What Is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and What Do They Do?
“What does MSP stand for?” While many business owners are probably familiar with the term by now, for those who may not know, MSP is an acronym for “...
4 min read
Rubens Perdomo : Dec 22, 2020 12:30:00 PM
IT operations are an indispensable part of modern business. Companies rely on IT solutions for coordinating employees, managing interactions with customers, tracking payroll, inventory management—you name it, there’s probably a business IT solution for it. However, managing IT internally can be an enormous challenge for companies of all sizes and industries.
This is where managed IT service providers can help. What are managed IT services? How does a top managed service provider help businesses? What do you need to know to find the best managed service providers (MSPs) for your business?
In essence, managed IT services is the term for when companies outsource any aspect of their IT—whether it’s their cybersecurity, server management, IT asset lifecycle management, IT asset disposition, technical support/service desk, or any other IT function.
There are several reasons why a business might search for terms like “the top 100 managed service providers,” or “managed service providers list,” or “managed service providers near me.”
These are just a few of the potential benefits of using an MSP.
Aside from knowing what managed IT service providers are and what some of the potential benefits of using an MSP are, what should everyone know about them? Here are four things to know about managed IT service providers:
In a modern managed services agreement, the IT service provider may be fully responsible for a variety of services that would normally be handled internally by their clients. They are held to a variety of service level agreements (SLAs) that are aligned with the services they’re expected to provide.
For example, a managed service provider operating a help desk might have SLAs based on support tickets closed and/or time-to-resolution for each support ticket. Meanwhile, a managed security service provider might have SLAs related to system uptime, total threats detected and countered, or how quickly they counter a cyber breach.
In most cases, managed service providers operate remotely, working from off-site locations using cloud-based services to meet their clients’ needs. However, some managed IT providers local to a specific area may offer on-site services.
RELATED: What to Look for in a Managed Service Provider
One critical part of many modern IT services is the managed IT service assessment. This is where the IT service provider examines a customer’s IT environment to determine what the customer most needs from their services and how they can help.
The structure and focus of these assessments will vary from one service provider to the next. For example, a managed IT security specialist might focus on closing security vulnerabilities in a network. Meanwhile, a compliance-as-a-service specialist might focus on issues that impede an organization’s compliance with specific regulations.
Not every managed service provider will be the best fit for every organization. If, during the managed service assessment, the MSP discovers that their services aren’t a good fit, they may recommend a different MSP that is more aligned with the customer’s needs.
Managed security service providers have seen steady growth year over year as new cyber threats continue to emerge and companies of all sizes and industries learn more about the risks they face. According to a projection featured in a PR Newswire release, “The Global Managed Cyber Security Services Market is expected to grow from USD 18,004.39 Million in 2019 to USD 30.280.12 Million by the end of 2025.”
Managed IT security services can include things like:
Cybersecurity, in particular, is an ever-evolving field because of how quickly new threats are created. The top managed security service providers typically have more resources to keep their cybersecurity experts up to date with the latest developments than companies not specializing in this field.
RELATED: Do You Need an MSP or an MSSP?
For businesses to operate at peak efficiency and realize greater ROI from their employees, they need to have the right technology and the right know-how. Some cloud managed service providers help with this by offering services meant specifically to support an organization’s employees.
These services can include things like:
The largest managed service providers aren’t always the best managed service providers. When looking for a full-service IT management and advisory partner, it’s important to consider more than just their market share—you need to look for a company that is dedicated to providing the best possible service that fulfills all of your needs.
Systems-X provides the IT insights that companies need to make more informed decisions about their IT and maximize their ROI. Our team leverages key alliances with technology partners like Microsoft, Check Point, Cisco, Google, and others to develop and implement the best IT solutions to improve your business’ results.
Don’t wait—reach out to Systems X today to get started!
“What does MSP stand for?” While many business owners are probably familiar with the term by now, for those who may not know, MSP is an acronym for “...
Managed service providers (MSPs) provide critical technology services to companies of all sizes and industries. From managing cloud servers, to...
IT management has become an integral part of many companies operating strategies. Modern organizations are incredibly reliant on IT to cover core...