Thinking About Switching Technology Providers? Here’s What to Know Before You Make the Move
By go-dts.com
Switching technology providers can feel like a major undertaking.
Whether you’re considering a new IT company, copier provider, phone system partner, or another technology vendor, there are often concerns about downtime, data access, contracts, equipment, passwords, and how the transition will affect your employees.
But staying with a provider that no longer meets your needs can create its own problems.
Slow response times, recurring technical issues, unexpected costs, outdated technology, and poor communication can all affect productivity and make it harder for your organization to move forward.
At DTS, we work with organizations throughout Minnesota to simplify business technology and provide responsive, local support across IT & Compliance, Copiers & Printers, Voice Solutions, and Audio Visual Solutions.
If you’re wondering whether it’s time to make a change, here’s what you should know before switching technology providers.
1. Know the Signs It May Be Time to Switch Providers
Not every technical problem means you need a new provider. Technology occasionally has issues, regardless of who manages it.
The bigger concern is when those issues become a pattern.
It may be time to evaluate other options if you’re consistently dealing with:
- Slow response or resolution times
- Recurring problems that never seem to be fully resolved
- Unexpected or difficult-to-understand costs
- Outdated technology with no clear upgrade strategy
- Difficulty reaching someone when you need help
- Limited communication or proactive recommendations
- Technology that no longer fits the way your organization works
- Multiple vendors with unclear responsibilities
- Security concerns that aren’t being addressed
- A provider that reacts to problems instead of helping prevent them
Your technology provider shouldn’t simply be someone you call when something breaks. The right partner should understand your environment, help identify potential problems, and recommend solutions that support where your organization is going.
For organizations specifically evaluating their IT relationship, our guide to what a Managed Service Provider (MSP) does is a helpful place to start.
2. Ask the Right Questions Before Choosing a New Provider
Price matters, but it shouldn’t be the only factor in your decision.
Before selecting a new technology partner, ask questions that give you a better understanding of what the relationship will actually look like after the contract is signed.
Some important questions include:
How quickly do you respond to support requests?
Find out how support is handled, how issues are prioritized, and what you can expect when something goes wrong.
Is support handled locally?
Depending on your organization, having access to local technicians who can provide onsite assistance may be extremely valuable.
What is included in our agreement?
Make sure you understand what is covered, what may result in additional charges, and how pricing could change over time.
How will you learn our existing technology environment?
A new provider should have a process for documenting your network, equipment, users, software, security, communication systems, and other important technology.
How do you approach cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity should be part of the conversation from the beginning—not something addressed only after an incident.
Can you support more than one part of our technology environment?
Working with separate companies for IT, copiers, phones, AV, and other systems can create unnecessary complexity. Consolidating services with the right partner can give your organization fewer vendors to manage and clearer accountability.
At DTS, our goal is to provide organizations with a technology partner rather than simply another vendor. Our Minnesota-based team provides remote and onsite assistance, and DTS maintains a local Bloomington headquarters, warehouse, parts, and supplies to support customers.
3. Understand What the Transition Will Look Like
One of the biggest reasons organizations hesitate to switch providers is fear of disruption.
Will systems go down? Will employees lose access? What happens to our files? Will our current provider cooperate?
A well-planned transition should address those questions before changes are made.
The exact process will depend on the services involved, but a transition will typically begin with discovery and documentation of your existing environment.
That may include reviewing your current technology, identifying dependencies, gathering administrative access, understanding existing contracts, documenting users and devices, and determining which systems require special attention during the transition.
From there, a transition plan can be created to move responsibilities from the existing provider to the new one while minimizing disruption to day-to-day operations.
The goal shouldn’t be to change everything on day one.
It should be to understand the environment first, establish control and visibility, identify immediate risks, and then create a plan for improvements.
4. Gather the Information Your New Provider Will Need
You don’t need to have every password, contract, and technical detail organized before starting a conversation with a new provider.
However, having access to key information can make the transition significantly easier.
Depending on the services being transferred, your new provider may need information such as:
IT & Cybersecurity
Administrator credentials, Microsoft 365 access, domain and DNS information, network documentation, firewall access, backup information, software licensing, device inventories, and existing security tools.
Copiers & Printers
Current equipment information, lease or service agreements, print volumes, meter information, network settings, supply arrangements, and details about how employees currently print and scan.
Business Voice
Current phone numbers, carrier information, existing contracts, extensions, call flows, auto attendants, voicemail requirements, and number-porting information.
Audio/Visual
Room layouts, existing equipment, displays, conferencing platforms, control systems, cabling, and information about how each space is used.
Don’t worry if some of this information is missing. Part of the discovery process should be identifying what exists, what is accessible, and what still needs to be documented.
5. Review Your Existing Agreements Before Making the Switch
Before changing providers, review any contracts or service agreements currently in place.
Pay particular attention to:
- Contract expiration dates
- Automatic renewal terms
- Required notice periods
- Early termination provisions
- Equipment ownership or lease terms
- Software licensing
- Phone-number ownership and portability
- Data ownership and access
- Responsibilities when service ends
This is especially important with copier leases, managed services agreements, telecommunications contracts, and software subscriptions.
Knowing these details early allows you and your new provider to build a realistic transition timeline rather than discovering an unexpected contract issue halfway through the process.
6. Make Security Part of the Transition
A provider change is also an opportunity to review who has access to your technology.
Former providers, employees, contractors, and third-party applications may have accumulated access over time. As responsibilities move to a new partner, administrative accounts, remote-access tools, passwords, permissions, and security policies should be reviewed.
It is also a good opportunity to evaluate larger security gaps such as multifactor authentication, endpoint protection, backups, firewalls, email security, employee security practices, and recovery planning.
Our guide on 15 ways Minnesota businesses can protect themselves from cyberattacks covers several areas organizations should evaluate when reviewing their current security posture.
7. Look Beyond the Problems You Have Today
Switching providers shouldn’t only solve the problems that made you leave your previous one.
It should put your organization in a better position moving forward.
Ask yourself what your business may need over the next few years.
Are you adding employees or locations? Moving more systems to the cloud? Trying to improve cybersecurity? Replacing aging copiers? Modernizing conference rooms? Changing phone systems? Trying to reduce the number of technology vendors you manage?
Those plans should be part of the conversation.
A strong technology partner should be able to support today’s needs while helping you plan for what’s next.
Switching Providers Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
If your current technology provider is no longer meeting your needs, you don’t have to wait for a major failure to start exploring your options.
And having a conversation with another provider doesn’t mean you have to switch tomorrow.
It can simply help you understand your current environment, identify potential gaps, compare your options, and determine whether there may be a better way to support your organization.
At DTS, we help Minnesota organizations manage the technology they depend on every day—from IT and cybersecurity to copiers, business voice, and audio/visual solutions.
Thinking about making a change?
Contact DTS to start a conversation about your current technology environment and what a transition could look like.
