Best ways to support small business IT
Small businesses form the backbone of our economy, contributing to job creation, innovation, and community...
Finding The Best IT Company For Your Chicago Organization
Your search for the best IT company in the Chicago area begins with a fundamental question:
What are your technology needs?
Once you establish why you are using technology in the first place, then you can select an IT company with services that best align with your business needs. For instance, if you are like most companies, you probably utilize technology in these core areas of your business:
- Online, email, and network security
- Data storage and access
- Software and hardware utilization
- Internal and external communication
- Creativity and collaboration
If so, then you can identify your needs and establish criteria for finding IT companies in Chicago that can meet those needs.
Understanding Managed IT Services
Most companies in the information technology industry have shifted their focus to offering a more comprehensive package under the umbrella of managed IT or managed services. One of the reasons for this is because business owners now outsource up to 100% of their IT so that they and their team can focus on internal operations. As a result, IT companies now take over a business infrastructure and monitor, maintain, and adjust the system as necessary.
However, managed IT can be a confusing term, because what is ‘comprehensive’ can change from one company to the next. Therefore, if a company offers managed IT services, you need to clarify what that means exactly. As you are interviewing Chicago IT companies, ask them to break down the services so that you have a clearer understanding of what they offer.
IT Support and Customer Service
One of the critical attributes of an IT company that you come to value more as you build a business relationship is their customer service. IT companies stake their entire reputation on how responsive they are to their customers’ questions, concerns, and emergencies. The best IT companies include the following in their customer service:
24/7 Remote Help Desk
A capable IT company can take care of most of your problems from their remote location without coming to your business. While a personal visit may be helpful, it’s rarely needed. The fastest and most direct way to solve most of your IT issues is for a company to connect to your network via a remote location and solve the problem from their office.
Fast & Ready On-Site Service
Although remote service is preferred, there are moments when you will need a technician to arrive on site. If you have hardware, software, or equipment issues or need someone to come in for training purposes, then on-site service is valuable. An IT company should offer both remote and on-site service.
IT Security & Cyber Threat Prevention
You do not want an IT company that can respond to a cyber attack and restore your system. Instead, you need a company that operates more assertively and prevents the attack from happening at all.
If a company cannot offer you several layers of security and multiple cybersecurity strategies to protect your company from malware or a security breach, then you need to keep looking for the right company.
To combat today’s cyber threats, an IT support provider should offer the following:
- Email encryption
- Malware and virus protection
- Some intrusion detection/prevention system or strategy
- Penetration testing
- Ongoing monitoring and analysis
- Two-factor authentication
- Password protection
Infiniwiz: The Leader in Chicago IT Companies
Do you want to learn more about what an IT company can do for your business? Then contact Infiniwiz. We offer complete managed IT services for small and mid-sized businesses. We are a Chicago IT consulting company that business owners can trust with all their technology needs.
To find out more about our services, call us today at 847-994-1111. We are here to help you create a strong network.
