If you're looking for an IT company in Dallas, you're probably looking for ways to differentiate among the many technology service providers.
When looking at IT companies in Dallas for IT support or computer repair work, it's a good idea to ask some critical questions of companies you're considering. Here are a few essential queries to make.
What Services Are Provided?
Before searching for an IT company in Dallas, be clear on what your technology needs are. Are you looking to outsource some or all of your IT operation? Do you need repairs or support for hardware and software problems your employees have? Can someone help assess your existing technologies and make strategic suggestions to optimize work and innovate? Are there software applications or databases you need to be built? Being clear about what you need helps you ask companies about what services they offer. Here are a few of the most common managed IT services:
- Helpdesk support for hardware, software and network issues
- Network monitoring and optimization
- Hardware and software upgrades and patching
- Vendor, contract and warranty management
- Virtual CIO consulting
- Managed security protections, including firewalls, anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-phishing tools and website access management
Who Will Be Working On My Account?
Know how many employees the company has if it outsources any of its support offerings and who will be working on your account. Will you have a dedicated account manager and engineer? Ideally, you'll have one central point of contact instead of working with a different staffer each time you call for help.
Is The Company Familiar With Your Industry?
Every industry has its own unique needs and challenges. You want an IT partner who is familiar with those industry-specific characteristics, typical software products used, and universal support needs. You want a company that works with businesses that are like yours, regarding industry, size and maturity.
What Billing Options Are Available And What's the Difference?
Managed IT services offer several billing possibilities: fixed-price, variably priced or per incident.
For most companies, the fixed-price model is the ideal solution. It gives you a predictable monthly cost for IT support and usually includes unlimited access to a help desk and other services.
Variable pricing is based on how long it takes to resolve your problems but can also lead to confusion and frustration. What happens, for example, if an issue that was fixed in one month recurs the next month. Some fixed-price agreements are variable pricing options in disguise, with a certain number of hours allocated for your account. But such agreements often exclude on-site support and limit hours when requests will be addressed.
Per-incident pricing may seem economical but can become expensive if the needs exceed the budgeted amount.
If you choose a fixed-price model, ask about what's covered, such as maintenance (upgrading operating systems, installing software and firmware patches), warranties, contract management and vendor interactions.
When Is Support Provided?
Outsourced help desk support is one of the most valuable aspects of using an outside IT company. It's important to know when assistance is offered. Is it just during regular business hours or are needs addressed after hours and on the weekends? Also be sure to understand how help desk requests are submitted, processed, assigned and addressed and by whom.
Is There A Service-Level Agreement (SLA)?
An SLA provides guaranteed levels of assistance for your business, including problem management and resolution. Quality, availability, speed, capacity and reliability. These measures are usually compared to agreed-upon metrics and should be reviewed regularly. Credits for failure to meet SLA requirements should be spelled out contractually.
One caution about SLAs. Bigger IT companies sometimes can take advantage of SLAs by delaying help until the maximum allotted time. So, if your SLA says that requests need to be addressed within three hours, it might be 2 hours and 50 minutes before you hear from someone.
Are You Compliant?
Depending on your business, you may be bound by regulatory requirements related to patient privacy, payment card security or banking regulations. You want to be sure that your IT partner is fully compliant (and can show you documentation) for any compliance requirements. If there's a problem, your company will likely be held responsible for data issues affecting your employees or customers.
When you need an IT company in Dallas, turn to Data Magic Computer Services. Our skilled teams can assist with a range of technical needs from managed IT services to computer repair and software development. To learn more about Data Magic, contact us today.
