A rolling 12-month contract is more than adequate – take it from us, we base our reputation on it.
“We’re concerned about the increasing number of IT providers’ support contracts defaulting to three or even five-year terms with no tangible benefit to anyone beyond the IT provider. Something that has been systemic in the telecoms world but until recently largely avoided by locally owned and managed IT providers.”
Matt Phillips, Managing Director
The downside to multi-year contacts
Engaging an outsourced IT provider for the first time or moving from one provider to another can be daunting. Whilst you can review case studies and testimonials and even talk to a selection of their customers – you can never be sure you have found the right IT partner until you use them and build confidence and trust in what they do and their people.
For many organisations, a year can bring a significant amount of change, with the potential to adopt new ways of working and grow teams.
But what happens if you sign a contract and then need to reduce the support or no longer need support for infrastructure, such as a server because you have moved to the cloud?
Will this new IT provider let you adjust the cover in the same way you could if reviewing the contract annually?
The answer we see almost without exception is NO.
Five years is a long time to be tied to an organisation that does not live up to its promises or fails to keep up with the needs of your business.
Multi-year contracts are a way to fix costs
Potentially true, in as much as you can fix them to those you agree to at the start of the process.
Our industry is seeing a shift to new ways of working and the adoption of more cloud-based technologies, so progressive IT companies are constantly developing their offering to adapt. We’re seeing a reduction in support costs that coincide with greater adoption (and spending) on solutions such as Microsoft 365.
At IT Champion, our flagship unlimited support plan, Support+, comes with a 12-month rolling commitment and a host of free onboarding services.
Every Support+ plan comes with our industry-leading Zero Risk and Agreement Flex Guarantees as standard. We feel a 12-month commitment provides both parties with sufficient certainty to invest in the partnership. We know that if we do a great job, the relationship will continue year after year.
Our recommendations
Committing to a multi-year agreement when there is an existing and trusted relationship can bring benefits to both parties. It’s difficult to see beyond the downsides of this type of agreement if the relationship is new and untested.
A 12-month commitment should provide your IT partner with sufficient commitment to fully invest in onboarding and intensively supporting your business in the early stages – whilst ensuring they remain laser-focused on the service they provide and the enhancements they deliver continue to improve year on year.
Ensuring that a provider is willing to match our Zero Risk Guarantee, is happy to work with you on a 12-month rolling commitment and offers you maximum flexibility throughout the contract – is an easy way to gauge if the IT provider you are in talks with will be delivering an IT service focused on you.
Agreement Flex
The support you receive must be appropriate and flexible to changes within your organisation.
Agreement flex is our way of adapting to changes that can occur at any time in a flexible, open and transparent way.
With our flagship support plan, Support+, we can facilitate the increase and decrease of equipment on the cover during the contract term to adapt to the requirements of your organisation.
For more information contact one of our team via email or call 01392 454750
