IT Consulting: 5 Lines You Should Never Fall For

It seems like some IT consulting companies will tell you just about anything to get your business. However, after you’re signed on, their lies quickly crumble and you’re left with subpar service and empty promises. At Connetic, we believe that managed IT support should be about giving you the right level of service with complete transparency. Unfortunately, not all IT services are made equally, but we know the business well enough to help you learn the 5 lines you should never fall for. 

“You only pay for what you need.”

This is a classic line from terrible managed IT service providers. They offer a low upfront price (around $50/user) and then charge for every call, ticket, and hour they spend. Here’s the problem: They have to charge for all of the proactive work to keep you safe and they don’t expose those prices upfront. Or worse, they don’t do this necessary and important work. This type of IT consulting results in either a largely inflated bill or being vulnerable to downtime issues. Read our blog on how to avoid sneaky IT management costs here.

“We need to replace your equipment as soon as we start.”

Before you commit, ask your provider what equipment they want to replace. Most managed IT service providers are also re-sellers of equipment. They are motivated to sell you new hardware to replace the perfectly good hardware you already have. There is no reason to replace your existing WiFi infrastructure if it meets your needs just because your new MSP doesn’t support that brand. While there are perfectly legitimate reasons to replace obsolete hardware, simply hiring a new MSP isn’t one of them. Connetic’s IT consultants work with the systems that you currently have in place and help you build an appropriate hardware and lifecycle management program based on your needs and budget.

“You need to migrate to the cloud.”

Managed IT service providers who have back-end deals to sell cloud licenses want you to migrate to the cloud immediately. Why? Because they get another $2/user/month in commission from the cloud vendor for every service they sign you up for. The truth is the cloud has attractive service offerings and capabilities that on-prem infrastructure doesn’t have—but is generally more expensive. It’s more difficult to monitor cloud services for proper security, and most MSPs don’t do it at all. They just trust the cloud provider to do the right thing, which as we’ve seen from the news, is not always happening.

“You don’t need to migrate to the cloud.”

The question still remains: Do you need to migrate to the cloud, or not? An honest IT consultant will tell you the right answer: “It’s complicated. We will help you do a cost/benefit analysis and pick the right path for your unique business.” Most of the time cloud services are worth the additional cost to your business. However, the right timing for your migration is based on your needs, not your MSP’s commissions and incentives. MSPs that insist you shouldn’t migrate are making their money off of hardware and licensing sales for traditional software. The right answer to cloud services is always based on your needs.

“You don’t need to worry about security with us.”

There are two reasons why you still need to be concerned about cybersecurity, no matter what:

1. No vendor can promise perfect security. New vulnerabilities come out every day, and even when everything is done correctly, incidents can happen that will require an immediate response from your vendor. The right thing to hear from a vendor is, “No matter what happens, we have the skill and capacity to respond instantly and stop the harm.”
2. You and your coworkers still have the responsibility to understand basic security principles—such as not reusing passwords on public websites—and how to work with multi-factor authentication. When users don’t understand and do their part, IT consulting service companies cannot prevent security issues.

Connetic’s Approach to Managed IT Service

Connetic’s proactive approach to IT is built into our DNA. We provide unlimited IT service for a fixed price per month. This includes various project implementations that other IT companies charge extra for. We’re the IT consultant that you can count on 24/7.

Connetic’s IT consulting services team has the unique training, knowledge, and expertise necessary to ameliorate risks by implementing comprehensive security audit practices, security framework compliance, and the comprehensive implementation of cybersecurity solutions. Contact Connetic’s IT services team to set up a security audit today or to learn more about how you can benefit from Connetic’s extensive experience and exceptionally managed IT services.