Frequently Asked Questions

The public ranking uses 4 objectively verified criteria: client reputation, employer reputation, proactive issue reduction, and security capability. All are scored from third-party data sources — no criterion relies on vendor self-reported content. The full formulas are published on our methodology page.

No. Rankings are computed algorithmically from public data. No vendor pays for placement, boosted scores, or featured listings. We have no affiliate relationships.

The evaluation tool is designed for business decision-makers. Requiring work emails keeps the tool focused on genuine IT procurement decisions and prevents abuse. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 accounts are supported via OAuth.

Client reviews from Google Business, Clutch, Cloudtango, The Manifest, DiscoverMSPs, and MSP Companies, plus industry ranking presence from ChannelFutures and CRN. Employer reviews from Glassdoor and Indeed. Security certifications from third-party attestations and vendor feed submissions with evidence. LinkedIn content analysis for proactive vs reactive IT posture. Vendors can also submit structured data via our vendor feed spec.

Data collection runs periodically (typically weekly for review sources, monthly for employer data). Each vendor page shows a 'last updated' timestamp. The methodology page explains the refresh cadence for each source.

Yes. After signing in, the evaluation wizard starts with 8 criteria — 6 auto-scored from public data plus Support Coverage and Price & Contract, which generate tailored questions for vendors. You can adjust all weights, add optional criteria (compliance, scope), or add inquiry-based criteria (like disaster recovery maturity, cloud expertise, or SLA commitments) that trigger direct vendor outreach. Vendors respond to your questions and their answers are scored automatically. You can even add your own custom criteria with free-form questions.

You can save up to 3 evaluations. This is designed as a comparison workspace -- you can compare different weight scenarios side-by-side. You can replace any saved evaluation with a new one at any time.

Yes. The scorecard download is free and includes the ranked results plus all raw data used in the scoring. The Excel file contains values only (no formulas) to keep things simple.

When you add inquiry criteria to your evaluation, the platform sends anonymous outreach emails to top-ranked vendors on your behalf. The emails reveal only your industry, company size, and city — never your identity. Vendors sign in and submit structured answers, which are scored via predefined rubrics. Your ranking updates automatically as responses arrive, and you'll receive an email notification for each response.

You can host a structured JSON file on your domain following our vendor feed specification. We'll automatically fetch and incorporate your data. You can also email data corrections to data@itsupportchicago.net.

Email data@itsupportchicago.net and we'll remove your listing within 30 days. Note that opting out removes your entire profile -- we cannot selectively hide data.