If there is one thing that the whole world will agree on nowadays, then it would be this. Businesses need technology in order to not only boost their success but actually survive. I believe that you are already aware of the importance of technology and the reasons why companies need it nowadays, including the reasons listed on this page. In simple words, if you tried running a business without technology, you would most definitely fail.
Since you are aware of the importance of technological developments, I am not going to talk about that right now. Instead, I’ll focus on something more specific, as I am sure that every single business would like to get some help when it comes to using different technological solutions. Well, that type of help is exactly what we are going to be talking about today.
There is no doubt in my mind that you have thought about using managed IT services and finding a company that can provide you with those. Actually, the fact that you are here tells me that you are probably ready to use those services and that you simply want to learn a few more things before partnering up with a particular company. As you already know, you’ll have to make an agreement with any particular company you choose, and that’s something that you should pay special attention to.
A managed services agreement is created in order to protect both parties, i.e. you and the supplier. Before signing it, you will need to check what it consists of and talk the terms through with the IT services provider that you have chosen. There are, of course, some important things that this agreement should cover, meaning that you should check it out carefully, so as to see whether those significant aspects are covered.
If you’re not sure what managed services precisely are, you should read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managed_services
- Precise Services
First and foremost, the agreement needs to include precise information about all the services that are provided to you by the particular company. You need to have everything on paper so that you can be sure that your IT services provider is in charge of dealing with certain things and situations that might arise. This way, both parties will get protected, since the supplier won’t be able to reject doing certain jobs that fall within the agreement, or do any of the work that isn’t stipulated by it.
It would be a good idea to also clearly stipulate what’s not covered. This might be more important for the supplier since they want to be clear about the things that aren’t their responsibility, but it will also help the user of these services understand that there are certain things they won’t be able to rely on the supplier for. That way, you’ll know if you need to hire someone else for certain services.
2. Terms & Conditions
What would an agreement even be if it didn’t clearly state the terms and the conditions of a specific type of cooperation between two parties? Once again, these terms and conditions are there to protect both of those parties, meaning that they should be specifically outlined in the agreement. The length of the contract, the prices, auto-renewal options, as well as contact information are only some of the things that need to be outlined in the terms and conditions.
3. Information About Hardware
The terms of using certain hardware solutions should also be perfectly clear to everyone. Among other things, the purchase information, the precise specifications, as well as warranty data should all be stated in the agreement. This way, there will be no confusion about any of the hardware that is being used.
4. Information About Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is basically on everyone’s mind today and we can agree that it is one of the main reasons why people decide to get managed IT support in the first place. Unsurprisingly, the provider of these services should have a comprehensive and detailed plan on how this security will actually be addressed. Those details and plans should be clearly outlined in your agreement so that you know precisely what to expect, and what not to expect.
5. Confidentiality
Confidentiality is also extremely important for both parties. It’s possibly even more important for the user of the services. So, make sure that the contract has a confidentiality clause and an NDA, as that will certainly provide you with great protection.
6. Information About Termination Of Agreement
It goes without saying that you should be aware of all the ways in which this contract could be terminated. Plus, you want to know what happens after the termination, especially when it comes to owning certain data. So, check to see if these pieces of information are included in your agreement before signing it.