For some companies, outsourcing IT support is a very good option. As technology becomes more and more integrated into how we do business, it is only logical that many businesses will outsource IT capabilities to reduce costs and increase productivity and efficiency.

Outsourced IT support provides companies with the competitive edge they need-not just to survive but to thrive. If you are looking for IT support in Houston, you need to ask your prospective partners the right questions. Here are five most frequently asked questions:

1.  What happens when my infrastructure goes down?

No matter how good your outsourced IT support is, in today’s cyber-centric world, the possibility of an IT disaster always looms large. While investing in IT support 247, it is important that you find a provider who is prepared to tackle disasters.

Your IT service provider should be ready to talk to you about a disaster recovery plan. A disaster recovery plan lays down what will happen if your digital environment goes down. The IT service provider will find out from you the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) that you want to set.

RTO refers to the point of time in the future at which your digital environment will be up and running again. It is the established target time for recovery of IT and business after a disaster. RPO refers to the point of time in the past to which you will recover. It is the amount of acceptable IT and business downtime during a disaster. For example, if you want the files restored to be no more than one hour old, your IT services provider will have to back up all your files every hour.

2.  What is in the service level agreement (SLA)?

When you outsource IT support, the service level agreement (SLA) is the contract that determines what services you will be getting when you pay the service provider. Some IT services providers offer ‘all-inclusive’ packages while others offer services à la carte.

It helps if you can discuss clearly what you are looking for from an IT service provider and then have them clarify how they are going to charge you for those services. You don’t want to be hit by hidden fees at the end of the month. You can straight away ask them what will get you a bill beyond the monthly service fee. Also, if you have been able to figure out what you need from a prospective IT partner, you will be able to understand better whether they are offering you a good deal or not.

3.  How will you keep me and my staff informed about what is going on with our company’s IT?

You would want to be kept informed about what is happening with your digital environment. Make it clear to your IT services provider at the very beginning that you expect to be included in what is going on with your company’s IT.

The best IT services providers have set procedures to keep their clients in the loop. You should ask your prospective IT services provider if they provide regular reports. And if yes then how often-whether weekly, monthly or quarterly. You also need to find out if they are willing to set up regular meetings with you to keep you up to date. Some IT services providers provide admin portals where you can go to check out a quick view of what is happening with your IT.

4.  How will your services support the growth of our business?

A company needs to grow. While deciding on IT support in Houston, you would want to choose a provider who makes expansion easy. As your business grows, you will need to employ more staff. Your IT service provider should make it easy and affordable to add new workstations, employee accounts, and even locations.

5.  What is your team like?

You would want to know what kind of team they have. Too many cooks spoil the broth. You should look for a small team of IT experts, security engineers, and customer service agents. Also, you need to find out about their level of experience.

Do you have any questions about IT support in Houston? You can leave your comments below.