Evaluation

As you compare IT consultants, service, and/or support providers; there are key questions to ask that separate the professionals from the hobbyists. Make sure you have a competent and professional organization that will give you peace of mind to know your IT infrastructure is working for you and your business and not against it. 5 key questions and things to look for below:

1. Do they have appropriate certifications?
2. How many full time employees do they have on staff?
3. Do they run their business like a business or a hobby?
4. How long have they been in business?
5. Do they have access to resources (i.e. knowledge base, vendor support)?

1. Do they have appropriate certifications?

SIC is a Microsoft Certified Partner. In order to become a Certified Partner, a company must have demonstrated expertise and a broad-range of experience delivering solutions featuring Microsoft products. Those who are certified have direct support from Microsoft 24/7/365 and offer a real world perspective to your technology strategies. Click here for more information.

Our technicians have Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and others, which demonstrates the technician’s proficiency in working with servers and networks featuring Microsoft products at their core. Amongst the many certifications a technician can have, this is the most relevant to our clients’ needs over the past decade. Click here for more information.

2. How many full time employees do they have on staff?

At SIC we have multiple engineers on staff so that we can serve your needs 24/7/365. Outsourcing your IT to SIC means you have support at all times. With the 1-man shop or an internal IT person, you have to concern yourself with gaps in availability when they get sick, go on vacation, or worse go out of business/quit.

We also have a support staff that handle ordering, vendor support, receiving client requests, scheduling service, and handling our accounting. What that means is our engineers are able to dedicate 100% of their time to serving you.

We do not subscribe to the “Lone Ranger” philosophy; attempting to be your hero in time of need. We fully utilize the resources we have available to us; from our own team, our vendors, and manufacturers; we find the highest, best practice solution to your needs.

3. Do they run their business like a business or a hobby?

Not all ‘techies’ are good business-people. In our experience, we’ve gained many clients because their current IT provider doesn’t meet their expectations.

SIC leverages a world-class, custom Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to efficiently manage, document, and provide our clients with solutions. We carry a $1,000,000 liability insurance policy to protect our clients from any liability associated with on-site accidents or injuries. Our business is based on maintenance, instead of the traditional ‘break-fix’ model of IT service. Our clients pay us to maintain their network to prevent issues, rather than only paying us an hourly rate to fight fires.

4. How long have they been in business?

SIC has been serving the needs of small and medium size businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1997. Having not only survived; SIC has in fact grown and thrived during economic downturns over the last decade. This includes the “dot com bomb” of the late 90’s and the aftermath of 9/11. SIC today continues to grow and serve the needs of its clients.

We have found that our competition tends to multiply in economic downturns, only to disappear when the job market becomes more favorable. For many or our clients this becomes an unnecessary problem they learn the hard way. Make sure you choose an IT provider that has proven stability regardless of the current economic climate..

5. Do they have access to resources (i.e. knowledge base, vendor support)?

SIC does not subscribe to the “Lone Ranger” philosophy; attempting to be your hero in time of need. Nor do we pretend to know it all. We fully utilize the resources we have available to us; from our own team, from our vendors, and from manufacturers; we find the highest, best practices that give you a solution that fits today and tomorrow.

We have strategic partnerships with major manufacturers and vendors that allow us access to phone, email, and web knowledgebase resources to assist us with finding solutions. We leverage these resources with a keen eye on long-term solution and peace of mind for you. Click here to see our core values.