For most modern businesses, their IT departments are of critical importance. When the IT system collapses, so does production and communication. Without proper IT support, this department can quickly turn from one of your biggest assets to an unmitigated disaster. In-house IT support is expensive to maintain and sooner or later the question often arises: should you outsource your IT support in Dubai to professionals?
The reality is that outsourcing your IT support in Dubai to dedicated support specialists can not only help boost productivity, but also reduce IT downtime (and the associated costs), and ensure your IT budget is spent effectively.
If you do decide to switch to dedicated IT support in Dubai, however, how can you make sure to choose the best partner?
How to make sure you outsource your IT support in Dubai to the best possible partner
Below are a few questions you have to ask yourself and the prospective IT firm before you sign any support contract.
What makes your firm stand out from the rest in terms of experience, accreditation, customer satisfaction, and staff turnover rates?
Every company that offers IT support in Dubai will claim to be the best. The reality is, however, that there are good ones and there are bad ones.
To start with, make sure that the firm you choose has the necessary expertise in your specific business sector. The financial sector, for example, has different needs from the manufacturing sector or the service industry.
Secondly, they should have all the relevant accreditations and certifications. Focus on internationally recognised certifications such as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001.
Thirdly, ask for references from current and previous clients. If the company is reluctant to come up with these, it’s a warning that something might be wrong.
Finally, ask about their staff turnover rate. A higher than average rate could be a sign of bad management, disgruntled employees, and a negative company culture. This is bad news because it takes time for new employees to get familiar with your systems and your staff.
How does the firm deal with security compliance issues?
The protection of your hardware and data is of paramount importance. In this regard, look for features such as incident response, vulnerability patching, firewall configuration, intrusion detection systems, and intrusion prevention systems.
Do you offer an SLA (Service Level Agreement) and how flexible is it?
The SLA is where the service provider lists the level of support your contract will make you entitled to. It also explains when and how the firm will take over the IT support function from your own staff and sets out time frames for the implementation of specific services. It should also clearly spell out how long it will, for example, take to get a response to service requests.
You also need to know whether the SLA can easily be adjusted to fit in with the changing needs of your company.
Does the company only offer emergency support or can it support your IT strategy?
Just about everyone who provides IT support in Dubai will offer emergency support when things go wrong. If your firm, however, has its own long-term IT strategy, it’s important to find a support specialist that will be able to assist you in implementing this strategy.
Will the IT support provider deliver timely and useful reports?
Many providers of IT support in Dubai only produce informal reports once a task has been completed. Particularly for bigger firms, this is not good enough. Make sure the company that will be taking over your IT support can deliver useful, detailed reports at regular intervals. If a disagreement ever develops, these reports can prove to be extremely valuable.
Will the main point of contact be a qualified and experienced individual?
Make sure that your dedicated account manager will have the expertise to support both technical and non-technical queries. Not only should they be able to manage both routine and emergency support requests, he or she should also meet with you regularly to help ensure that your business does not deviate from its IT strategy.
Does the firm have a system for customer feedback and how is that feedback acted on?
It is important for the firm you choose for IT support in Dubai to have a system that allows you to freely express your views about the handling of specific issues as well as their general level of support. Also, find out whether they have a system to professionally deal with both positive and negative feedback.