Modern IT services go far beyond typical help desk tickets and user cybersecurity training. On the surface, it may appear that your IT team simply solves technical issues and updates software systems, but maintaining a business’s technology infrastructure is a complex responsibility that requires expert guidance and a specialized skill set.
If you feel your IT team is falling behind, it may be time for your organization to switch to a managed service provider (MSP) that’s capable of handling the entirety of your IT needs, particularly as your business scales. But how do you know what to look for—and where to start looking?
Businesses typically start their search for a better-managed IT service provider because they’re experiencing one or more of the following struggles.
Many IT service providers prioritize tickets by the percentage of your company the issue impacts, the degree to which the issue affects productivity, or some other arbitrary reason—which means some tickets are left unanswered for days, weeks, or months.
Unnecessary service delays occur when support lines are answered by non-technical reps who simply put you in another holding queue. When your call gets answered, you may get a technician who does not fully understand your problem and needs to escalate your issue yet again—causing even more delays.
Smaller MSPs may not have the breadth and depth of talent to be able to cover all of your needs, especially if you’re a growing business looking for the latest technology trends.
Cybersecurity is limited to installing basic antivirus and perimeter-based detection software, leaving you vulnerable to ransomware attacks and unable to maintain industry-specific security standards (e.g., HIPAA or CMMC).
Lack of Apple expertise means the departments or divisions that use Apple products don’t have adequate support. Even if the majority of your company currently uses Microsoft, Apple products are becoming more and more popular, especially as the work-from-home trend seems here to stay. Everyone on your team deserves proper IT support.
At Ntiva, we strive to solve these issues by providing:
In this guide, we provide an overview of Ntiva’s specialized IT services and take a deep dive into each of the features mentioned above. Then, we’ll briefly cover four other MSPs to aid your search.
For more than 15 years as an MSP, Ntiva has served organizations of all sizes across various industries including government contracting, healthcare, nonprofit, education, legal services, financial services, manufacturing, and more.
Some of Ntiva’s most-requested services include:
But we don’t stop there. In addition to a handful of other specialized IT services, we also provide a comprehensive, four-step onboarding process to set you up for the best experience possible, and you won’t be charged during this time.
Let’s dig deeper into a few of these specialty services and show how Ntiva has helped other companies use technology to achieve their business goals and stay secure.
Most IT help desks work something like this: A non-technical representative answers the phone and asks you a few general questions about your issue. Then, they create a support ticket, assign a priority level, and assure you a qualified technician will call back. If your issue affects a lot of people in a major way, you’ll likely get a quick response. However, if your problem only affects you or only affects the team in a minor way, you may end up waiting days, weeks, or months before getting a call back (if you ever do).
Additionally, many MSPs assign a low-level technician to manage your ticket upfront and only send in expert technicians when they deem it necessary. This often creates even more delays because the more experienced technician needs to be contacted and brought up to speed before moving forward on solving the problem.
At Ntiva, we believe every problem should be solved in a timely manner, no matter how big or small it is. That’s why we have experienced technicians answering our support line.
Our technical experts answer the phone in less than one minute, on average, and are able to resolve 75 percent of issues on the first call. Plus, all of our technicians are based in the U.S. to mitigate language barriers.
“Being a small company and having a bigger company like Ntiva, which provides us with our outsourced IT, was a great find. Their help desk is very responsive ... They worked their tails off to get us moved to the cloud in a timely manner. We were under the gun. They came up with a great solution, quickly."
— James Yount, President and Senior Managing Director at Destra Capital
Many MSPs will only help you install and maintain a few basic security features such as antivirus software, perimeter-based detection, or multi-factor authentication, leaving huge gaps in your cybersecurity. For example:
Ntiva provides enhanced 24/7 cybersecurity services, including:
An independent school in Maryland experienced an emergency outage that caused their core network switching to fail. This left them without access to both internal servers and hosted applications, and it caused all devices to execute a factory reset.
They reached out to Ntiva, and we sent an on-site technician to restore the outage right away. Then, we helped them build a BC/DR plan which included backing up their data on the cloud and forming a long-term partnership with our team.
When comparing different MSPs to determine who will be able to provide the best support, most companies consider how many years of experience the technicians have. Although this is a great place to start, you’ll also want to consider the size of their support teams and the tools they have on hand.
The size of the MSP is important for two reasons:
Businesses often overlook what types of tools their MSPs can use for diagnosing and fixing technical issues, but the tools they use will affect the quality and type of service they can provide. For example, many MSPs advertise that they can support both Microsoft and Apple systems, when in reality they only use Microsoft-native tools and security software internally. You can solve some issues by using Microsoft tools on Apple products, but these solutions are more likely to fail. Eventually, most companies experience an issue that can’t be solved without certain native tools.
Ntiva has a department of more than a dozen Apple-certified technicians with over 20 years of experience. Our staff utilizes Apple-native tools to ensure your Apple products are fully supported and secure.
PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, was working with a mix of Microsoft and Apple products and needed an MSP with expertise in both areas. For many years, they worked with two separate vendors—one with expertise in Microsoft products and one to support their Apple products.
When they found Ntiva, they were impressed by the support they received for both Microsoft and Apple devices, and they were pleased to be working with just one provider that could manage diverse IT needs.
Ntiva’s dark web monitoring solutions offer human and AI-powered monitoring that protects your organization’s sensitive and personal information. Ntiva searches far and wide to discover compromised data in every corner of the dark web, including private chat rooms.
If and when we find compromised information, we notify you immediately so you can better defend your information, including:
As long as the dark web exists, it will be a threat to your business and any private data you may have. We ensure our approach to dark web monitoring remains as strategic and efficient as possible to protect your business against attacks and leaks.
“[We have] been working with Ntiva for more than 11 years. They’ve been proactive. Anytime I’ve had any kind of issue, they’ve been very good about addressing it. We are very happy with Ntiva's ability to provide strategic advice beyond tactical break-fix service." — Scott Bryles, CEO at Bryles Research
Onboarding a new vendor is a big investment of time and effort, and it can take several weeks (or months) before you’re able to take full advantage of the services they provide. We’ve taken special care to get you up and running quickly and ensure as smooth of an onboarding process as possible.
Ntiva onboarding has four stages:
Onboarding typically takes 45-60 days to complete, but you won’t be charged during this time.
Industrial Magnetics Inc. (IMI) hired Ntiva to co-manage its IT services alongside its in-house team. During the preliminary stages of the onboarding process, Ntiva took inventory of all software and hardware to assess current cybersecurity efforts by identifying any vulnerabilities they had in place.
Close collaboration with the IMI team allowed Ntiva to provide the client's IT team with access to enterprise-level management tools, including networking management software, inventory management, and ticket management. Additionally, the IMI and Ntiva teams put together a schedule for meeting regularly to discuss IT strategy, budgeting, and short and long-term recommendations.
Many MSPs charge a recurring fee for access to on-site help. However, nearly all technical issues can be resolved remotely, which means you’ll be paying for a service that you may or may not use.
At Ntiva, we believe you should only be charged for services that you actually use, which is why we offer on-site support on an as-needed basis. This keeps your monthly rate down while ensuring you always have the help you need. Additionally, we have a physical presence across the U.S. and partner with many local IT providers to ensure you get fast on-site support whenever you need it.
“We have an on-site field operations technician from Ntiva who comes in once a month. He solves any direct issues we are having, and I like being able to have face-to-face conversation with a consistent resource.” — Paul Downey, Director of Finance and Administration at SNAC International
Even knowing Ntiva’s wide service range and level of expertise, your search for an MSP should include other options for outsourced IT service providers. We’re here to help you streamline the process by offering a list of four additional top managed service providers to choose from.
Dataprise is headquartered in Maryland, but it also has a physical presence in several major cities including New York City and Dallas, TX. They are an MSP with a focus on IT infrastructure and cybersecurity. Their main services include:
Browse Dataprise case studies and resources.
Burwood Group has locations in Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, and Southern California. They also offer remote support across the nation. They are an IT consulting and integration firm whose main services include:
Browse Burwood Group case studies and resources.
Electric is an IT services company that focuses on day-to-day IT needs for small and medium-sized businesses. Their main services include:
Browse Electric case studies and resources.
All Covered is the nationwide technology services division of Konica Minolta. Their main services include:
Browse All Covered case studies and resources.
Whichever MSP you ultimately choose, it’s important to ensure they’re willing to work with you to find ideal solutions for your business and goals. One-size-fits-all and break-fix methods for managing modern IT systems are no longer sufficient. A top managed IT service provider will not only keep you in the loop but also find ways to advance your organization through the power of technology.
See how Ntiva can help you save on costs, increase productivity, and get the most out of your technology with our managed IT services and solutions.
Ntiva provides fast, 24/7 IT support, advanced cybersecurity solutions, and expert consulting to help you align your IT environment with your business goals. To learn more about how Ntiva can help you save costs, increase productivity, and get the most out of your technology, book a consultation today .
Want to learn more about Managed IT Services for your business? See Ntiva’s Managed IT Services.
Managed IT Services and Support
Managed Backup & Disaster Recovery Service
IT Support for Employee Onboarding & Offboarding
IT Help Desk Services and Support
Managed IT Procurement Services
Network Monitoring & Management