How Hard Is It To Switch IT Companies?

How Hard Is It To Switch IT Companies?

As many businesses are gradually returning to normal operations, we’re receiving several phone calls from firms seeking to change their IT service providers. One question stands out, though — how hard is it to switch IT companies?

Check out our latest video to learn more about best practices for switching IT companies:

Why Should You Switch IT Companies?

Did your current service provider struggle to keep up with your IT support needs during the COVID-19 pandemic? You are not alone. Most of the companies that have recently contacted us for transition requests admit that the epidemic was an eye-opener. From several days of site downtime to extreme security breaches, you cannot believe some of the stories we’ve heard.

The switching of IT companies is a massive project. You must, therefore, have valid no-regret reasons. Above all, trust your guts. You can discuss and sort out any misunderstanding with your service provider if you still trust them to change and deliver. With mistrust, however, the partnership is as good as done with.

Once you have decided to change IT companies, your reasons no longer matter. What’s now important is planning for a safe and seamless transition?

Throughout the switch, always refer to these questions for guidance:

• Which risks am I facing?
• How can I avoid these threats and achieve a safe transition?

How Can You Safely Switch IT Companies?

• Find a Replacement for Your Current Service Provider: Do not terminate your ongoing contract until a substitute is chosen and firmly in place. This is the first and most crucial step. The success of the transition depends on the IT company’s competence and their experience with such processes.
• Acquire Full Admin Access to Your Networks: Until now, your present IT supplier has unabated entry to some of your most confidential files and data. Who knows what they can do with this information if they learn of your intention to switch? With full administrative access, you can always monitor your systems for any malicious activities. Ask the service provider to give you an updated list of all your logins and passwords. Although this move may raise suspicion, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• Have a Reliable Backup of Your Documents and Data: Your organization’s data are the most precious assets. The last thing you want is to lose them from accidental deletions during a transition. Sometimes, you may misconfigure your files into illegible forms that may take days to recover. Produce at least two offline duplicates of your critical files. You can back up the others in a reliable off-premise storage facility, say the cloud. So, if the files are lost during the switch, you can rely on the backups to sustain normal operations as you seek a permanent solution.
• Let the New IT Company Assess Your Networks: They should focus on end-points that can be used as backdoors to your systems. Any security vulnerability must be corrected upfront. The evaluation should also look into the underused/overstretched infrastructure, overloaded servers, and suggest solutions to optimize the network’s performance.
• Cancel Your Current Contract: This is the final stage, and should only come once you’ve implemented all the above precautions. Here’s is where you agree on the terms of exit. Usually, details such as the break fee and the notification period are stipulated in the contract’s break clause.

Tips On Successfully Switching IT Companies

• Do not keep your other employees in the dark: Openly discuss your plan to switch, the new company’s protocols, and how they can chip in.
• What distinguishes a successful switch from the rest? The answer is simple – the capacity and experience of your new IT company. As you must have realized by now, it’s the new service provider that will be guiding you through most of the processes.

Are you experiencing any of the following?

• Similar problems with your networks?
• Protracted site downtimes?
• Continuous unexplained increments in your service bills?
• A break-fix IT company?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you need to switch IT companies. CSP, Inc is here to help you. For over 25 years, we’ve been providing hyper-professional IT solutions to organizations in Chapel Hill, Raleigh/Durham, Wake Forest, Cary, and Surrounding Regions.

Give us a call us now at (919) 424-2060 or email us at info@cspinc.com and let’s discuss your IT needs.

Discover the best IT company suited for your business.