Great Lakes Computer Corporation

Managed Service Provider

IT outsourcing

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What to Look for in an IT Outsourcing Provider

IT outsourcingLike so many small to medium sized businesses, you have certainly considered IT outsourcing from time to time. Gaining access to enterprise level IT support at SMB prices makes a lot of business sense. But, as with any vendor, you need to find the right Managed Services Provider for your particular needs. Here are some criteria to consider when reviewing potential MSPs.

  • The Managed Service Organization Itself

    You may have found an IT Outsourcing firm that offers the services you need, but have you looked at their actual company? Take time to investigate their culture and organizational goals. How long have they been in business? Have they adapted their offering as technology has changed? Do they have plans for change in the future? You want to partner with an organization that values the same things your does.

  • The Staff and Contact Points

    One of the biggest struggles businesses face when it comes to IT support is dissastisfaction with attitude of their techs and help desk reps. Schedule a meeting with the actual people who will be working on your account. Ask them questions about how they’d respond in different scenarios and get some of their backstory as it pertains to experience. Pay attention not only to the content of the response, but the way they interact with you. If you feel like they aren’t listening to you or explaining thtings in a way you can understand, think about how frustrating those behaviors would be in an IT emergency.

  • Applications and Systems They Support

    While they may offer “Cloud computing” options, they may be contracted with a provider that you don’t think is a good fit. Ask about the applications they prefer to use and have them justify the choice. If you think the apps they use aren’t in line with your goals, then this is unlikely to be a successful partnership. While many managed IT services address server maintenance and repair, they may not service legacy models. If you have an older system that is out of warranty, you need a provider that can continue to service it until you’re ready to make a change.

  • Contracts and Changes

    Many MSPs will require you to sign a contract for their services. What are the terms of this contract? If your needs change, can the contract outline scale along with your business? If you are looking to make a technology shift in the future, how will that impact your terms? If you’re bringing them on for a IT support for a single project, what are the impacts if deadlines aren’t met or issues come up? Be wary of companies that offer very basic packages and then nickel and dime you for any additional work. You want a complete picture of the scope and timeframe of any project from planning to implementation to quality assurance testing on the back end.

  • Security as a Priority

    It does not matter what their specialty or focus is, if they don’t value security above all else, they are not the partner you want. We are in an age where wires are disappearing but more and more machines are being connected. This Internet of Things has a lot of upside in terms of usability, but it can have a major downside if security is not prioritized. The more our systems operate online, the more safeguards and preventions and training we need to ensure our data remains protected.

We’d like the opportunity to prove to you we are the right Managed Service Provider for your business needs now and into the future. We are certain that we can provide best-in-class service at a reasonable price. Our staff is friendly and knowledgeable and our technicians at our help desk are expertly trained. Give us a call and let us show you just what we can do for you!

View our full line of IT Solutions here.

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5 Ways IT Managed Services Benefit Your Business

managed it servicesAs a Managed Services Provider, we are clearly a little biased when it comes to IT outsourcing. We know we can help alleviate the stress and burden that IT management can create for business owners. But, in case you need a more convincing argument, we’re sharing these five benefits from Tech Guru Daily.

1. Easier IT cost management

The price of outsourcing IT services is usually fixed. With IT staff, you will have to think about their salaries, sick leaves, and other unplanned costs. Besides, you will need to take care of adequate networks, storage, and security. Unexpected costs may arise at any time, resulting in potentially significant expense fluctuation. Meanwhile, you can contact a specialized company whenever you need it, and you will have the fixed monthly costs before you. This allows you to manage your budget much easier and more efficiently than with an in-house IT management system.

2. No worries about preparing your staff

With your own IT staff, you may need to think about training and retraining them to prepare for your specific business requirements. This process takes not only financial resources but also plenty of your precious time. Additionally, your workers inevitably come and go, and you will have to plan new seminars and lessons if you want to hire IT workers. There is no need to think about this with IT managed services. When outsourcing your IT needs, you can expect that you are certainly working with experienced specialists. You don’t have to wait for your staff to become prepared!

View Great Lakes Computer Full Managed Services Brochure.

3. Quick technology implementation

This benefit is directly related to the previous point. Working with an IT management company, you will be able to improve any aspect of your business’ IT system, including the speed and security of your network. With your own staff, you would have to at least wait until they are certified enough to start implementing your projects. It would then take even more time for your inner IT system to be completed. IT management company knows what to do from the get-go, and you will just need to have enough budget and time for Managed IT Services.

4. You can stay focused on your business

The resources of businesses are not unlimited nor are the time and attention of every manager and employee. Making complex IT decisions is time-intensive, even if your workers are experienced and know what to do, not to mention how challenging it would be for new staff. So why not outsource your IT needs to an IT service management company? You will have one less thing to worry about and both you and your managers will be able to directly focus on what your business is on the market for.

5. 24/7 support

The typical 9-to-5 workday won’t be sufficient if you want to have your IT network spot on constantly. Your users need it around the clock, so you should be ready to support them whenever necessary. Besides, if you don’t have your IT workers and rely solely on an IT service management company, you may need assistance at the most unexpected and inconvenient moments. Whether your goal is to support your users all day every day or resolve any issue in the shortest possible time, managed service providers will be able to provide you with day and night support.

View their article here.

Reduce the stress, challenges, and costs of meeting your computer technology needs yourself by outsourcing your IT function.  As a Managed Service Provider (MSP), our team of highly qualified IT experts will provide the computer service support you need with a team of hard-working and experienced computer techs, leaving you to do what you do best: grow your business.

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7 Reasons to Outsource Your IT and 3 Potential Risks

managed serviceAs a business owner, you’ve certainly considered outsourcing some of your business functions because you simply don’t have bandwidth to handle them all. This is a simple call for things like accounting and contracts. But, your IT management can always be a little intimidating to release control over. Here are seven reasons you should consider IT outsourcing and a few reasons not to.

  1. Reduce operating costs. When you outsource, you are not responsible for all the costs associated with hiring an employee in house, like benefits and insurance.
  2. Gaining expertise without training. By hiring an experienced professional you get the benefit of having an expert without funding their ongoing education.
  3. More time to take on forward thinking projects. By giving IT management to an outside vendor, the team members that were previously tasked with it are freed up to work on growth projects instead of putting out fires.
  4. Increased productivity. If you have to stop midday to fix the printer or replace the toner, your work flow is interrupted. By limiting these maintenance tasks, you get to stay focused on your core competencies.
  5. You don’t have an IT expert. If your operation is small enough that you can’t have an in house IT person and are managing it yourself, you are putting your business at risk. Today’s network environment is a risky one, and your software and hardware needs to be updated regularly. Hiring a managed service provider ensures someone is paying attention to your IT needs and knows the current best practices.
  6. Reduced risk. As noted in the previous point, the risks today are not to be ignored. If your data is not secure, you are putting your livelihood in jeopardy. There are risks from all angles – cybersecurity, man made and natural disasters, hardware failures. An MSP will ensure your threat defenses are up-to-date, your data is backed up, and your hardware stays online.
  7. Maximize resources. Regular maintenance and monitoring extends the life of your IT hardware, but it’s a task that often gets overlooked by employees who aren’t specifically assigned to it. In the case of Managed Print services, your printer use is analyzed and optimized to ensure you’re not paying for supplies you don’t need and your printers are working at their capacity.

As promised, here are three risks of outsourcing:

  1. Employee morale might be affected. If you’re looking to outsource to eliminate an in house position, there is clearly going to be some friction with your team.
  2. You may get stuck in a bad situation. There are plenty of IT service providers that, while technically capable, are severely lacking in customer service. Many lock you into contracts and you feel you have no options so you tolerate it.
  3. You have to give up some control. In order for outsourcing to be effective, you need to loosen the reigns on controlling that particular business function and allow the expert to do what they are best at. That can feel risky, although is ultimately probably best for your operations.

The key to outsourcing is finding a provider you trust that has the expertise suited to your particular needs. Great Lakes Computer Corporation has been providing IT managed services for over 30 years. We offer a range of services and pricing packages to ensure you get the services you want at a price you can afford. We emphasize customer service above all else. Our expert technicians are highly trained and personable on top of it. Our service makes the difference.

 

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