“I’m looking for someone to put on retainer just in case something goes wrong with our law firm’s network.”
That’s what the guy on the phone said.
Later, as the conversation progressed, I found out that his name was Don Townsend and that he ran a
law firm here in Markham with four partners, six paralegals, and another five admin support staff.
Why is that important?
Well, there is usually a correlation between the number of computers, mobile devices, and servers used by a company offering a professional service and the number of employees they have.
In the case of Don’s firm, he has eight desktop computers, seven laptops, eight company smartphones, and a couple of tablets. On top of that, his office uses a virtual server on AWS and half a dozen cloud-based applications.
With all that going on – combined with his firms zero tolerance for downtime – he did need someone to be “on call.”
That’s why he had picked up the phone and started the conversation with the
PACE Technical team.
I think, however, that Don was a little confused by my next statement.
What did I say?
I said,
“Don, I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t think what you are asking for is in your firm’s best interest.”
Yes, that got his attention.
I went on to explain that with their zero tolerance for downtime and their need for always-on, instant access to their virtual server and their hosted cloud applications, they really needed something more than a break/fix retainer agreement with an IT company.
Why?
Because if you are calling your IT company that’s on retainer for emergency network services, it means that something has gone wrong and you are losing valuable billable hours waiting for someone to come, diagnose, and repair your network.
Add it up.
What does your firm lose per hour if your network is down? You’re paying your staff, AND you’re suffering productivity loss.
So if an emergency “we’ll call you if there’s a problem” retainer agreement isn’t the solution, what is?
It’s Called Managed IT Services.
Unlike a retainer-based network services solution where an IT support company waits until you break down to fix the problem, Managed IT Services focuses on continuous maintenance and monitoring to ensure that you don’t experience downtime in the first place.
Take your car for example…
You could either pay your mechanic to check over your car regularly and maintain it (so you don’t have any breakdown surprises), or you can drive it until you’re stranded on the road, have to call a tow truck, and pay a hefty emergency repair bill.
What makes more sense?
We all know that regular vehicle maintenance saves us money in the long run, so why do companies treat their IT hardware, software, and cloud assets differently than individuals treat their auto maintenance?
Often it comes down to customer education.
The truth is that business leaders want the peace of mind that Managed IT Services provides for them, they just haven’t heard of subscription-based IT maintenance before.
Now that you’ve heard about continuous, budgeted network services for your Markham company, what do you think?
Are you happy with three to fifteen hours of downtime while a break/fix or retainer-based IT support contractor gets familiar with your system, diagnoses the problem, orders any needed parts, installs, configures, and restarts your company’s network?
Are you okay with surprise IT repair bills?
Or…
Is predictable, subscription-based Managed IT Services that includes continuous network services starting to look attractive?
For Don Townsend and his Markham law firm, an easily-budgeted monthly IT maintenance fee made sense.
He realized that he could have all the maintenance, troubleshooting, and help desk services that his company needed PLUS, even more, IT services included in his monthly fee.
Onsite Visits for Network Issues – Are They A Good Idea?
The idea of “I have someone I can call if something goes wrong” may feel good when you sign the contract with a retainer-based or break/fix IT support contractor, but is it the best plan?
Let’s think about it for a moment.
Something goes wrong with one or more of the computers at your business, and you give your “go-to” computer guy a call.
He arrives in an hour or so – if he’s having a slow day – and begins to work.
He’s a great guy and your staff like him okay, but if he’s working on their computers, what are they doing?
Standing around…waiting…trying to look busy.
That’s right.
Many times, remote IT support and repair is a better solution for businesses like yours.
That’s why PACE Technical tries to use the off hours in your business to remotely maintain your systems as well as discover and fix any outstanding issues.
Sure, we have no problem sending out an employee to your location, but if we can accomplish the job more quickly with remote access and save the disruption to your employee’s productivity, we’re glad to do that.
It’s all about giving you the IT support experience your company deserves.
Want to know more about subscription-based network services (Managed IT Services) here in Markham Ontario? We’d be happy to talk with you about your company’s IT support requirements. Just pick up the phone and give us a call.
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