Technology Guidance for Business Leaders | Ntiva Blog

Guide to Finding the Top IT Outsourcing Service Near You

Written by Holly Dowden | Mar 2, 2021

As businesses evolve, they sometimes come to a point where taking on an IT outsourcing service makes more financial and logistical sense than managing all IT in-house.

In-house teams might have a more intimate knowledge of a company’s operations, but if your business hits a growth phase it can be a real challenge to scale IT services.

When an in-house team gets swamped, instead of being proactive they are often forced to adopt a break/fix mindset as a fall-back position, leaving your company both underserved and even worse, vulnerable to security threats.

That’s where IT outsourcing comes in, typically delivered by what is called a Managed Service Provider or MSP.

 

Does Outsourcing IT Save Money?

According to a Gartner report, outsourcing IT services to an external provider can potentially lower your information technology operating costs by 19%-29%.

However, reduced cost is not always the end goal, and of course cost savings can vary widely depending on your needs.

There are many benefits to outsourcing, including increased efficiency, reliability and security - all of which ultimately translate into cost savings.

But the truth is that technology changes so fast and has gotten so complex, especially when it comes to cybersecurity, that many in-house IT teams are hard pressed to develop the range of expertise that is required to keep up.

If you’ve recently come to the conclusion that outsourcing some or all of your services to an external IT service provider is going to deliver cost savings, unburden your existing team, increase your security and/or help your business grow and compete  - then read on.

 

How To Tell If An IT Service Provider Is The Best

So how do you go about finding the right IT outsourcing company? 

You could try searching on trusted tech comparison marketplace G2. It’s good for researching software and IT services and it features searchable customer reviews of 238 outsourcing teams and companies at the time of writing. 

But while a search here might uncover a diamond, ratings are subjective and the filtering functionality is limited, so you can’t sort by ‘top-rated outsourcing services in Alaska”, (if that’s where you happen to be) for example. 

Other directories are available, and of course you can also use the major search engines to look for outsourcing services near to your location.

But, you’ll still need a way to do your own filtering. 

Here’s criteria for what any trusted IT service provider should be able to do for you:

 



  • Identify high-risk elements of your current operation and business process that demand immediate attention
  • Provide proactive 24/7 monitoring of your systems, no matter your time zone
  • Implement services that fit your budget and your needs
  • Develop long-term plans of action for hardware, software, and support upgrades
  • Serve your needs
  • Listen/make you feel at ease

 

 

LEARN WHY NTIVA IS A TOP MANAGED SERVICES PROVIDER

 

 

Questions to Ask Your Outsourced IT Provider

That’s the overview, but now we need to think about due diligence. Here are some helpful questions to think about when you’re assessing IT providers

 

  • Is their company culture going to be a good fit with yours? Don't just think for the short term.
  • Company history, years in business, unusual peaks or troughs in activity? Any notable disputes or legal trouble?
  • Are they financially sound with decent market share? Any looming or potential claims that could hurt finances? 
  • Are they organized by industry or contract value? Which parts of the business handle outsourcing – are they local or international?
  • How are their resources like data centers and staff distributed?
  • Are they experts in the technology used by businesses like yours? 
  • How many years of experience do they have with transitioning employees?
  • Have they installed many new systems?
  • Do they usually partner with others to offer services? 
  • Are they impartial or do they have relationships with preferred third-party vendors?

 

What Information Technology Services Will You Be Outsourcing?

 

 

The next thing to consider is what services you will be in your outsourcing contract and whether your chosen provider has the capacity and experience to deliver them for you. 

Below are some typical functions and questions to ponder.

 

Service Desk

A US-based 24/7 service desk staffed by trained technicians can handle IT issues and solve the majority of them there and then. Make sure you understand exactly who is on the help desk, the hours they are available, and where they are located.

Remote IT Support

Most should be able to deal with end-user issues like Internet connection problems, lost passwords, slow machines, login problems, etc. However, they also should be able to handle software installation, quality control, cloud services, advanced troubleshooting and most importantly, cybersecurity services. In short, if it keeps your staff up and running, it’s important.

On-Site Support

Some issues can only be solved by on-site technicians, so is your outsourcing provider able to send someone when necessary? Do they offer on-site support plans?

Server and Workstation Management

Can your outsourcing company guarantee that they’ll keep your servers and workstations running optimally and keep your business safe from cyber-attacks? They’ll need to keep your information systems optimized and stay on top of regular security updates and patches.

Network Monitoring and Management

A good outsourcing provider will be able to manage your network 24/7. They’ll offer automated systems that can make sure that routers, firewalls, switches, and other equipment are working fault-free, too.

Cybersecurity

Cyber threats are omnipresent and relentless. Both large companies and small companies are potential targets but few have the resources to fend off attackers alone. That’s why you can’t accept anything less than 24/7 cybersecurity protection from your IT outsourcing provider.

Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR)

When disaster strikes, you need a plan B. Your outsourcing company should be able to help you select, install, and manage the right backup and disaster recovery solution for the day when you need to haul your business back from the abyss. 

Microsoft Office 365 Software Licensing

Is your outsourcing provider a Microsoft Gold Partner? The company you choose should have solid experience with Office 365, Azure, and Sharepoint, and be able to help you with migration from your current setup, providing ongoing management, and round-the-clock service desk assistance. 

Hardware and Software Procurement

Finding the right software and hardware for the job is a job in itself. Your outsourcing company should have the knowledge and skills to identify the right hardware and software for your business, and understand licensing, installation, maintenance, upgrades, and more. If they’re sizeable enough they may have the bulk-buying power to pass on savings to you.

Bring Your Own Device and Mobile Support

Mobile security is a big risk. Your outsourcing company should be able to create a BYOD policy and mobile device management solution (MDM).

IT Consulting

Choose an outsourcing provider who can offer IT strategy and planning, budgeting, assessments, security risk assessments, and more to give you the strategic vision to shape your business. 

Cloud IT Services

Can they handle everything from partial to full migrations of your information technology data and applications to private or public clouds, plus management?

Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Can your outsourcing provider relieve the burden of meeting HIPAA, FINRA, PCI-DSS, NIST, CMMC, and ISO standards?

Staff Augmentation

One of the main benefits of outsourcing services is that you can potentially get access to world-class information technology staff and outsourced workers without having to recruit them or retain them at the kind of pay levels that in-demand professionals will expect. 

And, you don’t have to worry about the skills that they have going out of date. IT is a volatile sector where software and hardware skills are constantly changing. 

Outsourcing part of a project to an expert team or individual could see it realized faster and more cost effectively than your team could manage.

Virtual CIO (vCIO)

When you don’t have the budget for a full-time CIO, can your outsourcing provider offer a vCIO to step in with strategic leadership when needed? 

 

The Top Six Managed Service Providers

Here are six of the best in our opinion. Surprise! Yes, we are at the top of the list, but since we know ourselves better than anyone we hope you’ll forgive us for blowing our own trumpet. 

We’ve gone from a standing start in 2004 to now ranking among the CRN top 500 managed service providers in the USA. 

We also climbed more than a hundred places between 2019 and 2020 on a list that’s 20,000 MSPs long, and we won’t stop improving. 

We got to this level by sticking to the three core principles that matter most to our clients: response, accuracy, and care

  1. Ntiva
  2. ComputerLand of Silicon Valley
  3. Summit Partners
  4. Dataprise LLC.
  5. Comport Consulting Corporation
  6. Clearpath Operations LLC

 

Is it objective? Well, the other five managed services companies were directly below us on the industry-respected 2020 CRN list and we look forward to replacing them with some names that are even further up the list when the 2021 update comes out.

 

Local IT Outsourcing Services By State

Naturally, we think that outsourcing services to us would be great for your core business, but maybe you’d prefer to find one that’s closer to you geographically.

Here are a few suggestions of companies for each US state with outsourcing models that can help you succeed no matter where you are. 

It’s not a wide range and we don’t have the capacity to evaluate them all, but now that we’ve given you some pointers on what to look for and what to ask, you’re equipped to make a more informed decision about who makes it onto your outsourcing services provider shortlist. 

Alabama

Dataperk

Novation Systems

Edgewire Digital Services

Alaska

Arctic IT

Weston Technology Solutions

Alaska Computer Support

Arizona

Avanade

Catapult Systems

ConvergeOne

Arkansas

Ensono

Edafio technology Partners

Windstream

California

Ntiva

Managed Solution

centrexIT

Colorado

K3 Technology

Lunavi

Amnet

Connecticut

Coretelligent

NWM

e+

Delaware

Danoffice IT

Bolder Designs

MySherpa

Florida

Ntiva

New Signature

UDT

Georgia

1Path 

Medicus Solutions

iVision

Hawaii

Hawaii Tech Support

DataNet Pacific

Technology Integration Group

Idaho

Cerium Networks

ZAG Technical Services

Right! Systems Inc.

Illinois

Ntiva

Burwood Group inc

Switchfast Technologies

Indiana

Cyberian Technologies

Perry Protech

Complete Technology Services

Iowa

OneNeck IT Solutions

RTS Technology Solutions

Artech Solutions

Kansas

CalTech

Results Technology

RBS IT Solutions

Kentucky

NetGain Technologies

CSI

Smartpath Technologies

Louisiana

Transformyx

CMA Technology Solutions

Microland Computers

Maine

Logically

Coretelligent

Systems Engineering

Maryland

OSIbeyond

Xpertechs

American Technology Services

Massachusetts

Bit by Bit

Mikrodots

NexusTek

Michigan

Center for Computer Resources

NeXt I.T.

Advantage Technologies

Minnesota

Scantron

Marco

ImagineIT

Mississippi

Burton Computer Resources

AGJ Systems & Networks

InCare Technologies

Missouri

The Miller Group

Dalechek Technology Group

Results technology

Montana

Wolfguard IT

Entré Technology Services

DIS Technologies

Nebraska

Teneo

Knights of Bytes

Fifosys

Nevada

Executech

Structured

Anexeon

New Hampshire

Network Heroes

Erlach Computer Consulting

NetEffect

New Jersey

eMazzanti Technologies

Network Doctor

Powersolution

New Mexico

Steady Networks

Priority One

J and J technical Services

New York

Ntiva

New Signature

Cisilion

North Carolina

IRIS Solutions

360 Visibility

Neteffect technologies

North Dakota

Network Center

NorthStar Technology Group

Silicon Plains

Ohio

Astute Technology Management

Civica

Avrem Technologies

Oklahoma

EMSCO Solutions

JMARK Business Solutions

I.T. Guys

Oregon

Vology

Assured Technology Solutions

Blue Arch Technology Services

Pennsylvania

Valiant

Nortec Cloud Services

High Availability

Rhode Island

CAI Managed IT Services

Attain Technology

IT Support RI

South Carolina

Pivotal IT

Bmore Technology

Fully Involved Solutions

South Dakota

Dakota Cloud Recovery

Next Level Technology

Riverside Technologies

Tennessee

Pratt Computing Technologies

ATA Technologies

NSG

Texas

Cleardata

Sirius Computer Solutions

Computer Transition Services

Utah

Solzorro

IT Now

Lightstream

Vermont

Versatile

SymQuest

All-Access Infotech

Virginia

Ntiva

Strategic Solutions of Virginia

Imyotek IT Services

Washington

BlackPoint

SWK Technologies

IT Haven

Washington D.C.

Ntiva

Innovative Discovery

BetterWorld Technology

West Virginia

Netranom

Intellipoint Technologies

IT MindShare

Wisconsin

Computer Magic

RMM Solutions

EO Johnson Business Technologies

Wyoming

OneIT 

Team Networks

Lunavi