Nearest Google Listing: Chicago IT Firm Sectors
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Disclosure: this site is owned and operated by XL.net, a Chicago MSP that is itself ranked here. How we handle that conflict.
How do we place each firm in a sector?
We place each firm in one sector, using the Google listing that sits nearest downtown Chicago. IT Support Chicago places each tracked firm exactly once, by the Google listing nearest downtown Chicago. If that listing is under five miles from downtown, the firm goes in the core. Otherwise we assign a compass sector by the listing's bearing from downtown.
North runs from north-northwest to northeast. Northwest runs from west-northwest to northwest. West runs from west-southwest to west. South runs from east-northeast round to southwest. Only listings within 100 miles of downtown, with coordinates, are considered.
On that basis we place 97 of the 101 firms we could check in a sector. A firm outside that count is one we hold no matching record for, not one that lacks an office or a service area.
We use a single placement per firm on purpose. Counting a firm in every sector where it has a listing would inflate the totals and blur any comparison between areas. A single rule is also simple to check: you can look up a firm's listings yourself and see which one sits closest to downtown. That is how we count IT firms by area, and it is the only way the figures in this article are produced.
TL;DR
We place each tracked firm exactly once, by the nearest Google listing to downtown Chicago: in the core if that listing is under five miles out, otherwise in a compass sector. That placed 97 of the 101 firms we could check, giving core 30, north 7, northwest 26, west 18 and south 16. The placement shows where listings sit; it is not a service area and says nothing about how well a Managed Service Provider (MSP) serves you.
- 97 of 101 firms could be placed; a firm outside that count is one we hold no matching record for, not one without an office or service area.
- Sector counts are core 30, north 7, northwest 26, west 18 and south 16, a pattern in where listings sit and not a ranking of areas.
- 19 of the 30 core firms also have a listing in another sector, but each firm is counted only once.
- Number or location of listings is not evidence of better service; bigger or better-placed is not the same as better.
What do the sector counts show?
They show where the nearest listings of the tracked firms sit, and nothing more. Our nearest-listing placement gives core 30, north 7, northwest 26, west 18 and south 16 firms, according to IT Support Chicago's research.
The table restates those counts alongside the rule that defines each sector.
The counts are a pattern in where listings sit rather than a ranking of areas. We do not call one sector's firms better or worse than another's, and a bigger count is not a better area. The sectors are also drawn by bearing arcs of different widths: south, for example, covers a wide sweep from east-northeast round to southwest, so the boundaries themselves shape the totals. We have not adjusted counts for the geography each sector covers.
We also name no town, suburb or neighborhood here, because the sector cells do not support that level of placement. If you want to read the cells one sector at a time, see our pieces on the south sector, the northwest side and the west side. Each cell describes that sector's firms as a group, never a single firm.
| Sector | Nearest listing from downtown | Firms |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Any bearing, under five miles | 30 |
| North | North-northwest to northeast, five miles or more | 7 |
| Northwest | West-northwest to northwest, five miles or more | 26 |
| West | West-southwest to west, five miles or more | 18 |
| South | East-northeast round to southwest, five miles or more | 16 |
Why do 19 of 30 core firms also appear in other sectors?
Because the core holds firms with a listing close to downtown, and many of those firms have further listings elsewhere. According to IT Support Chicago's research, 19 of the 30 core firms also have a listing in another sector.
Since each firm is counted once by its nearest listing, a firm with several listings appears in only one sector. A firm listed both downtown and farther out counts in the core, so the other sectors never include it. The practical effect is that non-core counts understate how many firms have some listing in those directions. They count only firms whose closest listing to downtown falls there.
Our records show how many listings each placed firm has. Of the 97 firms with at least one listing within 100 miles of downtown, 72 have exactly one listing, 11 have two and 14 have three or more. These are what our records match on Google, so they can miss listings or include closed ones.
If you want the fuller explanation of how we count the core itself, see how our core is counted. The short version is that a core placement tells you one listing is under five miles from downtown. It does not tell you the firm's staff work there, or that the firm has no presence elsewhere.
Does the nearest Google listing say anything about service quality?
No. IT Support Chicago holds that a firm's listing locations say nothing about service quality. In our view, buyers should not read more listings, or a nearer one, as evidence that a larger or better-placed MSP serves them better.
This follows from our position on size: bigger is not inherently better, and right-sizing matters more than headcount. A firm with several listings is not thereby a stronger provider, and a firm with one listing is not thereby a weaker one. We argue against the view that the largest or most widely located provider is the safest choice, and we treat it as a view worth testing fairly. A buyer who wants a technician able to visit quickly has a legitimate reason to care about proximity. But proximity is a question to ask the firm directly, not something a listing answers for you.
Instead, we suggest asking each shortlisted firm:
- Which locations do your technicians actually work from, and which would serve us?
- What on-site terms are written into the agreement, and how are they described? Our guide to on-site service terms lists what to compare.
- If we need hardware delivered and set up, who does it and when? See our hardware procurement questions.
On recourse, our view is that for agreements under a year, or with termination-for-convenience clauses, simply leaving is the better remedy. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) earns its place mainly in longer, multi-year agreements as a way to share pain with the vendor. See SLAs versus termination rights.
What are the limits of this placement?
A listing is not a service area, and a sector is not a comparison. IT Support Chicago's sector cells describe where listings sit, not where firms serve or how firms compare.
Specific limits to keep in mind:
- A sector is where a firm's nearest listing sits, never where it serves or sends staff.
- A listing is not an office we visited. Our records can miss listings or include closed ones.
- Distances are straight-line miles from downtown, not a drive time or a response time. We never treat either as on-site coverage or staffing.
- A firm's certifications and client-review count belong to the whole firm, never to one listing. A sector's score bands and review bands therefore group whole firms by where their nearest listing falls.
- We make no claim that any firm specializes in, or is stronger in, a part of the metro because of where its listing sits.
The firms outside our 97 are a gap in our records. They are not firms without offices, and we do not guess where they sit.
For a deeper look at what the type of listing can and cannot tell you, read our guide to Google listing type. To check a firm's claimed local presence yourself, use our local presence verification guide. In both cases the sector in this article is a starting point for questions, never a conclusion about a provider.
Frequently asked questions
How is a firm's nearest Google listing chosen?
For each tracked firm we take its Google listing closest to downtown Chicago, within 100 miles and with coordinates. That single listing decides the firm's one sector placement.
Why are 97 of 101 firms placed rather than all of them?
We place 97 of the 101 firms we could check. A firm outside that count is one we hold no matching record for, not one that lacks an office or a service area.
Is a firm's sector the area it serves?
No. A sector is where a firm's nearest listing sits, never where it serves or sends staff. Ask any firm you are considering to state its service area in writing.
Does having more listings make an IT provider better?
Not in our view. Listing locations say nothing about service quality, and more listings or a nearer one is not evidence that a larger or better-placed MSP serves you better.
Why are some firms with downtown listings counted only in the core?
Each firm is counted once by its nearest listing. A firm listed both downtown and farther out counts in the core, which is why 19 of the 30 core firms also have a listing in another sector.