Does Changing IT Provider Make You Nervous?

We did a bit of research recently and what we found was pretty unusual. Or so we thought. As it turns out, it’s actually quite common. Businesses are nervous, even scared, about changing their IT provider.

Why? As IT providers have all the passwords to run the engine of a business – the IT system – the worry is that they could ‘shut it down’, or at least make life very uncomfortable for clients that dared to take their business elsewhere.

This is pretty odd on two levels. Firstly, why would you pay someone you don’t really trust to be ethical? And, secondly, changing IT providers is like changing any supplier – it’s just part of business.

Maybe people are nervous because IT services and cyber security are seen as a bit of a dark art – one that others don’t understand and, therefore, they fear making changes within it. But this isn’t the case – it’s a skill like any other that can be learnt.

Let’s offer you some reassurance…

Changing IT provider is something that should not be feared. It’s just like changing energy provider. Imagine if we were scared of that. We’d never get a better deal or better service – we’d just stick with a company even if their service or product wasn’t actually making our world better. But energy providers have the power to cause inconvenience too… they could cut your electricity or gas off. But they don’t – because it’s not the ethical, or even legal, thing to do. And the vast majority of IT service providers aren’t out there to sabotage businesses that decide another provider is better suited to them. Chances are, if they are no longer right for you, you may no longer be right for them as a customer either. Sometimes a split is the best path for both parties.

Yes, or at least it should be. Here at Somerbys IT, we fully understand that, occasionally, a company wants to take another direction and change provider. The last thing we want to do is make it difficult for them. In fact, we actively contact their new provider ourselves to give them all the details they need.

So what happens if you decide that changing IT providers is a good move and that Somerbys IT is for you? Well, our friendly team is here to help you every step of the way and the onboarding process look like this:

▶ Site visit – we come out to see you to introduce ourselves and carry out a full audit so we can recommend the correct products and services for your needs.

▶ Quote – we provide you with a quote for the package we recommend.

▶ Contact your current provider – we’re happy to have the conversation for you and obtain all the details safely and securely.

Yes. There are fees involved in both onboarding and offboarding clients. Why? Because, in order to do it properly, safely and securely, there is work to be done. And we won’t compromise on the quality of that work. Your IT system is the heart of your company, so when any changes are made, they need to be done in a careful and diligent manner to ensure mistakes don’t creep in. But it’s an investment worth making, as, without a fully functioning IT system, your business will grind to a halt, and nobody wants that.

So, hopefully we’ve offered you enough reassurance that changing IT provider really shouldn’t be something to worry about. Improving the service you pay for – particularly when it is the lynchpin of your operation – is just a logical part of business.