Frequently Asked Questions

The public ranking uses 4 criteria scored from public data: client reputation, employer reputation, proactive issue reduction, and security capability. Nothing a vendor tells us privately affects the public score; the one input a vendor publishes about itself is its security certifications, and every provider page labels each one with what stands behind it — third-party documentation (a named issuer's document, evidence on a third-party website, or a public registry entry), or the vendor's own word, which is capped as a claim. The check is automatic and per certification. 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 criteria that send those questions directly to firms. Answers appear in your own evaluation for you to read; they do not change the public ranking, and this site publishes no score derived from them. 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 appear in your evaluation against a predefined rubric, and you'll receive an email notification for each response. Firms answer rarely — most inquiry criteria on this site have never been answered by anyone — so expect to follow up directly. Nothing a firm answers changes the public ranking.

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.