the agreement should be set up so that both you and the IT Company benefit. When the agreement isn’t in your favour, then you can move on to the next IT Support option.
5. See if they hold the seriousness for their own security seriously.
What do we do to check the credibility of any professionals; we certainly look for their perfection in their work. Well, considering that, a credible IT support provider has the best security for itself. If these support companies don’t take cyber security seriously for themselves, they are inviting risks for themselves and their clients. So, always make sure to be associated with an IT support provider that follows all the safety protocols and does the best security practices for their team and their infrastructure. In fact, their cyber security posture and the measures to stay immune against cyber threats must be solid. Most distinctively, they must perform security tactics such as penetration tests, vulnerability scans, phishing simulations, employee training, and others for their safety.
6. Check their documented process and handle support requests.
A majority of clients of IT Support Companies ask questions like:
- How are issues tracked?
- How do you handle after-hours support?
- How will the IT company work with my vendors?
- How does the onsite support work?
When answering them via any method of communication (phone call, mail, fax or anything), an ideal local IT support company must document each communication with each client.
Well, handling new clients for local IT support providers and for organisations, starting a professional relationship with an IT company can be rocky in the initial days. In order to ease the “learning each other phase”, these IT companies can have a documented onboarding and focus on effective communication. So, the best thing to do when seeking local IT support will be to know the IT company’s onboarding process and timeline and then set clear goals to avoid misaligned expectations.
7. Review their Customer Service and technology experience.
Problems and issues arise in every business that offers services, including IT support services. So in that context, best customer service is important as it inspires loyalty, recovers lost customers, fosters brand loyalty, and helps businesses grow. In simple words, the better the customer service, the greater the chances of success. An IT company is firstly proactive about the issues before they arise. In fact, a great IT support officer can make very complex issues understandable and solve them in no time. When working with a Local IT company, chances of miscommunication issues are slim. This indicates a better chance of getting the solution to a problem quickly and efficiently. Overall, establishing high levels of service for customers is the best way for IT companies to accentuate their growth potential.
8. Check if they are into actively managing to improve the technology experience
Innovation and technology are implemented by companies who are ready to move their business forward. The process of active IT management helps businesses use technology as a competitive advantage. Thus, when opting for local support, you should expect the IT support provider to improve your technology usage, suggest improvements, and many more.
9. Ask IT services-related questions
Ask it out rather than regretting later applies to the scenario when opting for local IT support. Some of the questions you can ask are:
- What do your facilities look like?
- Who are your current partners?
- What is your business roadmap?
- What is your disaster recovery/business continuity plan?
- What compliance frameworks do you support?
- What use do you make of automation?
- Can you help build my business strategy and other strategic aspects?
- What was your biggest client-facing issue of yours?
- What is your offboarding process?
You can also ask each IT support team for references, the client about their experience, accreditation of the staff. When you are satisfied with the answers and find the best fit for your business situation and plans, you can proceed to the next step of negotiation.
Besides these tips, you must consider the following factors when choosing local IT support.
1. Pricing or rate of IT service is the first consideration, as cost-cutting is the top reason for you to take the decision to outsource to IT professionals rather than having an in-house IT department or team. But don’t consider price solely; check for other factors as well.
2. See if their specialised experience and expertise are credible.
3. Consider choosing a managed IT support that uses a proactive approach over a reactive approach.
4. Do not miss out on understanding the tools used by the IT support company. You can Google to see the effectiveness of the tool and whether it can benefit your business or not. Also, see if they are using the upgraded version or not.
5. Another thing to consider is 24/7 Availability. Always choose a company that has high availability and respond right away if you ever have an issue.
Now that you have got the top tips and things to consider for choosing a local IT support company, you can use them and proceed with the selection process. Among the various IT companies in Australia, NSW IT Support can be your best choice.
Choose NSW IT Support for Flexible local support solutions in Australia
We, NSW IT Support, qualify as a reliable local IT company in Australia. Our first priority is efficient and cost-effective IT solutions for small businesses and businesses that fall on the medium scale. Our tech experts and engineers are fluent in their services of cloud computing, implementation of software, server and network management, data storage and data security, system backups, computers and other machine or devices repair and other technological aspects or needs.
With our managed service, we make sure to offer our technical knowledge and information for your business or organisation;’s progress. We ensure to meet the requirements of our clients via our helpdesk and support team. Here, our clients’ convenience is the top priority. Overall, we are confident in offering IT services at a very competitive price that yields the best outcomes and keeps each customer happy.
So, if you want to get your business technology in safe and sound hands, you can partner with us. Give us a phone call or contact us via mail to know more about our services or to consult with our technology consultants.
