Many Canadian small and mid-sized businesses wonder if it makes sense to combine their IT services with their telecommunications, such as internet, phone, and networking. In simple terms, bundling means getting your managed IT support and telecom services from the same provider or as part of a single package. This can offer convenience but also has implications for how your technology runs and how risks are managed.
Why bundling IT and telecom matters for Canadian SMBs
Your telecom connection is the backbone of your business's digital operations. If your internet or phone service goes down, your employees can't access cloud applications, communicate with customers, or process orders. When IT and telecom are bundled, a single provider is responsible for both your network infrastructure and the IT systems that rely on it. This can simplify troubleshooting and reduce downtime, which protects productivity and customer trust.
However, bundling isn't just about convenience. It also affects your cybersecurity and compliance. For example, if your telecom provider also manages your IT security, they can better coordinate defenses against threats like ransomware or phishing that exploit network weaknesses. On the other hand, if responsibilities are unclear or split between different vendors, gaps can appear that increase risk.
A typical scenario: How bundling helps a 50-person company
Imagine a 50-employee Canadian marketing firm that recently moved to a cloud-based phone system and file storage. Their internet service and IT support come from separate companies. One day, the internet goes down, and the IT team can't access the phone system or cloud files. Because the telecom provider and IT support don't communicate well, it takes hours to identify the root cause and coordinate a fix. This downtime disrupts client meetings and delays project deadlines.
If this company had bundled IT and telecom services with a single managed provider, that provider could quickly pinpoint the outage, restore services, and verify security settings all at once. This reduces downtime and limits the impact on staff productivity and client relationships.
Checklist: What to consider when bundling IT and telecom
- Ask your provider: Do you offer integrated IT and telecom services? How do you handle incident response when issues affect both areas?
- Review SLAs: Check if service level agreements cover uptime guarantees, response times, and escalation procedures for both IT and telecom.
- Evaluate security: Confirm that the provider manages network security, including firewalls, intrusion detection, and secure remote access.
- Check backup and recovery: Ensure your data backups and disaster recovery plans account for telecom outages as well as IT system failures.
- Internal review: Identify who currently manages your telecom and IT services and how they communicate. Look for any gaps or overlaps in responsibility.
- Cost and flexibility: Compare bundled pricing against separate contracts, but also consider flexibility to scale services as your business grows.
Next steps for your business
Bundling IT and telecom services can offer streamlined support and reduce downtime risks, but it's important to carefully evaluate providers and contracts. Speak with a trusted managed IT services provider or IT advisor who understands the needs of Canadian small and mid-sized businesses. They can help you weigh the benefits and risks based on your specific operations, security requirements, and growth plans.