HiberniaEvros Launches Outsourcing Guide

 Dublin; June 17th 2010: Outsourcing and managed services provider, Hibernia Evros Technology Group has developed a list of 20 questions all SMEs should ask their outsourcing partner.

 “Most organisations these days cannot work if their email goes down so SMEs need to know the response times agreed in their contract and what happens in an emergency,” commented John Kennedy, Sales & Marketing Director, Hibernia Evros Technology Group.

He said that there are a lot of organisations providing IT support to SMEs and the 20 question guide would help firms identify the right partner. “It’s too late to be scrambling through the fine print when your server goes down and you cannot communicate with customers,” he added.

The 20 questions can be downloaded here

With offices in Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Kildare, HiberniaEvros is an IT Managed Services specialist providing a complete range of outsourcing, support and data centre services.

The questions that SMEs should ask their outsourcing partner are:

• How long are you tied in for?
• Is there a named contact responsible for managing your account?
• What are the escalation procedures?
• Who within your company can contact the provider?
• What are the hours of coverage of the service?
• Are there any arrangements for out of hours contact in the case of emergency?
• Is there online access for you to view progress of any outstanding service calls?
• Where is the service going to be delivered from?
• Is there a service desk provided?
• Do the staff providing the outsourcing service understand your business?
• Can you ask for individuals to be removed from providing your service?
  • Are the conditions clearly defined?
• Is what is covered under the agreement clearly defined?
• Is what is NOT covered, also clearly defined?
• Will the outsourcing services be delivered onsite or remotely?
• How often will their staff visit your premises?
• Can you exit the agreement early if the service levels are not met?
  • Are your rights in this regard clearly documented?
• Does the provider have the right to terminate the contract early?
  • Under what circumstances?
  • What notice period?
• Do you still need to deal with hardware/software suppliers, or will the outsourcing provider take on this responsibility?
• How often do you receive service reports?
• Will they regularly measure service quality and performance?

Ends

Press queries  to:

Kerri Crowley,  Simpson Financial & Technology PR,

Tel: 01 260 5300; kerri@simpsonftpr.ie

About Hibernia Evros Technology Group

Founded in 1990, HiberniaEvros is an IT Managed Services specialist providing a complete range of outsourcing, support and data centre services.

Offering the highest levels of service and technical expertise, backed by over 20 years of experience, HiberniaEvros keeps over 800 Irish organisations operating effectively. See: www.hetg.ie