What to Look for in Your Managed Services Offering

There are situations in which it may not make sense to build and maintain your own IT infrastructure. This is especially true if you’re working with a small team that really doesn’t have the time, resources or expertise to stay on top of your technological needs. This is when managed IT services from Woven can really make a difference.

It’s safe to say that not all providers are on equal footing. So if you’re currently shopping around for the best managed services, make sure they offer all of the following:

• 24-Hour Availability
  Your business may not operate 24 hours a day, but your online shop does – and your customers depend on that. What if you experience tech problems outside of regular business hours? You need a managed services provider who’s ready to leap into action to keep your ecommerce site up and running around the clock.
• On-Site Support When Needed
  These days, it’s easier than ever for service providers to work remotely, especially when dealing with cloud-based services and IT considerations. But there are going to be times when you need an expert with boots on the ground in your facility to set things right.
• More than Emergency Response
  We’ve found that a lot of managed services providers are understaffed and overcommitted, which means they often end up offering little more than disaster response. They’re just too busy to provide anything else. Look for a team that has a large staff and the availability to provide more than barebones emergency response. 
• Fast Response Time
  Following on from the previous point, you also need your managed services provider to be ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat. Again, they need to maintain sufficient staff and facilities to make this happen.
• Familiarity with Your Vendors and Services
  This point is often overlooked. Suppose, for example, that you take advantage of Woven’s ecommerce website development services. Ideally, you want your managed services provider to be well-versed in the various vendors, systems and protocol that are involved with operating your online shop. This ensures that the infrastructure they set up is going to meet your needs precisely. Of course, the best-case scenario is actually hiring the team that helped create your ecommerce website to also manage your IT infrastructure.
• A Contingency Plan
  What happens if disaster strikes? Your office could be vandalized; an electrical storm could take your servers offline; and a host of other problems could easily occur. You can’t prevent issues like this, which is all the more reason to ensure that you’ve got a plan in place. Formulating this plan ahead of time is the responsibility of your managed services provider.
• Cloud Services
  Some business owners are wary of forwarding their sensitive data to a cloud-based server. Regardless, it’s still wise to work with a provider that can facilitate this for back-up and security purposes if needed.

Needless to say, when it comes to the service offerings listed above, Woven ticks all the boxes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can seamlessly manage your IT infrastructure.