A Complete Guide For Understanding Managed Service Providers (MSPs)

Whether you are a small, medium, or large business owner, there is a big chance that you heard about a managed service provider or MSP for short. However, there are various IT services that these companies provide, hence, you might be slightly overwhelmed when you google what services they provide.

If you are reading this article, you are probably interested in implementing some of these services into your company – and if that is the case, the text below might help you understand MSPs a little bit better. Let’s take a closer look at the guide:

MSPs Explained

A managed service provider (MSP) refers to a firm that remotely manages the IT infrastructure of a company, as well as the end-user systems – this means that the company that hires an MSP outsources certain IT functions to them. These functions can be quite simple such as keeping the software updated and functions, however, they can be quite complex as well. The objective of these providers is to help businesses that do not have an IT department or the ones who do not have an experienced team. The most common services they provide include:

1. Data Backup

Backing up important data is extremely crucial for all businesses. Firstly, it is worth mentioning that these data backup services will allow you to access the data from any location and at any time. Second, it will protect your company’s valuable information against cyberattacks – that could ruin your business – as well as natural disasters that could destroy your computers and with it, the data. So, by outsourcing data backup, you can take advantage of cloud platforms and the service an MSP offers.

2. IT Support

As previously mentioned, some companies do not have the budget to hire a full IT team, while others might have one that lacks experience. By outsourcing, you can actually get a combination of support and guidance. The provider you choose will be in charge of managing and fixing both your hardware and software, however, at the same time, they might give insights into how those things work.

3. Network Security

According to All Blue Solutions, by hiring a managed service provider, you will be able to free the IT resources you have. This means that the company you choose will be responsible for your network safety which includes managing and overseeing different aspects of your network. This means that they will focus on detecting and preventing any network intrusions, they will completely remove viruses or spam, they will deal with filtering your content, and they will analyze your traffic through a state-of-the-art firewall.

4. System Management

If you opt for hiring an MSP, they will also provide you with monitoring your network, server, and apps. Now, this is especially important since they will be able to monitor the data and real-time metrics, hence, they will solve any issues that they find. This will prevent downtime and delays, so, your business will not be impacted by those hindrances.

5. Help Desk Solutions

As already stated, most businesses that choose to hire an MSP do not have an IT department or resources that they can use. And, a managed service provider will help you with getting help desk solutions, meaning that your customer will have 24/7 access to a specialist that might help them with their problems on-site or remotely.

The Benefits You Can Gain

There is a wide range of benefits you can reap including:

1. The Risks Will be Reduced – of course, each investment made can bring a certain risk. And, as the markets, tech, economy, and regulations change, you will need to change as well. By utilizing an MSP, you will not have to worry about any of the changes happening since the provider will know about the changes and will comply with them.
2. You Can Get Proactive Solutions – when you choose to outsource proactively, the advantages you can gain are better performance, almost no downtime, and delays, as well as fewer bugs and glitches in your systems. A technician will be able to notice these issues and they will stop them from happening or getting worse.
3. You Can Predict The Cost – perhaps the best benefit you can gain is that your company will have a solution that can be fully personalized. The prices are often set, hence, you will know how much you will pay and what you will be getting.
4. You Will Have Access to IT Professionals – an expert can either work in-house or remotely – but wherever they are, you will have access to them 24/7. Also, they will be able to answer all the questions that you have and explain how implementing specific things can help your business.

MSPs: Frequently Asked Questions

People who just found out about MSPs might think that they do not need it. However, before thinking like that, take a look at the answers to the FAQ:

1. My business is small, do I really need to hire an MSP?

The simple answer to this question is – yes, you do. No matter how big or small your business is, working with an MSP will ensure that your hardware and software is monitored, maintained, and managed properly. The hardware and software are what creates your business and it is what gives you that competitive edge. Also, you will not have to worry if your business quickly grows since you will have the technology to support that growth.

2. I read somewhere that it can be cost-saving, but how can it be when I need to invest money?

A lot of individuals only think about the IT aspect of their company when something stops working – mostly because they figured out that they can simply call someone to fix the problem. But, that is exactly what eats your budget away. Now, for example, imagine your website crashes. You will need to call someone to come, wait for them to arrive, and then pay them a lot of money. However, if you had an MSP, they would be able to detect the problem sooner, meaning that your site would not crash. This can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article helped you better understand what are MSPs, as well as what service and benefits they can provide you with. Hence, now that you know everything about these companies, do not waste any more time and start searching for a reliable MSP that will help your company thrive!