“A technology is a technology” could not be further from the truth. While any good technology can make your network live and secure, you need a specialist who is familiar with your specific software and hardware needs to efficiently support you.
For example, consider a medical or dental office looking to outsource its IT needs. In this case, the company you choose will need to be HIPAA compliant and, in addition, will need to implement procedures to keep your data compliant. Additionally, in a medical or dental environment, complex hardware and software work together to create a complex database that requires maintenance and administration. In this situation, a network technician will likely not have all the skills and training necessary to keep their hardware and software configured efficiently while meeting HIPAA-mandated data restrictions.
Also, the network technician may not be familiar with the operating system and software settings that may be required to enforce efficiency in a medical practice.
Another example of a specific vertical IT company can be found with financial planners and other companies that have detailed information about their clients. Identity theft is a growing concern and there are strict regulations on how to store and deliver this type of financial and identifying data. Encryption is an important piece, for example. In this case, a medical or dental technician will not have the training to comply with the data security required by NIST and other government agencies.
Finally, when considering an IT company, choose one that has ongoing support plans. A company that has continuous support will guarantee not only the equipment it provides, but also the service. If problems arise with your installation or if your network becomes slow, your ongoing specialist IT company can take care of it without increasing additional charges. This is the biggest benefit of avoiding a do-it-yourself plan for YOU: while you can do it yourself, unexpected problems can occur. When this happens on time, it can lead to a costly loss of production. Instead, you can get guaranteed on these services so they don’t take up your precious time after a major installation.
How do you find a specialized IT company? Google is a way, but many times these companies do not spend the money necessary to reach the main pages of Google. This leaves word of mouth. Usually there are specific forums made for people in your specific market. Find one of these and ask those groups the questions: What companies in your market do best with what you work with? Word of mouth is the best way to find a good tech company.