4 TIPS ON FINDING YOUR IT PARTNER

With the way the world works in the current time, a lot of a person’s or a company’s private information and data are stored and kept in an iron-clad IT system – accessible only by the user themselves, plus a trusted IT company.

So when looking for an IT partner, you must keep in mind various elements which could make or break you. What are some of them?

Look for a complementary partner

Not all IT partners provide the identical type of services. For example, you may be adept in providing IT support for corporations, being more experienced in complicated computer and server systems, but you may not be an expert in small-time, individual concerns for the average individual user. Choose a partner therefore who can help you fill that void in your IT expertise. Find a complementary partner – someone who can fill a lack in your knowledge.

Search for References from your industry.

The best references come from people who either have actual work experience with, or are privy to the reputations of various possible IT partners. Try asking for references when interviewing and considering partnering with another IT firm. Better still, hire an IT firm who can provide references in your industry – and make sure you call those references.

Look for one with strong communication skills.

Your IT systems will work better if you have a positive communication style with your IT partner. Ensure that you can communicate well with your IT partner. One thing to avoid is an IT consultant who uses a lot of technical jargon; you want someone who can explain his or her ideas in layperson’s terms. After all, how can you work efficiently together if you don’t understand each other? Better still – how can your clients work with someone they cannot communicate with?

Favour one who has strong protection for your company’s intellectual property

IT is an intimate part of your business. Ask each prospective IT partner about his or her perspective on IT security and what steps will be taken to protect your information. The worst mistake you can make is to partner with a firm who will give away all the secrets you worked hard creating and perfecting. And a really bad and careless move is to partner with a potential IT threat to your clients’ well-guarded secrets, data and access to valuable information.