What is an MSP?

A managed service provider (MSP) is a third-party company that remotely manages an organization's information technology (IT) infrastructure and systems.  MSPs manage day-to-day IT, so organizations can focus on the business without worrying about extended IT downtimes, security vulnerabilities, or interruptions.

Some MSPs may only focus on specific segments of technology, others can focus on specific vertical markets, such as legal, financial services, healthcare, or manufacturing. MSPs with security service practice specialize in types of services, such as firewall administration and other security operation center (SOC) services.  The majority of MSPs perform tasks remotely and have local technicians to support on-site hardware.

When an MSP partners with an organization, it is expected to fill in some gaps or roles in an organization's IT staff or technology. Collaboration between an MSP and the organization typically begins with a readiness assessment that determines the current-state environment. This assessment may point out potential gaps for improvement, security vulnerabilities, and how to properly support business objectives.

There is not one specific design for every company, so an MSP can provide different solution offerings. 

MSP helpdesk support focuses on remotely supporting end-users to resolve issues. MSPs that provide this option charge for the time spent resolving tickets and for any hardware used to repair the problem.

MSPs that offer a subscription base model focus on the quality of service of an organization's infrastructure and usually bill clients a fixed monthly service. If a problem or risk arises, the MSP solves the problem as part of the service agreement. Managed Service Agreement through the subscription model is based on defined rates per device.

Cybersecurity, monitoring, management, reporting, and other services are defined using an SLA that documents what the organization can expect from the MSP. Response times, performance and security specifications are also included in the service agreement.

MSPs use enterprise level (PSA) professional service automation and (RMM) remote monitoring and management software platforms to assist with the managment and monitoring of devices.  Expect to have an implementation time for the MSP to deploy the software throughout the organization. 

If your organization already has IT staff in place, you may be wondering how an MSP can help your organization. The common perception among businesses is that partnering with a managed services provider (MSP) means handing over control of the internal IT entirely.

This, however, is far from the truth. In fact, your IT staff can work in tandem with an MSP and grow to complement each other.

An MSP can fortify your IT team by providing the necessary services, policies, and equipment that can reduce risks in your existing IT infrastructure. Partnering with an MSP can also support your organization during periods of growth or downturn.

The best thing about working with a managed service provider is that you can gain access to various levels of experts. When your IT staff and MSP are partners, your organization benefits.

Not all MSPs offer cybersecurity. Many MSPs do not have a major focus or expertise in cybersecurity.

Limited staff. It may take time for a smaller MSP to respond to an issue and security risks.

Potential upselling. Some MSPs try to sell hardware and software, this can distract them from their core focus of supporting their clients.  Today's supply chain problems can also cause friction and delays in business objectives. 

Poor visibility. If an MSP is using the cheapest tools or non-enterprise level software visibility into ticket status and documentation may be limited. 

Dependency on third-party providers. Companies that use an MSP to handle day-to-day support can form a reliance on the MSP. If the managed service provider fails to follow through on the documentation, process development, and visibility.

Pricing models. MSPs can have a variety of pricing which will make it hard to compare apples to apples on pricing.  

• All-inclusive pricing. Also referred to as the all-you-can-eat, an MSP charges a flat fee for its services, many times this pricing misses key support services and focuses on cost control vs service quality.
• Tiered pricing. Can limit what level of service you get access to. If there is no agreement in place for higher-end or tier three support organizations can expect to see limited services until the next tier is purchased. 
• Monitoring-only pricing. MSPs that only offer monitoring and alerting services, this limited service has the lowest value and replaces the software cost to monitor devices.
• Per-device or user pricing. The MSP charges a flat fee for each device or user managed. This can allow flexibility for organizations to grow or decrease monthly.

The term MSP applies to outsourced IT services.

The following areas of service are performed by MSPs:

• Managing cybersecurity or SOC services
• Managing IT infrastructure
• Help desk support for end users
• Managing user access, on-boarding, and off-boarding access controls
• Engineering and administration of business-critical systems

Advanced MSPs, like Tailwind IT, offer disaster recovery services and cloud solutions. Some smaller managed service providers only focus on small business and supporting local clients.

As your organization changes, so does its technology needs. Many organizations may have a tough time deciding on whether to add more expensive skilled labor to their internal IT team or to outsource some of their IT functions. 

As an experienced MSP, Tailwind IT understands your concerns and risks of not partnering with a solid organization. Feel free to contact us. You can schedule a discovery call, so we can listen to your goals and understand where we can add value to your organization. Connect today!