How do IT service desk providers price their services?

IT service providers often operate their businesses using a subscription model. Organizations pay a monthly fee based on required service levels and 24x7 IT support, as well as overtime / night hours and other required support hours.

Taking into account service levels and time required, monthly IT service desk fees can be charged in the following ways:

Per User: a flat monthly fee is charged per user or on a scale of "up to 5 users", 6-10 users, etc. This model is ideal for small businesses that are new to outsourced service desk. Budgeting for IT support is easy and your support costs will be clear as your business grows.

Per Device: This model also works for small businesses or large organizations where all employees do not need access to IT systems. Note, however, that many employees now require IT support on multiple devices (desktops, tablets / laptops, smartphones). When comparing IT service providers with different pricing models, make sure your organization has a clear idea of ​​how many devices and users it needs to support.

Per Ticket: IT service providers using the per ticket pricing model can easily guarantee adequate coverage, but many users and devices require IT support. To get an accurate picture of your monthly charges, you need to know the number of past tickets. However, like any other outsourcing model, it is a scalable option, so if you need more tickets every month, request more coverage.

Pricing models vary by IT service provider: When you do a benchmarking of your provider and calculate the cost of that service, be sure you have a good understanding of what your business really needs. For example, if pricing is based on a "per user" basis, it may not be the same as all employees in the business (some people may not need access to IT). For each device, make sure you know exactly how many devices your organization owns. BYOD is also included if you need to provide IT support to employees who use your device.

Similarly, look at the number of past tickets / incidents, including different types of tickets. If you're only considering outsourcing front-line tickets, you'll want to distinguish all internal tickets raised in the past 12 months so you can see exactly how many monthly front-line tickets your business needs to back up. I will.

If you don't have this type of data, please contact your IT service provider on the finalists list for information on the number of tickets your organization may need. The experience of organizations and companies of similar size in the same sector can be used as a guide.

One of the reasons organizations outsource their IT service desktops to external providers is to reduce costs and increase efficiency. So expect service providers to be price transparent and interested in getting ROI tailored to your business needs.

Finally, consider future needs. If your organization plans to grow, you need to ensure that your IT service provider can scale accordingly and that your pricing model grows and is profitable.