Save Time and Money: Vendor Consolidation With a Microsoft Solution Provider

It’s totally normal for companies to outsource certain IT tasks and projects to vendors and IT managed service providers to clear up their schedule and their workload. But, oftentimes companies hire too many different vendors, which in turn skyrockets their IT costs. Using several vendors and applications to complete very similar jobs and tasks to ensure they’re done securely isn’t the best way to go. It’s time to consolidate. Here’s how to reduce the number of applications and vendors you use while maintaining security and not dumping the responsibility on your team.

Reducing Vendors

What exactly is considered as a vendor? A vendor is a tool you use to run your business but you don’t do it directly yourself. Some examples would be Zoom, email security, internet, business phone systems, file management and more. 

To go about reducing your number of vendors you’ll have to evaluate what each vendor contributes to your business operations. If you have multiple vendors that offer similar or identical services while one is better at handling IT for your business, find the gap and assess the loss your company might face if a vendor can’t bridge the gap. Often you’ll find an IT managed service provider that is also a Microsoft solution provider will be a vendor that can bridge the gap. In order to reduce vendor costs it’s important to determine the vendor’s core competencies in handling IT. Ask your vendors these questions:

• How can you benefit my business? What can you not offer it?
• What are your strengths and challenges?
• Do you offer short-term contracts or long-term contracts or both?
• Do you partner with other vendors to provide certain IT services? What are these services?
• How do you assess and manage risk? What methods or applications do you use?
• Are there additional fees to compensate for your partnership with other vendors?
• How can you help me consolidate the IT needs of my business and reduce added expenses of several vendors?
• Do you supplement your services with the use of multiple applications? Why or why not?

By getting the answers to these questions, it should become clear which vendors are overlapping and which to cut. 

Reducing Applications

Applications, especially those involving security, is a place to start looking for unneeded redundancies. Of course, it is important to protect company data and there are a plethora of applications to strengthen cyber security for your business, but you don’t need a ton of them to protect your business. Here’s how to reduce applications while maintaining security:

Cutting back on file sharing is a major way to reduce applications. The more applications and servers you use to share company data, even internally, increases the opportunities for cyber criminals to steal this information. There’s no need for multiple file sharing platforms like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneHub, etc. An MSP that is also a Microsoft solution provider can cover all your file sharing needs with Microsoft One Drive. 

Limiting remote access is another way to cut back applications. Not all remote access applications can offer the same level of security and protection. A single remote access application that implements multi-factor authentication methods is enough. 

Stick with applications that require authorization to access. Not everyone on your team needs authorization to access every file. These applications can prevent sensitive company information from falling into the wrong hands.

Reduce Vendors With a Microsoft Solution Provider

The best way to consolidate vendors and applications is to partner with an IT MSP that can provide you with a solution like Microsoft that can cover all things file sharing, remote access, security and more. Ready to cut added expenses? Book a meeting with us to discuss the best solutions for your business.