Technology keeps daily work moving, and looking after it is a heavy job when a business has no IT staff of its own. A managed service provider, or MSP, is a company that takes that job on.
What an MSP is
An MSP looks after a customer’s IT systems and the computers people use, on an ongoing basis. This is usually a subscription: a regular fee in exchange for the service. A shop that only shows up after something breaks is working reactively. An MSP tries to stop problems before they stop the business.
Work an MSP may cover
- Network management. Watching and maintaining the network, including a new network, an existing one, security, and uptime.
- Data backup and recovery. Backups, and a recovery plan so data can be restored after an emergency.
- Cybersecurity. Finding threats, putting prevention in place, and running security assessments.
- Cloud services. Help moving to the cloud and running what is already there, with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud as examples.
- Help desk and support. MSPs offer 24/7 technical support, including remote troubleshooting and on-site help when it is needed.
- Software management. Updates and licenses, so applications stay current and the licenses match what is in use.
What you get
- A monthly cost that is easier to budget, and less need to staff a full-time in-house IT team.
- A team whose work is current IT practice.
- Services that can grow as the business grows.
- More of the company’s attention left for its own work, because IT problems are handled elsewhere.
- Security work done ahead of an incident, which lowers the chance of a breach.
What to check before you hire
- Name the work you need, such as the network, security, or the cloud, and look for an MSP that does that work.
- Look at experience with businesses like yours. Read case studies or testimonials when a provider publishes them, and notice providers who take part in the IT, cybersecurity, and local community.
- Read the service-level agreement, and see whether the response times and uptime commitments fit the business.
- See how you can reach the provider, and whether support is there when a problem starts.
An MSP can help a business run its technology with less disruption. A Minneapolis business may get a cost it can plan, stronger security, and more time for its own work.
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