What Essential Qualities Should You Look for in an IT Service Provider

Is it time for businesses to switch to professional IT services?

What essential qualities should you be looking for in an IT service provider?

In 2023 it has now common knowledge that businesses need technology to succeed in modern markets and economies. This is primarily down to the fact that digital technologies have enabled many tasks and processes in businesses (as well as communications between brands and consumers) to become great accelerated – meaning that the expectations consumers have of businesses are higher than ever. Therefore, a business need information technology; and, by extension, it means they need high quality IT support. We discussed this with TechQuarters, a London-based Microsoft Partner with experience providing IT support for Healthcare, Financial Services, and many other high-functioning sectors. When we asked them about modern business’ relationship with technology, they pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a prime example of how technology was relied upon to maintain regular services. As an IT service provider, TechQuarters also feels that businesses can gain a great deal from services like theirs.

Why Work With an IT Service Provider?

There are lots of reasons why IT services have become popular over the last decade. In particular, however, the last three years have demonstrated their value to many more businesses. Some of the key advantages include:

1. Remote Support – First and foremost, IT services are most frequently adopted by businesses so that they are able to access remote IT support. This was something that was in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Better Data Security – The other frequently cited reasoning for businesses to work with an IT service provider is to get better data security. Typically, these providers have more knowledge, expertise and resources to help businesses implement better data security and data redundancy.

3. Infrastructure Monitoring – Another resource that many businesses look for from IT service providers is the ability to implement infrastructure monitoring. The downside of having in-house IT staff is typically that they clock off with the rest of the company, and will only be alerted of IT issues during normal business hours. However, an IT service provider has the means to implement 24/7 monitoring for their clients’ infrastructures.

5. Project Work – Yet another oft cited quality that businesses are looking for is support with ad-hoc projects. Most businesses have IT projects that they want to do, but don’t have time for. This is something an IT service provider can help with.
6. New Tech Recommendations – We asked TechQuarters about this, as they also specialise in Microsoft 365 consultancy. Considering that many businesses believe that technology is one of the things that is holding them back from achieving success, this is definitely a big reason for working with an IT service provider.

Essential Qualities of an IT Service Provider

So, we know why businesses might want to work with a managed IT services company, but how can one tell whether you’re partnering with a good company? Below are some examples of essential qualities that an IT services company should have.

1. Proactive Approach to Support – Above all else, an IT services company should be highly proactive in the way that they provide services to the client. For instance, with IT support, the service provider should be monitoring infrastructure, performing routine maintenance and check-ups, etc. This is to make sure that they can catch IT issues as early as possible to save the client time and money.
2. Scalable Services – Another hugely valuable quality that businesses should look for in their IT services partner is how scalable their services are. A managed service provider can help a business become more efficient, more productive, and help them generate value for their customers – all of which are qualities that can help a business grow; and when the organisation grows, their service provider should be able to scale the service to meet their increased demand.