Choosing the Best Managed IT Provider in Massachusetts in 2023

Technology has only gotten more complex, and if you are like most business owners, you probably want to deal with it less often than you do now.

Remember, this is coming from someone who is passionate about technology and IT; but good business tech should blend right in. It should be invisible. Let’s talk about what I mean by that.

The Business Should be Driving Your Tech, Not the Other Way Around

I’ll admit, cool gadgets are exciting and interesting to me. Disclaimer: when I say “cool gadgets,” sometimes I’m talking about the new folding phones, and other times I’m talking about what most non-technical people would see as a boring old router. Depending on who you are, you probably have a different spectrum in your head for what seems exciting and interesting, and that’s okay. The point is, I personally find this stuff fascinating, and even I admit that we shouldn’t be making decisions based on the tech and gadgets that are out there, we should be making decisions based on our business goals.

And that’s exactly how we do things at Datalyst.

I wanted to get this out of the way, because this post is going to be about getting the right help and the right technology in place for your business, and I don’t want new readers to just think I’m just a big nerdy tech guy who wants to sell expensive equipment and force your business to work around it.

I honestly believe that the technology that runs in the background of our businesses should be so invisible… so blended in… that it’s sort of how we look at the tools of any other trade. We know that a carpenter has a hammer, but a good hammer doesn’t get in the way of a carpenter’s work. It’s there, it does its job, and it’s put away. It certainly serves a purpose and it is certainly necessary, but nothing about the hammer ever gets in the way, becomes an excuse, or overcomplicates things. 

When you are looking for someone to help you with your business technology, they should think along those lines. And believe me, this stuff IS much more complicated than a hammer, and it’s easy for any technology provider or computer support person to lose sight of that goal. At the end of the day though, this is what makes all the difference for our clients.

Your IT Provider Shouldn’t Be in the Business of Selling You Hardware

I know this sounds ridiculous, but it’s actually a common problem in this industry. The scenario plays out like this—you find yourself talking to a new IT company because you are experiencing an issue, and they diagnose your network. They find a bunch of stuff that’s old, or bad, or not set up properly, and they propose whole new servers, upgrading most of your desktops, replacing every switch and router, taking over your licenses for Microsoft, and so on and so on.

On the surface, this isn’t a problem. If your business has let things go long enough, sometimes that might even be the right solution. It’s expensive though, and it really misses the point of an IT consultant. 

We’re not saying there aren’t situations where we will say “Okay, that server is 10 years old, it needs to go, and you have 10 employees still running Windows 7, and if we replace the access point in the conference room you’ll actually be able to connect to the Wi-Fi in there.” 

That does happen. But if your IT consultant can’t walk you through and prioritize this huge expensive plan to completely gut and replace your IT and show you the value, or they refuse to work with you until you drop a ton of money on things, you should be a little concerned that hardware sales are their main bread and butter, as opposed to actually providing support, consulting, and helping you meet your business goals.

We’re pretty agnostic when it comes to the technology you use. We generally don’t care if all of your laptops are Dell, or Lenovo, or MSI, or HP. Sure, our techs have their preferences, but at the end of the day, as long as the hardware supports your software and it works, and they stick by their warranties, the important thing is keeping it working, not the sticker on the chassis.

The short version; yeah, sometimes you need to buy and upgrade your hardware, but if that feels like the prime objective of your next IT company, you might want to get a second opinion.

What’s Your Cybersecurity Plan?

I’m going to avoid sounding dramatic here, but cybersecurity has to be on your IT roadmap. The risks are higher than ever before, and the days of antivirus software being enough are far behind us. 

If you want to learn more about cybersecurity, you can check out some of our recent blogs about it:

• Cybersecurity is a Business Commodity, Not a Luxury
• Boston Healthcare Facilities Targeted by Spear-Phishing Attack and Other Threats
• Avoid Getting Scammed Online (Both Personally and Professionally) With These Tips

When it comes to protecting Massachusetts businesses from cyber threats, Datalyst is usually the first choice. We take security seriously, and don’t treat it like an expensive luxury that only larger businesses can afford—everything we do takes cybersecurity to heart.

If your current IT provider isn’t pressuring you to talk to them about hardening your network or offering training resources for your employees on how to spot a phishing attack, then they probably aren’t as concerned about IT security as they should be.

Communication is King

I know early on in this post, I pulled the curtain back and showed off my nerd side, but at Datalyst we pride ourselves on being able to work with people who don’t need a degree in geekspeak just to know what we’re talking about. That’s important, because it’s pretty easy to either be fed a line of bull, or to feel like you are being fed a line of bull, and either situation isn’t productive. 

Instead, we want to talk about your business goals. We want to talk about your everyday challenges, and your future ambitions—then we want to use technology to help you get there.

That communication goes beyond the initial consultation too. We try to provide our clients (and the general public) lots of resources in the form of blogs and our monthly enewsletter to help educate on how to navigate this complicated part of business.

On top of that, our techs are always available to help with issues, or walk your staff through the best way to do something, or to just help make an employee feel a bit more confident about using the software they need to use every day.

If your business has some sort of embargo on calling tech support because every call ends up costing the business money, there’s an issue there… and it isn’t something our clients need to worry about, which makes a BIG difference.

Let’s Work Together and Help Your Business Meet Its Goals This Year

If you are like most business owners, you are looking to make it easier, more cost-effective, and faster to get things done. We’re here to help with that. Let’s get started with an absolutely obligation-free, risk-free, totally free consultation. We’re just happy to meet and network with other business owners throughout New England, so drop us a line and let’s talk about how we can be of service to you.