What To Look For In An MSP? Mention Some Qualities
The managed service provider business has risen rapidly in recent years, but what do you look for in an MSP partner?
The market has nearly doubled in value in the last five years, rising from $107 billion in 2014 to $193 billion today. By 2023, the market is estimated to reach $296 billion.
To address their IT demands, businesses increasingly turn to managed services partnerships.
This massive global expansion is an enormous surge in demand for outsourced IT services.
- 75% of SMBs outsource at least a portion of their IT to a managed service provider (MSP).
SMBs, in particular, are finding managed services to be an appealing option to the more traditional in-house IT departments to which they have become accustomed.
Simple economics is the reason behind this. Simply put, hiring an MSP partner is substantially less expensive than hiring a whole internal IT workforce.
Here are some qualities to look for in a managed service provider.
- Take a shared approach to managed services
- Provide a flexible service model
- Offer advanced services
- Offer round-the-clock support
- Support multiple time zones
- Solid strategic relationship with your cloud provider
- Leverage remote monitoring for proactive maintenance
- Robust backup and disaster recovery plan
- A dedicated, reliable, and single point of contact for your business
- Work with your legal team to address compliance issues
How do I choose a managed service provider?
What should you look for in a Managed IT Services provider? This is a severe technology investment. Many fly-by-night companies offer managed IT that don’t have the track record, experience, or capacity to adequately serve your organization’s needs. To ensure you make a wise choice, review each vendor you consider with the following criteria.
Flexible, Scalable Plans:
What type of plan does the service provider offer? If they are complicated and have a lot of fine print, chances are you’ll be getting charged for a lot of stuff you don’t need, or else you’ll find yourself in crisis only to learn that certain services aren’t included in your service plan.
Look for a simple, easy-to-understand billing agreement with transparency around what is and isn’t included. If you’re unclear about anything in the contract, seek expert advice before signing. Avoid companies that want to lock you into a multi-year agreement but are reluctant to convey their responsibilities. Are they playing a leading role in continuous improvement and staying up to date with changing technology and data compliance regulations, are they playing a leading role?
Robust Customer Support:
It would help if you usually had it right away when you needed customer support. You don’t have time to wait until business hours begin in a different part of the world or try and explain a complex problem to a chatbot that can only deliver answers from a preprogrammed FAQ. Ask what kind of support is promised, when and how it will be given, and what your options are in an emergency.
Service Level Agreements:
Uptime is critical to your company. You aren’t making money if your organization isn’t accessible to your customer base. A service level agreement (SLA) will promise a certain level of uptime, typically well over 99%, and a response time during outages within a specific time frame. Suppose the Managed Services provider fails to meet these obligations. In that case, they will typically be subject to a penalty (often a free service period to compensate for their breach of service.)
Technical assistance and installation on-site
Engineers are trained subject-matter specialists who respond as a backup when a company needs maintenance or repairs.
They are in charge of designing and installing IT projects on-site and performing periodic check-up trips to ensure everything is functioning smoothly.
Remote monitoring and troubleshooting
Support groups capable of proactively monitoring the network functions of the company.
If a client has a problem requiring quick attention, a help desk should be available, or an engineer should be ready to solve the problem remotely without the client’s involvement.
This help should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Extensive support for cloud-based operations
Revenue from public cloud services was $182 billion in 2019; this year, it will reach $250 billion.
Cloud services quickly become the focal point for many small and midsize businesses as executives gain trust and recognize the benefits.
They are more secure than ever and offer various options for storing firm data and licensing software.
Your MSP partner should be able to demonstrate substantial cloud service provider partnerships.
Final Words
It may seem counterintuitive, but having your personnel manage every part of your IT infrastructure can hinder them from concentrating on duties that directly impact your bottom line. Hiring an MSP to supplement your IT team will allow your personnel to focus on enhancing your company’s efficiency, productivity, and creativity. Furthermore, the correct MSP will be there for you in the long run, allowing your company to grow to new heights.
Protected Harbor is not your typical MSP. We assist you in maximizing the benefits of current and emerging IT solutions so your business thrives. If you want to learn more about how outsourcing your IT can enhance your business’s productivity, contact us today for a FREE technology assessment, or read our FREE eBook.
