{"id":3301,"date":"2015-03-23T10:30:52","date_gmt":"2015-03-23T15:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/?p=3301"},"modified":"2015-05-21T16:23:15","modified_gmt":"2015-05-21T21:23:15","slug":"it-services-and-managed-service-providers-msps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/it-services-and-managed-service-providers-msps\/","title":{"rendered":"IT Services, and Managed Service Providers (MSPs)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-3310\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/selecting-an-msp-300x207.jpg\" alt=\"Selecting an MSP\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/selecting-an-msp-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/selecting-an-msp.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">In-house tools can make you more efficient at monitoring, patching, providing remote support, and service delivery. But you also need to ensure regular scheduled maintenance of every client system. That\u2019s where a Managed Service Provider (MSP) comes in.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 14pt;\"><b>What\u2019s a Managed Service Provider (MSP)?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">A <a href=\"\/resellersignup.aspx?ref=blog\">managed service provider<\/a> (MSP) caters to enterprises, residences, or other service providers. It delivers network, application, system and e-management services across a network, using a \u201cpay as you go\u201d pricing model.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">A \u201cpure play\u201d MSP focuses on management services. The MSP market features other players \u2013 including application service providers (ASPs), Web hosting companies, and network service providers (NSPs) \u2013 who supplement their traditional offerings with management services.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 14pt;\"><b>You Probably Need an MSP if\u2026.<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Your business has a network meeting any of the following criteria:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Connects multiple offices, stores, or other sites<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Is growing beyond the capacity of current access lines<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Must provide secure connectivity to mobile and remote employees<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Could benefit from cost savings by integrating voice and data traffic<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Anticipates more traffic from video and other high-bandwidth applications<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Is becoming harder to manage and ensure performance and security, especially given limited staff and budget<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 14pt;\"><b>What Can You Gain?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">1. Future proof services, using top-line technology<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">IT services and equipment from an MSP are constantly upgraded, with no additional cost or financial risk to yourself. There\u2019s little chance that your Managed IT Services will become obsolete.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">2. Low capital outlay and predictable monthly costs<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Typically, there\u2019s a fixed monthly payment plan. A tight service level agreement (SLA) will ensure no unexpected upgrade charges or changes in standard charges.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">3. Flexible services<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">A pay-as-you-go scheme allows for quick growth when necessary, or cost savings when you need to consolidate.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">4. Converged services<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">A single \u201cconverged\u201d connection can provide multiple Managed IT Services, resulting in cost-savings on infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">5. Resilient and secure infrastructure<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">A Managed Service Provider\u2019s data centres and managed network infrastructure are designed to run under 24\/7\/365 management. Typically, their security procedures have to meet government approval.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">6. Access to specialist skills<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">The MSP will have staff on hand capable of addressing specific problems. You may only need this skill once, and save the expense of training your staff for skills they\u2019ll never use.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 12pt; color: #ff6600;\"><b>7. Centralized applications and servers <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Access to centralized data centers within the network can also extend access to virtual services, as well as storage and backup infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 12pt; color: #ff6600;\"><b>8. Increased Service Levels <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">SLAs can ensure continuity of service. A managed service company will also offer 24\/7\/365 support.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 12pt; color: #ff6600;\"><b>9. Disaster recovery and business continuity <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">MSPs have designed networks and data centers for availability, resilience and redundancy, to maintain business continuity. Your data will be safe and your voice services will continue to be delivered, even if your main office goes down.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 12pt; color: #ff6600;\"><b>10. Energy savings <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">By running your applications on a virtual platform and centralizing your critical business systems within data centers, you\u2019ll lower your carbon footprint and <a title=\"Reducing IT Costs\" href=\"http:\/\/www.redcentricplc.com\/resources\/articles\/top-10-benefits-of-using-managed-it-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">reduce costs<img class=\"extlink-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/external-links-nofollow-open-in-new-tab-favicon\/images\/extlink.png\"><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 14pt;\"><b>Functions of an MSP<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Under Managed Services, the IT provider assumes responsibility for a client\u2019s network, and provides regular preventive maintenance of the client\u2019s systems. Technical support is delivered under a service level agreement (SLA) that provides specified rates, and guarantees the consultant a specific minimum income.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">The <a title=\"Core MSP Tools\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.smallbizthoughts.com\/2013\/04\/most-managed-service-providers-do-not.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">core tools<img class=\"extlink-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/external-links-nofollow-open-in-new-tab-favicon\/images\/extlink.png\"><\/a> of Managed Services are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Patch Management<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Remote Access provision<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Monitoring tools<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Some level of Automated Response<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Most MSPs also use a professional services automation (PSA) tool such as Autotask or ConnectWise. A PSA provides a Ticketing System, to keep track of service requests and their responses. It may also provide a way to manage Service Agreements, and keep track of technicians\u2019 labor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">In essence, though, it boils down to this: If a system crashes, and the Managed Service Provider is monitoring the network, that MSP has total responsibility for the state of the backup and the health of the server.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">As their client (and this should be spelled out, in the SLA), you can hold the MSP totally responsible \u2013 up to and including court action, for failing to provide the service they\u2019re contracted to provide.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: 12pt;\"><b>How to Choose an MSP<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Here are five key characteristics to consider, when <a title=\"Selecting an MSP\" href=\"http:\/\/www.itproportal.com\/2014\/08\/29\/5-key-characteristics-to-look-for-when-selecting-a-managed-service-provider\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">selecting<img class=\"extlink-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/external-links-nofollow-open-in-new-tab-favicon\/images\/extlink.png\"><\/a> a managed service provider:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">1. Comprehensive Technology Suite<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">The MSP should have a broad set of solutions available to meet not only your current needs, but to scale and grow as your business develops new products and services.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">A well-equipped MSP will offer support for virtual infrastructures, storage, co-location, end user computing, application management capabilities, etc. The MSP should be able to accommodate a range of applications and systems, under a service level agreement starting at the application layer, and extending all the way up the technology stack.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">2. Customization and Best Practices<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Look for a service provider with the expertise to modify each architecture based on individual business goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Their best practices should ensure seamless migration for customers, by taking an existing physical machine infrastructure and visualizing it. Comprehensive support should be available, throughout.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">3. Customer-Centric Mindset<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">The MSP should provide a dedicated account manager who serves as the single point of contact and escalation for the customer. Support should be readily available, along with access to other service channels, as required.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">The most effective MSPs will be available to address problems around the clock, and have effective troubleshooting capabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">4. Security<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">For customers working in regulated environments such as healthcare and financial services, security and compliance issues are paramount.The MSP should have robust, tested infrastructure and operational fabric that operates across several geographical zones. This cuts down their susceptibility to natural disasters and service interruptions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">The provider should continuously monitor threats and ensure that each system is designed with redundancy at every level.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva; color: #ff6600;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">5. The Proper Scale<\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">If a small business selects one of the largest service providers, they may not receive a high level of customer-centric, flexible and customized support. Conversely, if a business selects an MSP that\u2019s too small, it may lack the scale and expertise to offer the necessary support.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Having direct access to a senior member of the MSP\u2019s management team by direct email or cell phone can be a good measure of the degree of personalized attention a customer is likely to receive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva;\">Understanding the different types of service providers is the first step in making the right decision for your organization.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In-house tools can make you more efficient at monitoring, patching, providing remote support, and service delivery. But you also need to ensure regular scheduled maintenance of every client system. That\u2019s where a Managed Service Provider (MSP) comes in. What\u2019s a Managed Service Provider (MSP)? A managed service provider (MSP) caters to enterprises, residences, or other [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,6,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-it","category-how-to","category-tech","category-technical"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3301"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3742,"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3301\/revisions\/3742"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poweradmin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}