Your IT service provider is your silent partner who helps you keep your business running smoothly behind the scenes. They’re there to prevent cyber attacks, backup your files, help your clients onboard, and so much more. Therefore, outsourcing this part of your business is not a decision you should take lightly.
From the scope of services to your budget constraints, you probably have a lot to think about before you outsource. That’s why we’ve included a short guide to finding the right local managed IT services for you, along with the top IT service provider in Los Angeles.
Why Local Managed IT Services?
Let’s look at some of the benefits of local IT services:
- Quick response times: Although IT support can be 100% remote, it doesn’t hurt to have someone on call who could stop by in an IT emergency. With local IT services, you can count on them to come in for network or server fixes on-site.
- Compliance with local regulations: If your business is also local, and you have to adhere to specific industry standards, it’s better to have an IT support team familiar with them. For example, if you’re in healthcare, you must comply with HIPAA regulations. An overseas service provider is likely to abide by different regulations.
- Lower service costs: Smaller local IT services can be more affordable than big remote firms. They’re also more likely to have flexible pricing they could adapt to your needs. Finally, don’t forget the absence of travel fees in case someone needs to come in to fix something.
Now that you know the top reasons to go for a local IT provider, let’s go over the steps to finding the right one.
Find Good Local Managed IT Services in 5 Steps
You can find the best local IT managed service in only five steps:
1. Think About Your IT Service Needs
Consider your current IT infrastructure and what it lacks. Try to identify what parts of your system are vulnerable. For example, your servers may be prone to cyber attacks, or you may be making a switch from one OS to another and need help transitioning. This will help you narrow down your choices based on what they offer.
2. Consider the Scope of Services
When outsourcing IT support, consider what other services you could have covered by a single provider. Some crucial services you should outsource include:
- Cloud management: Remote managed cloud services that include storage optimization, app integration, access control, etc.
- Network and server maintenance: Bandwidth management to ensure full network capacity during work hours, as well as server upgrades and fixes.
- Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity protocols for issue detection and prevention of cyber attacks.
- Backup and disaster recovery: Data backup and recovery plan in case of a digital or physical disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane.
- Virtual CIO consulting: Personal IT advisor for planning and dividing your IT budget and optimizing revenue.
- IT helpdesk: IT support for clients and employees, assistance with onboarding, password resets, and much more.
Managed services ensure that you’re fully covered, whether dealing with a cyber attack or server issue.
3. Check Whether They Provide 24/7 Support
Managed IT services should provide ongoing support for your team, no matter the time of day, Having 24/7/365 assistance with all things IT-related in case of an emergency is vital for preventing downtime. That’s why you should make sure the local IT service provider can assist you round the clock.
4. Consider the Price of IT Services in Your Area
Make sure that the costs for local managed IT services align with your budget. For example, if you need typical daily assistance, you’d only need an IT helpdesk. However, if you need ongoing IT support for network health and managed cybersecurity, you can expect higher quotes. Thankfully, most IT service providers can give you a tailored quote that includes only the features you need.
5. Request a Meeting
Once you have a couple of options, meet with the IT team to get a better idea of their operations. Asks questions like:
- What industries do you specialize in? Can you provide references from clients in my industry?
- What managed IT services do you provide?
- Do you offer 24/7 support? What is your average response time?
- How do you ensure data protection?
- Are you compliant with government regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)?
- What type of pricing do you offer?
Hopefully, this short guide will help you make the right decision for your IT department.
Frontline: Best Local Managed IT Services in Los Angeles, CA
Our Frontline specializes in local managed IT services for small businesses in financial, manufacturing, legal, media/entertainment, and more. We’re here to take over your entire IT maintenance, which includes quarterly on-site visits to ensure everything is working correctly.
All our IT specialists are located in Los Angeles and surrounding areas and are always on call for emergency visits. However, we also provide online assistance all over the US thanks to our remote IT management tools.
Are you looking to improve your network and data security? Contact us for a free consultation and a tailored monthly quote.