What Is An MSP & How Does It Work?
While it is a common misconception that MSP stands for Manatees Sipping Pina Coladas, it actually stands for Managed Services Provider, also known as outsourced IT.
MSPs specialize in the remote management and security of a client company’s IT infrastructure and technology assets.
Partnering with an MSP to provide continuous IT management, maintenance, monitoring, and cybersecurity helps businesses operate at peak efficiency levels.
MSPs work with a wide variety of industries including:
Small to mid-sized business
Professional services companies
Non-profit organizations
Government agencies
What is the Purpose of an MSP?
MSPs focus on the day-to-day management of your IT systems and assets (in-house and cloud) allowing your focus to remain on growing your business.
One of the key roles of an MSP is protecting your business from IT interruptions or lengthy downtimes that can stall your company’s productivity and damage your reputation.
How Does an MSP Benefit My Company?
Though MSPs originally only offered remote monitoring and management of servers and networks, they have since expanded to a more comprehensive suite of services to best benefit you.
Here are a few of the pro-business benefits to hiring an MSP.
Cost savings
Hiring dedicated IT personnel to serve in a full-time capacity in your company is difficult and unaffordable for most companies. Outsourcing to a trusted MSP ensures your business has the attention of qualified IT professionals that are committed to helping you succeed.
MSPs use remote IT management and monitoring tools that allow them to provide top-shelf IT care and support.
Predictable budgeting
One of the biggest advantages of hiring an MSP is the predictable monthly pricing. MSPs typically establish a flat rate monthly fee that covers their services in their entirety.
No more surprise bills for costly repairs or needed upgrades.
You pay one flat rate, month after month, to receive the high-quality services you need.
Responsive, qualified professionals
Many MSPs offer 24/7 help desk support. You can reach a dedicated IT professional whenever you need them most.
Proactive IT solutions
MSPs make it their goal to prevent challenging IT problems from occurring. After all, it is much easier to keep a problem from happening then to fix it after the fact.
With an MSP at work for you, you have access to a team of IT specialists with the experience to resolve vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure and to keep your IT systems on pace with your organizational goals.
Peace of mind
Let’s face it. You don’t have the time or interest to spend your days trying to keep your IT assets functioning optimally and securely.
Though there is a monthly investment to acquire the services of a reputable MSP, their assistance buys you back your most valuable commodity -- time.
Because you’ve put your IT environment into the hands of a professional IT support team, you can apply the entirety of your focus to the more valuable work of running and growing your business.
Increased operational efficiencies
If you’re making use of one of your employees to do double duty (their own work as well as company’s IT maintenance chores) there’s no doubt that greater efficiency can be achieved.
An MSP takes the burden of IT management off the shoulders of your staff, allowing them to remain focused on their core tasks. By giving all their attention to doing the work they were hired to do, your employees can get more accomplished.
More Dad Jokes
It’s true. You’ll be exponentially exposed to the best (or the worst) dad jokes by outsourcing your IT. Why? Because technology can be stressful for which, humor is one of the best antidotes.
Want to find out, “Why the mobile phone is wearing glasses?”* Or “What do you call an iPhone that sleeps too much?”** Scroll to the bottom of this blog for the punchlines. It might just brighten your day.
What Do MSPs Do?
MSPs offer a wide array of services to meet the needs of companies just like yours.
24/7 help desk support
Remote monitoring
Patch management
Regulatory compliance expertise
Comprehensive security suites
Business continuity
Disaster recovery
Strategic IT planning
Regular IT audits/assessments
Business automation
Tracking and analytics
Routine maintenance and preventative actions
Cloud solutions
How Do MSPs Work?
The first step in your working relationship with your MSP is a thorough assessment of your current IT environment. This evaluation is key to helping the MSP determine your IT system’s strengths and weaknesses as well as how your current IT environment aligns to your corporate goals.
Following the initial assessment and signing an IT management agreement, your MSP will devote their time to improving your IT infrastructure and shoring up any operational inefficiencies and security gaps.
What Do MSP Services Cost?
Most often, the monthly price you will pay for this level of service is based on the number of users or devices combined with the complexity of your IT environment. The advantage to this type of MSP agreement is you can scale your services up or down predictably as your company grows, ensuring you only pay for what you actually need.
Each IT services contract is unique, based upon the specific needs of the individual client.
Do I need an MSP if I have internal IT Staff?
Not a problem!
Many MSPs offer co-managed services, allowing you to handle some of the workload internally while delegating other aspects of your IT infrastructure to their team.
Co-managed services are the ideal solution for businesses that have some IT personnel on their staff and simply need some outsourced assistance from a professional MSP.
There are several reasons why a business might opt to hire an MSP for co-managed services. These include:
Offloading excess work from an in-house IT director
Targeting additional resources for challenging projects
Needing help with managing day to day IT problems
Co-managed IT services are fully customizable, permitting you to design a package that works for you and your business.
Thinking it’s time to bring an MSP on board? Contact us to learn more about how our team of IT experts put the fun back in IT while helping you meet your goals.
* “Because it lost its contacts.”
**”Dead Siri-ous.”