How to Choose an IT Partner

10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign with an IT Managed Services Partner in India

Choosing an IT partner is one of the most consequential decisions a growing organisation makes. Get it right and you gain a strategic advantage. Get it wrong and you spend the next two years firefighting, paying for services you are not getting, and trying to extricate yourself from a contract that does not serve you.

This guide gives you the exact questions to ask, and explains what good answers look like versus what red flags sound like.

Question 1: What does your SLA actually guarantee?

Ask for: The specific uptime percentage, the definition of ‘downtime’, and the remedies if they miss it.

A specific SLA (e.g., 99.9% availability = 8.7 hours downtime per year) with financial penalties for breach.

“We do our best to ensure uptime.” Best efforts is not a commitment.

Question 2: Who actually works on my account — and where are they?

Ask for: The names and locations of the engineers who will support you day-to-day.

A named account manager, a named technical lead, and a clear escalation path.

“Our team handles support.” An unnamed team cannot be held accountable.

Question 3: How do you handle a security incident at 2am?

Ask for: Their incident response procedure — who gets called, what gets done in the first hour, and how you get notified.

A documented IR playbook, 24×7 monitoring with defined escalation, and a commitment to notify you within a specific timeframe.

“We monitor everything.” Monitoring without response is just watching problems happen.

Question 4: What happens to my data if we end the contract?

Ask for: The data return and deletion policy in writing, including timeline and format.

Data returned in a standard, portable format within 30 days. Certified deletion of copies.

Vague answers, or data return that requires purchasing a ‘migration service’.

Question 5: Can I see a reference from a client similar to my company?

Ask for: A reference in a similar industry, similar company size, with a similar project scope.

They connect you directly with the client, with no handler on the call.

Logo-dropping without live references, or references that are obviously curated and coached.

Question 6: How do you handle scope creep in projects?

Ask for: Their change management process — how is additional work scoped, priced, and approved?

A defined change request process with written approval before work begins.

“We will just get it done.” This is how surprise invoices happen.

Question 7: What certifications do your engineers hold?

Ask for: Specific certification counts by technology — Microsoft, AWS, Azure, security certifications.

Named certifications with verification possible (e.g., Microsoft’s partner portal shows certified headcount).

“Our team is highly experienced.” Experience without certifications in cloud is increasingly insufficient.

Question 8: How do you report on what you are doing for my business?

Ask for: A sample monthly report. Look at what metrics are included.

Reports that show business outcomes — uptime, security incidents resolved, cost savings, SLA adherence — not just ticket counts.

A report that tells you how busy they were, not how well your systems performed.

Question 9: Are you vendor-neutral or tied to a specific platform?

Ask for: Clarity on which platforms they are certified on and which they earn margin from.

Partners who openly discuss their vendor relationships and explain why they recommend what they recommend.

Recommendations that always point to one vendor, regardless of your requirements.

Question 10: What does the first 90 days look like?

Ask for: A written onboarding plan with milestones, owners, and outcomes.

A structured discovery, current state documentation, and a 90-day roadmap before any major changes.

Jumping straight to proposals and contracts before understanding your environment.

At Claritus, we are happy to be asked every one of these questions.

Our WELKIN engagement starts with a structured discovery phase. We provide named account teams, documented SLAs, certified engineers, and business-outcome reporting.

We take a multi-cloud approach because different workloads are best suited to different platforms — and we will always provide you with honest guidance on which is right for your needs.

Ready to ask us the hard questions?

Schedule a free consultation with Claritus — no pitch, just an honest conversation about your IT environment