In today’s digital age, few working professionals have a greater need for safe, seamless managed IT services than accountants do. As an accountant, not only are you entrusted with managing and protecting your clients’ most sensitive financial data, but you also need reliable Internet and VoIP services to remain accessible. And yet, most “solopreneur” accountants and small firms don’t have the budget to hire full-time IT staff to manage these functions.
Obviously, not all IT firms are alike, nor are they consistent in providing the best services. How can accountants choose the right IT firm for their needs? The following quick guide should help.
Look at Cybersecurity
As an accountant, you have both an ethical and legal responsibility to protect clients’ personal and fiduciary information from hackers and cybercriminals. Without robust security in place, your clients’ information could be vulnerable within a few clicks of a mouse. A trusted IT firm will be able to provide a multilayered cybersecurity system that is virtually impenetrable—one that proactively detects and neutralizes threats.
Ask about Backup and Recovery Systems
After guarding against the threat of cyberattack, the next greatest challenge for the accountant is to protect customer data against system failures from within. All computers and hard drives eventually fail with time; what safeguards does your IT service have in place for offsite backup storage and data protection? What proactive steps do they take to perform upgrades and replacement of gear—preferably before failures occur? Be sure your IT firm can answer these questions clearly and satisfactorily before signing on.
What About Technical Support?
Time is money, and never do these words ring truer than in the digital age. An hour of down time can amount to thousands of dollars in lost revenue, especially for a busy accountant fielding incoming leads. Thus, when vetting any managed IT firm, be sure to ask about instant access to live technical support and average response times. No IT firm is worth your money if they cannot provide immediate help whenever you need it.
NetServ provides a specialized array of managed IT services designed to provide accountants with the tools they need to function in a safe, reliable online environment. To learn more, call us at 1-877-NetServ.