Every modern business, no matter the size, relies on information technology (IT) to operate effectively.
Online platforms are an essential part of managing data, processing sales, and marketing to a wide audience. Any business that relies on technology runs the risk of dealing with viruses, cyberattacks, and various day-to-day IT issues.
An IT support company that does not prioritize IT services and cybersecurity will likely find itself in a costly situation when any disruption interferes with online operations. This is especially true if you don’t have an in-house IT team focusing solely on your technology.
That’s why it’s important for businesses to consider outsourcing to an IT support company.
Outsourced IT services are dedicated to protecting businesses from online threats and other technological issues – all day, every day. The city of Dayton is full of up-and-coming businesses that could benefit from outsourcing their IT services to a managed services provider (MSP).
What Is an IT MSP?
An MSP is an outsourced IT services provider that equips companies with skilled IT technicians. These experts are dedicated to assisting businesses with company networks, servers, phone systems, employee onboarding, tech issues, security threats, and much, much more. In a sense, they function as your own IT team – but you don’t need to hire in-house experts of your own.
It is important to note that not all third-party IT providers are built equally. Choosing the right outsourced IT services company in Dayton matters.
How to Choose the Right Outsourced IT Services in Dayton
If you decide to adopt a managed IT services provider for your Dayton business, you’ll want to find one that provides:
24/7 IT Help Desk Services
A high-quality managed services provider will offer an online help desk run by an experienced IT staff. These help desk professionals should be ready to answer your questions and troubleshoot issues at the drop of a hat. Even a small technology hiccup could halt operations, which in turn, could result in the loss of sales.
Tech issues can occur at any time, which means you need an ever-present help desk. Choose an outsourced Dayton IT service with a help desk that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Quality Online Security
Outsourced IT solutions should include a heavy-duty defense setup for your business. Therefore, you want to ensure that you hire an MSP with experienced IT cybersecurity professionals.
If your company were to be the victim of a cyberattack, it could ruin your brand’s reputation and cause serious financial loss – which many companies are unable to recover from. MSPs with experienced IT technicians will give you the peace of mind that your company is safe from online attacks and viruses.
Managed Disaster Recovery Plans
If your business is struck by a disaster, such as a fire or a flood, you’ll need a quality MSP to help your business recover. A worthwhile IT support company will offer your business a recovery plan for when disaster strikes. This should include cloud-based backup storage for your business so invaluable data can always be recovered.
Cost-Effective Solutions
Lastly, you should look for an MSP that will work with your budget. IT services shouldn’t come in cookie-cutter packages. You need customized solutions at a flexible price. Talk to every MSP you evaluate about their pricing options and varying levels of service.
What Qualities Should Businesses Look for in an IT Professional in Dayton?
Deciding which outsourced IT Services provider in Dayton is best for your company requires careful consideration beyond its products and services. There is a low barrier to entry for starting an MSP – which means that there are plenty of managed services providers that offer subpar customer service.
It is extremely important to know which qualities to seek in an outsourced IT service, and which red flags you should avoid.
For instance, a high-value, trustworthy MSP will have positive reviews and testimonials from past (and current) clients on display. The more upfront an outsourced IT service provider is with reviews, the more credible they become in the eyes of prospective customers.
The reverse is true, as well.
If an MSP refuses to list any customer reviews or testimonials on their website, or won’t directly share references with clients, this is a giant red flag. A reputable MSP will have nothing to hide from potential clients and will eagerly provide reviews upon request.
Furthermore, a trusted Dayton-based IT support company will be highly available. An IT emergency can occur at any hour of the day – and even though some MSPs claim to have a 24/7 help desk, you shouldn’t take their word for it.
Learn about their actual availability. Pay attention to have quickly they respond to your concerns and questions. After all, actions speak louder than words.
If an MSP is difficult to reach on the weekends and/or holidays, it’s a bad sign. An MSP that is unavailable to assist with your IT issue on your schedule, or one that has long wait times, could end up costing your business dearly.
Lastly, when looking into a managed services provider, assess their credentials. A reputable MSP will openly share its qualifications with clients. Their openness is an indication of their values, as well as their qualifications in data security and privacy.
If an outsourced IT provider denies your request to examine their credentials, they should be deemed untrustworthy. The MSP that you choose to do business with will have both access to your company data and be in charge of protecting it. You need to ensure the MSP is reliable and ethical.
Why Companies Should Turn to Outsourced IT Solutions in Dayton?
Save Time and Money
Many Dayton businesses, especially small ones, believe they cannot afford outsourced IT support or think it is unnecessary. In contrast, managed services providers are reasonably affordable and often end up saving businesses both time and money.
MSPs eliminate the need for in-house IT support, ensuring quality online security and allowing employees to focus on core activities, rather than IT troubleshooting and research.
Some Dayton businesses will assign a few employees who are good with computers to manage IT issues. However, these employees typically have other responsibilities aside from IT. They may feel overwhelmed when a series of IT problems occur all at once.
Plus, these employees will only be able to solve IT issues during normal work hours – unlike an outsourced IT provider that can help at all hours of the day. MSPs will ensure that productivity remains steady with the help of a dedicated team of experts.
Stay Safe
Another benefit of outsourcing with a Dayton IT service?
Your business will be protected from online threats. Cybercriminals target businesses of all sizes every day. Recent research indicates that cyberattacks will occur every 11 seconds in 2021.
Companies without an MSP may find themselves falling victim to ransomware, phishing, or malware attacks. Many businesses hold invaluable data and private information from consumers within their servers. If compromised, this data could be damaging to their overall reputation and their customers’ safety.
Boost Productivity
An MSP also supports a productive workflow. MSPs help onboard new employees and help teach organizational systems and other online platforms.
Additionally, some IT support teams help implement automation to increasingly streamline processes in less time. Outsourced IT support companies take away the stress that comes with trying to protect your business online, as well as the struggle of keeping up with every IT detail on your own.
With an MSP, you can focus solely on growing and improving your Dayton business.
The Benefits of Turning to The Bridge Group’s Dayton IT Services
The Bridge Group is a Dayton-based IT service provider dedicated to protecting and maximizing clients’ IT investments. We offer a variety of managed services that protect and maintain devices, as well as software and applications.
This includes workstation management. Our team handles inventory reporting, automation, and security, as well as disaster recovery. We ensure your data is backed up in the event of a natural disaster. Our quality cybersecurity offerings keep your business safe from malware, phishing, and other common cyberattacks.
The Bridge Group also offers a 24/7 help desk with continual tech support and executive consultation services, if necessary.
We want clients to feel like we are part of their team. Building a valuable relationship with each client is something The Bridge Group heavily prioritizes. We recognize that all businesses are unique and have different needs – and we want to meet them head-on.
The Bridge Group has fourteen years of experience and has dealt with a wide variety of IT issues. We continually resolve IT problems in a timely manner so that clients can continue operations without interruption.
For example, we even resolved an entire office outage using only the clients’ phones. The Bridge Group is proud to have an abundance of positive testimonials from past and present clients in the Dayton area. If you want to learn more, just ask.
Let us take away the stress of managing your business’s technology. You remain focused on your goals with the peace of mind that your data and technology are secure.
If you feel that the Bridge Group is right for your Dayton business:
Please reach out to us for a free consultation. We can answer any questions you may have and discuss the best IT risk management strategy for your business needs and budget.
Reach out for a free consultation online or call 937-845-3626 today.