Factors to Consider When Selecting a Remote Infrastructure Management Vendor

For many businesses, remote infrastructure management can offer a wide range of benefits. It allows organizations to ensure the optimal performance of their IT infrastructure, while benefitting from an experienced, multidisciplinary team managing their business technology 24/7, without having to recruit and manage their own in-house teams. Remote infrastructure management often represents a more cost-effective approach to managing enterprise IT systems than alternative methods.

Here are 9 factors to consider when choosing a remote infrastructure management vendor:

1. Knowledge and Experience
   A viable remote infrastructure management vendor should be able to demonstrate deep experience with your technology stack. Not only must the supplier demonstrate their ability to provide a team of people capable of performing routine maintenance and operations, but they must also demonstrate their ability to provide highly skilled expertise to assist in solving more serious problems to be. If the supplier operates in a regulated industry, they must also be able to demonstrate experience in managing the technology infrastructure within an appropriate compliance framework.
2. Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
   SLAs form the foundation of any remote infrastructure management initiative. These contracts clearly define the deliverables, the supplier's response standards, issue escalation process, and the performance specifications of the systems. SLAs should include 24x7x365 support to help ensure that whenever issues arise, your vendor will be able to respond quickly. To ensure the vendor's SLAs are thoroughly reviewed and understood your needs are fully met and the associated costs are clearly understood.
3. Communication and Transparency
   An ideal remote infrastructure management vendor gives you full visibility into their work and how your systems are performing. A quality vendor will create a formal communication plan including regular reporting and an escalation process to ensure you are kept informed and your issues are promptly resolved.
4. Security
   Most businesses today are heavily dependent on their IT infrastructure. Your remote infrastructure management provider should be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of security systems and technology, including the ability to identify the specific people overseeing your organization's security. The ideal provider must also be able to demonstrate how he intends to monitor and manage the security of corporate systems and manage incident response to during and outside of business hours. You should also inquire about the background check processes of the provider's employees to ensure that they include rigorous background checks and background checks.
5. Advice
   The ideal remote infrastructure management partner should be able to help you prepare for the future. In addition to being able to support your day-to-day operational needs, your vendor should have good knowledge of your business and industry to help you anticipate future needs including recommending and prioritizing upgrades. The ideal of the Provider should be able to ensure that your business systems are ready to meet future business needs.
6. Flexibility
   When choosing a supplier, consider your current and future needs. The ideal remote  infrastructure management provider must be able to quickly adapt to changing business needs. They must be able to demonstrate their ability to quickly find resources and additional experts when needed.
7. Cost
   Outsourcing to a remote infrastructure management provider can significantly reduce the labor and training costs associated with enterprise self-management technologies. To ensure there are no unwanted surprises, it is important to make sure that all of the services you require are included in the scope of the SLA. It is also important to scrutinize what is not included, and the associated costs should you need to access those services later. Lastly, to ensure you maintain control of costs, make sure the SLA defines a clear process for approval of work that is not included in your monthly fees.
8. Disaster Recovery
   Working with a remote infrastructure management partner often requires updating your organization's disaster recovery plan. The ideal partner can help you identify weaknesses in your prior planning and recommend an approach that will help minimize business disruption in the event of a catastrophic event.
9. References
   The ideal remote infrastructure management service provider should be able to provide multiple references that demonstrate its competency in delivering similar services to clients using a similar technology stack at a comparable scale and with a comparable scope to your organization Demonstrate complexity.

To learn more about Trigyn's infrastructure services, Contact Us.