With the continuing rise of ransomware and other malware, it’s never been more important for a business to make good decisions in choosing an IT provider. Every day brings news of new breaches, and for a small or midsize business a hacking incident can be an existential threat.
There’s no shortage of potential IT solutions for a business, and certainly no shortage of providers. But what your business really needs is not just a provider, but a partner. Here are the differences:
A provider will deliver transactional support; when something breaks, they’ll fix it. Providers will focus more on short term, reactive solutions that are likely to be ‘bolted onto’ your existing IT assets. How well their solutions will integrate with your existing technology is an open question, but what we see fairly often are security solutions that get in the way of existing workflows. This incentivizes employees to find ways to work around those security measures, defeating the purpose of having them in the first place.
An IT partner focuses on a strategic relationship that begins with a true understanding of your business, its goals and its workflows. In a partnership, any new IT or security solutions function as an extension of your operations. Instead of a break/fix relationship, your business gets solutions aimed at prevention from a company that’s invested in your success.
A partner looks at not just the present but the future, offering strategic guidance on planning and budgeting for what lies ahead in the ever-changing IT world. When it comes to technology, you don’t know what you don’t know … a partner will help to uncover those “unknown unknowns” as your advocate in positioning your business for safety and growth.
The benefits of a true IT partnership go beyond personalized solutions and collaborative decision-making. Those solutions, when implemented, should of course result in a stronger security profile, but also greater uptime and predictable budgeting.
If your business has a provider and not a partner, let’s talk.
Questions about technology or security? Contact Hill Tech Solutions.
