What is an MSP?
An MSP (Managed Service Provider) is an organization that provides outsourced specific services to a third-party company focused on information technology. Many small and medium businesses choose to use an MSP to manage their IT infrastructure and end-user systems. Many MSPs offer remote storage and SaaS, however not all follow this model. When selecting an MSP to partner with it is important to consider the specialty of the third party aligned with the requirements of your business.
There are many reasons why a company may choose to make the decision to move from in-house procedures to outsourcing to an MSP. In many cases, the variety of benefits associated in general with MSPs makes this a very appealing switch.
Benefits of an MSP
- Reduced costs
- The ability to pay for the services you need when you need them. This can work out far more cost-effective than running a dedicated in-house team. Many MSPs offer a tailor-made solution to ensure your business is only paying for what they need.
- Efficiency
- Everyone knows if you’ve done something enough you can ‘do it with your eyes closed, so why not trust an MSP expert who is resolving these types of issues day in and day out? As MSPs have expertise in these areas, they can resolve issues.
- Specialized support
- MSPs often offer a specialty within a specific area. Using an MSP like this provides you with field experts and engineers that you can’t always get in-house.
- Scalability
- Scale up the number of services as the business grows without the worry of hiring a team to match this. MSPs can offer the right amount of support for your business depending on your growth and seasonality.
- Knowledge
- MSP experts are often at the cutting edge of technology allowing them to implement future-proof strategies that in-house teams may simply not have known of. This knowledge allows them to provide emerging technology built for the future.
- Visibility
- An MSP can bring a new perspective to a process or service the company currently follows. Allowing a fresh view can allow for a deeper understanding and the ability to recognize flaws before becoming faults.
So what type of MSP do I need?
Every MSP is different. However, there are a few categories most MSPs fall under.
Pure-Play MSPs: These third parties are more often than not specifically focused on monitoring networks and application performance. These can be extremely useful with reporting and alerts.
Staffing legacy MSPs: These are targeted toward mid-level organizations and often offer a wider range of services compared to Pure-Play MSPs. These usually include monitoring and software installation & upgrades.
High-Level MSPs: This variety of MSPs offers an even wider range of services, often these encompassed most requirements for any organization. This allows the business to outsource as much of its IT processes as they require.
Finding the right MSP is often a minefield, however, there are a few simple suggestions to aid your searches. We recommend identifying the needs of your business, as we have mentioned all MSPs are different and host a variety of alternative solutions. Finding an MSP that can support your business’s needs is vital. Once you know your business’s requirements you can filter your searches to MSPs who offer the support you require.
Here at Next2IT, we offer a variety of services with expert engineers covering on-premises infrastructure, cloud, and much more we have you covered, no matter the size of scale. Talk to an expert today on 0330 1332 202 or email sales@next2it.co.uk
