Who Provides IT Support For Alpharetta GA Companies?

Are you looking into IT support in Alpharetta, GA?

Outsourcing your IT support in Alpharetta will lighten your workload and help take the burden of IT support off your employees’ shoulders. The key to being happy with your IT company is finding a team that you can trust with your critical computer network. There are other factors that can influence your choice of an IT company in Alpharetta including cost, experience and expertise. You have to meet your own budgetary requirements to stay profitable. However, labor hours delegated to an outside IT company give your staff more time to work on your core business. Here are the top factors to consider when selecting a new IT support company.

1. How Important is IT for Your Bottom Line?

Like any machine repair, maintenance and repair on your computer network depends on what’s wrong, how old your system is, what needs to be updated and how many devices you own or rent. Since small businesses often have a tight cost budget for all departments, it is critical to weigh the cost-benefit analysis when choosing an IT company in Alpharetta. Before narrowing down your selections, it’s helpful to examine the types of IT service agreements available in the industry. These three agreements are the most commonly used:

Break-Fix Service

How much does your staff actually use computers in your business? Some industries are computer heavy, while others use computers primarily for administrative purposes. For small- to medium-sized companies that use their computers sparingly, the Break-Fix service is a good fit. The Break-Fix service agreement is like contacting the local “geek squad” for your ailing devices. Break-Fix is exactly what the name alludes to, “you break it, we fix it,” each time you have a repair issue. Invoices are issued on a “per repair” basis as parts and labor are used. Your monthly cost can vary widely depending on what help you need that particular month. The biggest drawbacks are the potential for sudden costly repairs and significant downtime.

Per Device Service

Another service agreement method is a “Per Device” agreement. This type of IT support agreement charges a monthly or quarterly fee for each device serviced. These fees run up to $100 per month cost in an “a la carte” fashion similar to ordering from a restaurant menu. Your company’s budget determines the level of support and/or service rendered for each device throughout the period. For companies that have a small number of computers, this agreement may work best for you. However, keeping your network updated might become a challenge.

Per User Service

A third option, a “Per User” service agreement is the most commonly-used service agreement used by IT support in Alpharetta. Per User service agreements are the most flexible because they can grow and adapt to any changes in your business while continuing to provide maintenance for all of your computers and devices. Costs may vary depending on several factors including your location, type of equipment, industry, tasks needed and other factors. Full-service computer services run approximately from $100 to $200 per user per month.

2. What Do You Want Your Alpharetta IT Company to Do for You?

An IT company in Alpharetta can perform many tasks for you to free up time from your own employees. Some businesses prefer to keep some IT work in-house, while other companies want to outsource everything. Your IT support company can do any of the tasks listed below and more based on what you require for your business:

• Adding and deleting users
• Network monitoring
• Data backup
• Email archiving and filtering
• IT support for employees
• Maintaining a firewall
• Protection from viruses
• Software management
• Equipment purchasing or leasing
• Server and equipment maintenance
• Mobile device management
• Compliance management
• Application management

When you interview prospective IT companies, you can discuss your specific needs, programs and equipment to ensure that your needs match up to the IT expertise offered.

3. Gaining IT Team Experience

Experience is one of the best qualities that a dedicated IT support operation can offer to any small business. It is helpful to have access to a team that knows how to deal with issues that crop up and therefore can take care of them quickly and completely. The right IT support firm will supply support 24/7 to practically eliminate downtime. IT support companies train their staff to stay up-to-date on critical software and hardware changes and problems so that they can be ready when issues occur. Since IT isn’t your core business, it may be difficult to be completely aware of the latest information in the IT field. As a team, your IT company in Alpharetta has decades of experience that they can lend you whenever required.

4. Is IT Support Worth the Investment?

Hiring an IT company in Alpharetta is ultimately up to you. You know the best whether turning over these computer network tasks will save you money and stress. However, there is no question that your business needs a high-quality functional computer network to stay competitive in your industry. If you decide that having IT support 24/7 and on-call technicians to maintain and repair your computer network is a priority for your company, then hiring IT support in Alpharetta is worth the cost.