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Checklist · Before you sign

How to evaluate an IT provider before you sign.

Seven steps: written pickup times, real monitoring, security in the base, named scope, transparent pricing, a roadmap, and proof they have done this for a shop your size.

Book a 30-minute discovery Call (844) 919-8534

Direct answer. Use the seven steps below, get the answers in writing, then call (844) 919-8534. This is a checklist, not a second Miami page and not a directory of other firms. The work lives on Managed IT Services Miami. Pair it with how to choose a Miami MSP.

Why evaluate before you sign

  • Slow pickup has no remedy if it was never written down
  • Cybersecurity treated as an upsell leaves MFA and EDR off the floor
  • Vague scope is how backup testing and after-hours work show up as extras
  • Per-ticket billing pays the vendor when things break
  • No monitoring means you are the sensor
  • No planning means you buy hardware in a panic
  • No industry fit means compliance is your problem later

Walk-away signs

No written SLA

If they cannot put pickup times on paper, they have no accountability. Walk.

Security is an upsell

EDR, MFA, and firewall management belong in the base. Optional security is not a modern MSP.

Vague service description

If they cannot name what is in and what is out, you will pay for the gap.

Per-ticket or hourly only

That model earns more when you are down. Flat managed IT points at uptime.

No monitoring offering

Waiting for your call is break-fix. See signs the provider is not doing the job.

No planning conversation

If they never ask where the business is going, they are a repair crew.

The seven-step checklist

  1. Response time guarantees (SLA). Written. RRG: under 8 minutes to a person. Same-day for standard work. After-hours path named. Escalation for a full outage named. Penalties or remedies if they miss.
  2. Proactive monitoring and maintenance. Continuous monitoring, automated alerts, patching, network performance, monthly health report. If they only work after you call, they are not managing it. What proactive IT support is.
  3. Cybersecurity in the base. EDR, MFA, managed firewall, email security, vulnerability scanning. 24/7 security monitoring is separate. When an alert fires, RRG responds. Miami cybersecurity.
  4. Named service scope. Helpdesk hours and how you reach a person. Server, network, and endpoint management. Microsoft 365 and Azure. Backup monitoring and restore tests. Vendor coordination.
  5. Pricing transparency. Flat monthly, per user or per device. No per-ticket. Out-of-scope named. Annual adjustment terms in writing. We do not publish a rate card. For a number that matches your shop, call (844) 919-8534. Drivers: what managed IT costs in South Florida depends on.
  6. Strategic IT planning. Quarterly roadmap. Lifecycle and budget. Risk and compliance gaps. Business continuity. Align to the business, not a hardware catalog.
  7. Fit and proof. Shops your size (10–100 users). References. Insurance. Local presence in Miami-Dade. Founded 2016. 97% stay. Real engineers. Under 8 minutes.

What changes when the partner is qualified

  • Fewer unplanned outages because something is watching
  • Security layers in the monthly number, not a surprise quote
  • A budget you can actually plan
  • Faster pickup with a written escalation path
  • Technology that follows growth instead of blocking it

Get every item above in writing. Then stop shopping the internet. Next step is https://rrgnetworks.com/miami/. Call (844) 919-8534.

Common questions

What should I look for in an IT provider?

Written pickup times (RRG: under 8 minutes), continuous monitoring, MFA and EDR in the base rather than an upsell, a named service scope, transparent monthly pricing with no per-ticket games, a quarterly plan, and proof they work with businesses your size. Get it in writing. Call (844) 919-8534. Start at https://rrgnetworks.com/miami/.

How much does a managed IT provider cost?

It depends on headcount, on-site needs, and whether cybersecurity sits in the same contract. RRG does not publish a rate card. Anyone selling a monthly number before they have seen your shop is guessing. For a number that matches, call (844) 919-8534. What drives the bill: https://rrgnetworks.com/blog/managed-it-cost-south-florida/.

What is an SLA in IT services?

A service level agreement writes down pickup, coverage hours, and what happens if they miss. RRG picks up under 8 minutes. Standard work should have a same-day commitment. Verbal assurances are not an SLA. Founded 2016.

What cybersecurity tools should an IT provider offer?

EDR, MFA, a managed enterprise firewall, and email security as standard — not expensive add-ons. 24/7 security monitoring is a separate service. When an alert fires, RRG responds. Do not buy a security team to fix a printer. Cyber: https://rrgnetworks.com/cybersecurity-miami/.

How do I know if an IT provider offers proactive monitoring?

Ask whether continuous monitoring, automated alerts, and scheduled patching are in the base. If they only work after you report a problem, they are break-fix. See https://rrgnetworks.com/blog/what-is-proactive-it-support/.

What questions should I ask an IT provider before signing?

What is the written pickup time? What security is in the base price? What triggers extra charges? What happens to credentials if we leave? Do you run quarterly reviews? How many South Florida shops our size do you run today? Then call (844) 919-8534. Also use https://rrgnetworks.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-miami-msp/.

Walk the checklist with us. Call (844) 919-8534.

30-minute discovery call

Book a 30-minute discovery Call (844) 919-8534