Corporate Technologies vs Applied Innovation in Grand Rapids

As a small business owner, you can likely handle your IT issues on your own until the business grows. IT issues can get out of hand, and you need help. At this point, it’s time to connect with a managed service provider (MSP) that can help you proactively avoid any IT issues and manage onboarding users and new equipment. Grand Rapids small businesses have several MSPs to choose from, but we have a comparison chart to help you. In this guide, we help you decide between Corporate Technologies and Applied Innovation in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Comparison Table for Provider Plans and Services

Corporate Technologies and Applied Innovation have several similarities, but once you dig into the details you’ll notice that they also have different pricing plans, unlimited service plans, and support across Grand Rapids surrounding cities. We’ve collected support information and put it in a convenient table below.

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The most notable in the above table is the unlimited onsite support with the Corporate Technologies Total Advantage plan and the moneyback guarantee. Applied Innovation targets a lot of their marketing on imaging and digital documents support. We’ll go into more detail in the next sections.

Breakdown of Corporate Technologies and Applied Innovation by Business Size

Both managed service providers have a large presence across the US. Corporate Technologies has visibility in surrounding cities in Grand Rapids, but they also have offices in other US cities. Applied Innovation has several Michigan offices but minimal presence in other parts of the US. Locations and presence across the US are important if your small business opens offices in other locations or needs support in other states.

Comparison of Support and Service Models

It might seem like having unlimited support is unnecessary and cost inefficient, but your infrastructure needs constant support even when you aren’t working. Proactive support is also necessary to stop unforeseen issues and keep your business assets available even during off-peak hours. If you arrive at your office and IT equipment doesn’t work, you could have lengthy downtime. Lengthy downtime costs you money in productivity loss and a potential loss in sales.

Corporate Technologies has the Total Advantage plan to fully cover all your IT support requests. You get a 24/7 help desk with professionals monitoring your environment throughout days, weekends, and holidays. Applied Innovation offers a similar support structure, but it’s unclear if you get unlimited onsite support with any of their pricing plans.

Both providers have onsite support, which is necessary for hardware upgrades, cyber-incidents, and changes to your physical environment. Only Corporate Technologies indicates that their support is unlimited with the Total Advantage plan. You get several onsite support options with Applied Innovation.

Pricing Comparison Between Corporate Technologies and Applied Innovation

Corporate Technologies has a per-using pricing structure that lets you pay a flat rate each month. By paying a flat rate every month, you can control your IT costs without any surprise fees. Using the Total Advantage plan, you don’t have any uncontrolled costs should you suffer from complex IT issues like hardware failure or a cyber-incident from malware.

Applied Innovation has monthly payments also, but there is no indication that you get unlimited support. Small businesses in Grand Rapids get several IT support options, but you must plan for what you need. You can’t plan for every unforeseen issue, so this could lead to additional costs or downtime.

Both providers have a 24/7 help desk available to customers. Help desk support is a great first line of defense. Your staff can call for help at any time. If you have any staff working during off-peak hours, they get the support they need without waiting until the next business day.

Pricing Comparison Between Corporate Technologies and Applied Innovation

Most managed service providers give you a range of options, especially for small businesses with a strict IT budget. Both Corporate Technologies and Applied Innovation have monthly payment plans, but only Corporate Technologies specifies that their pricing structure is set up using the number of supported users. Using a per-user cost estimate, it’s easier for small businesses to determine their IT costs. You can take it a step further and use the Corporate Technologies IT pricing calculator.

Applied Innovation uses a more general approach. Pricing is determined upon assessment of your environment and a plan developed after a review. Small businesses need to contact the provider to get an estimate.

Cybersecurity Services Comparison in Grand Rapids

It’s not a matter of “if” you will be a target for cyber-criminals. It’s a matter of “when.” To proactively protect from the numerous insider and outsider threats, small businesses need cybersecurity support. Both Corporate Technologies and Applied Innovation offer cybersecurity services, but Corporate Technologies has a full-coverage pricing plan called Secure Advantage. Secure Advantage offers proactive and multi-layered protection so that you avoid risks of a data breach even with user-owned devices connecting to your environment.

Here are a few cybersecurity support options you get with Corporate Technologies:

• Endpoint security: Protect user devices and ultimately your own environment when users connect with their own smartphones or tablets
• Email security: Protection from phishing and malicious email messages
• SOC/SIEM: A security operations center (SOC) that monitors your IT infrastructure 24/7 for anomalies.
• Backup and disaster recovery: Design backup frequency and recover options to remediate damaged data
• Compliance support: Build IT operating procedures for compliance (e.g., HIPAA, PCI)
• Vulnerability management: Lower risks with vulnerability scanning and remediation

Applied Innovation also offers cybersecurity services. Information about their service is limited, but here are a few support services they list:

• vCIO: A third-party professional acts as your virtual CIO to help with planning and design
• Monitoring: Detection of threats early to prevent a data breach
• Backup and recovery: Store backups of your data for disaster recovery

Local Onsite IT Support in Grand Rapids, MI

Small businesses with onsite requests need a provider with locations in Grand Rapids, and both managed service providers have a local presence. The main difference between Corporate Technologies and Applied Innovation is that Corporate Technologies has offices across the US. Applied Innovation focuses on a few states with Michigan being one of them. 

Should your business expand outside of the Grand Rapids area, you need an MSP with a national presence. Corporate Technologies also has a presence in surrounding areas. If you plan to expand your business, MSP location options should be a part of your decision.

Corporate Technologies 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee

A third-party site claims that Applied Innovation has a money-back guarantee, but no mention of it could be found publicly on their website. Corporate Technologies publicly lists their 60-day money-back guarantee. The guarantee lowers your financial risks if you’re not sure if a managed service provider for IT support is right for your business.

When Corporate Technologies is the Better Fit

When you need unlimited access to IT support and don’t have the resources to manage your own infrastructure, it’s time to work with professionals who can help. Corporate Technologies has the money-back guarantee to lower your monetary risks, and they have full coverage based on your number of users and unlimited onsite support with its Total Advantage solution.

With Total Advantage, you get:

• Unlimited onsite support with a set pricing plan
• Predictable month-to-month pricing to fit your budget
• Standardized SLAs with defined commitments
• Consistent cybersecurity tools and monitoring
• Off-peak hour support including weekends and after work hours
• A 60-day money-back guarantee

To see how we can help you avoid IT issues, contact us today. 

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