4 signs you’ve outgrown your IT support provider

As your business has grown through the years, chances are that your needs from your IT support provider have grown in all areas as well, from finance and human resources, to sales, operations and technology.

In the area of computers and technology, you may have started with the help of a freelance expert, buying help as needed. Sometimes it’s the proverbial nephew or brother-in-law who is “good with computers.” Other times it’s a local one- or two-employee IT vendor who knew how to do what you needed, ie., set up an email server or back up files. 

No matter how you got where you are, now you find that your business technology needs have grown. That old model isn’t working anymore. Yesterday’s IT support may have worked before smartphones, cloud computing, and remote workers but today you find yourself thinking you might need a much wider range of support expertise.

Here are five signs to help you determine if you have outgrown your existing IT provider.

Sign #1: You have an email server

Do you have an email server?

If you answered, “Yes,” it’s a good indication that you have outgrown your current IT operations model.

Gone are the days when you needed your own in-house email server, software and related technical support. Today, cloud email services are the model businesses of every size use – from small and medium sized businesses to global enterprises. 

One huge benefit of this change is the end of costly monthly backups, software upgrades, lost emails and downtime.

With the cloud solutions like Microsoft® 365™ or other cloud-based email, you can enjoy the same email features and tools of a Fortune 500. This new model also supports productivity for all your employees, including remote and mobile workers. To use email and tools, all you need is a connection to the Internet. 

If your current IT vendor still has you on an email server, it’s a good sign you may need to look for a new support model. 

Sign #2: Your IT provider is slow to respond

Service and support are vital to keep your IT systems up and running. When you have a problem or need a question answered, you need it now.

With the complexity of computers, software, networks and the cloud, it’s not unusual to have questions or issues often. To evaluate responsiveness, consider these questions: 

• When you call your IT support contact for help, are they getting right back to you?

• Do they fix open issues on time and as promised?

• Are you alerting the provider to an issue or outage, or are they proactively alerting you?

As a business today, you can’t afford downtime. If your current IT provider responds slowly or works on a reactive model of IT support, that’s another good sign.