Choosing a technology partner for your business can be difficult. The pressure that comes with making decisions about purchasing, maintaining, and supporting your technology is overwhelming for many reasons, including:

  • Technology is expensive. Purchasing technology isn’t a fly-by-night decision. It takes careful planning and budgetary considerations to make sure you’re buying the right stuff.
  • It’s a critical business decision. Technology serves as the modern-day backbone of many businesses. Software, hardware, and communications technology are essential for businesses to function.
  • The market is tough to navigate. Technology companies are a dime a dozen, but good ones are hard to find. New companies appear at the drop of a hat, and it can be difficult to understand the industry jargon.

How can you be sure you’re choosing the right provider for your business? Selecting the right technology partner doesn’t have to be difficult as long as you have a plan in place. Before choosing a technology partner for your business, ask yourself the following questions.
4 Questions Tech Provider

1. Can They Support My Business?

Technology providers exist to support other businesses. Instead of troubleshooting issues for hours or scouring the internet for solutions, you can just pick up the phone or send an email and have someone else fix it. A good technology partner will give you multiple ways to contact your support team. When researching technology providers, look for common support options like phone, email, and online ticketing.

Availability

Even if you have a million options to get in touch with the support team, it only matters if they’re available when your business needs them. Make sure the company’s support hours line up with your business’s working hours. In addition, look for around-the-clock support. It’s the industry standard. Look for a technology partner that offers 24/7 support year round.

Additional resources

While phone and digital support solutions are great, it’s a smart idea to choose a technology partner that can also offer on-site support. Depending on how complicated your technology solution is, on-site support could be lifesaver for your business. Many technology partners offer on-site support, but make sure you thoroughly read your proposal to ensure it’s a cost-effective solution.

Furthermore, you’ll need to make sure the company has the resources to support your business:

  • Do their services encompass all of your technology solutions?
  • Do they have certifications required to support your business?
  • Does their website illustrate that they know their stuff through webpage content, blogs, and reviews?

2. Do They Have the Experience?

In some cases, taking risks can have a huge payoff. When it comes to choosing a technology provider, you’re better off playing it safe. Hiring a technology partner for your business is just like hiring a new employee. Do your research and make sure they have the appropriate qualifications for the job at hand.

Virtual CIOFirst, investigate how long the company has been in business. This gives you a sense of reliability. It can also help you understand how relevant the company is in its own market. In the technology industry, you’ll fall behind quickly if you can’t compete with the competition. If the company has been around for a long time, you’ll know they have the skills to stay relevant.

Longevity

It’s a great reliability indicator if a potential technology provider has been around for a while. You don’t want to pay a company for a year of services, then watch them go bankrupt in a month. When you’re choosing a technology partner for your business, be sure they’re financially stable. Do a quick Google search of the company’s name and review recent news for any potential red flags.

Industry Experience

Finally, make a point to ask potential technology partners about the industries they have experience working in. You want to ensure you choose a technology partner that can handle your business’s unique needs. Accounting companies have different security requirements than restaurants. Nonprofits have different technology needs than engineering companies. Make sure your technology partner can serve your industry with the tools and support you need.

3. How Does Their Knowledge Stack Up?

When choosing a technology partner, be sure you’re teaming up with a company that has the knowledge to support your business. What’s the easiest way to audit a company’s knowledge? Check out their website, blog, and online presence. When reading their website and blog or googling the company name, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Does this company know what it’s talking about?
  • Are there any glaring errors on the website?
  • Do they showcase employee skills?
  • Is the content informative or is it sales-driven?
  • Has the company won any awards for its work?
  • Does the company work with reputable vendors?
  • Is the website content up-to-date?
  • Are there good reviews from existing customers?
  • Do they offer additional services and knowledge that you’re interested in exploring for your company?

While doing the research, make sure you create a list of questions to ask when interview potential technology partners. Remember, finding a technology partner is similar to hiring an employee. Make sure you’re making the right investment for your company.

4. Do They Offer Secure Technology Solutions?

It only takes one hacker to find a tiny vulnerability and take down a business. Once your company’s sensitive records are exposed, it’s difficult and expensive to rebuild your reputation. Your technology is the digital front door for your business. You want to make sure you’re choosing a technology partner that can keep your business safe.

Protect your reputation

Security AccessWhen researching technology providers, ensure they have the security systems in place to protect your business. No matter what, if you lease the technology, if your data is stored offsite, or if you put all your cybersecurity in their hands, it’s ultimately your company’s reputation that’s on the line if you get hacked. You don’t want to lose customers because you chose the wrong technology partner.

Cybersecurity

Ask technology providers about cybersecurity solutions they offer alongside their technology packages. The company should be able to give you a thorough overview of how they plan to keep your business safe from cyberattacks. Depending on the size of the provider, they may be able to provide physical security solutions as well, like access control and surveillance. You also want to ask about past cybersecurity breaches and how the company resolved them.

Choosing a Technology Partner Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult

When you know which questions you need to ask and what you need to research, you can be sure you choose the right technology provider that can help your business grow. If you’re interested in learning more about the technology solutions High Touch has to offer, or if you want to learn more about our support, experience, knowledge, and security, click the button below.