Outsourcing your company’s IT support or communications services can be a stressful and costly move, but with the right help it doesn’t have to be. Whether you are the head of a small business or SME outgrowing its current provider or a large company suffering from growing pains, your success could depend on your chosen supplier. Here, Dominic Jones , founder and managing director of Barton Technology , provides the crucial information you need when changing IT support provider. 

Why do people change supplier?

Typically SMEs and small businesses change IT supplier because they outgrow their current provider or their fundamental business needs change. When this happens, they might feel that they require a partner with more experience or understanding. The same often applies when small firms are looking for a new business telephone solution.

It might be that the customer has lost faith in their current supplier as a result of poor advice or bad experiences. For instance, if the problem takes longer to fix than expected or the costs are more than originally quoted, then the customer can be left with a bad taste in his or her mouth.

If tech-cowboys constantly blind you with jargon and treat you as just another support ticket in the file, you will understandably become frustrated. A large bill on top of your support agreement might be the last straw. Genuine IT support is about trust and understanding the customer’s business needs.

Will the handover be expensive?

Many suppliers will charge for switching to their service. Beware of this as costs can easily mount up! With Barton Technology there are no costs at all associated with the handover itself; the process and our recommendations are free of charge. The only expense that you might incur is that of buying any hardware or software that you choose to add to your network and the associated installation cost.

What information is needed from the previous supplier?

In order for the changeover to run as smoothly as possible, it is essential that your new supplier has access to the administration passwords for servers, routers and firewalls.

Will there be any downtime involved?

Check this with the new supplier first, as there may be a break in service between old and new – this is especially true of any upgrades or software changes. Barton Tech performs the audit and changeover in a non-intrusive way so there is no downtime.

Are there any security risks?

Make sure that any passwords and private details are kept secure by your new supplier. Ask about the processes that they use in order to safeguard your information and that of your clients. For instance, we have found that the three best ways to ensure total security are to:

1. ensure all of our employees go through extensive vetting checks,
2. change any passwords other companies might have had access to in the past, and finally,
3. use an authorised personnel form, which nominates designated security staff and other approved employees, ensuring that only they have access to your details.

It’s easy to see that not all IT companies are the same.

by Dominic Jones, Managing Director
dominicj@barttech.co.uk
Established in April 2000, Barton Technology is a privately owned company with a proven approach which is quality driven, thorough and extraordinarily successful. From their headquarters in South London, they specialise in providing IT Support and Business Telephone services to customers in the Construction, Not for Profit, Retail, Finance, Legal and Insurance SME sectors and who are located in London, Surrey and Kent.