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By providing top-quality service for your computer system or network, you are making an investment in your business. The return on the investment is realized through optimum performance, reduced computer (and employee) downtime, and rapid employee training. Many companies attempt to provide this service themselves. Luckily, there are service professionals who you can trust to be there when you and your system need them, so you don't have to become a computer maintenance expert.
It's important to determine whether the professional can deliver the desired result prior to signing a contract or beginning a relationship. In this era of open systems, enterprise networks, and multi-platform LANs and WANs, how can you tell a vendor who will provide top-rate service from one who won't?
The solution can be through a well-negotiated service contract. The guidelines in this article will help you to ask tough questions and make correct decisions when shopping for on-site or third-party service vendor.
Understanding the basics of a service contract is essential, and the early negotiation phase is the best time for you to establish what the basics are. Is your system based on UNIX, IBM PC-DOS, or Apple Macintosh (keep in mind that increasingly the answer "All of the above.")? Identify and quantify, and then...