What an MSP Does and Doesn’t Do
Managed service providers (MSPs) take pride in providing superior support. Nonetheless, there are some things that we are capable of doing and others that we are not. For the latter, laundry and grocery shopping come to mind. However, this article will discuss what an MSP does and does not do.
Today, your business faces numerous obstacles. You’re responsible for budgeting and personnel management while adhering to government regulations and industry standards. Meanwhile, technological advancements are reshaping the workplace, customer expectations, and market demands.
An MSP becomes acquainted with your business’s existing technology and processes, as well as your objectives. This enables them to recommend cutting-edge, dependable, and secure technology solutions. Typically, you’ll contract with an MSP on a monthly basis. In exchange, you receive cutting-edge technology and the freedom to focus on the aspects of your business about which you are passionate. You may even want to incorporate strategic planning into the process of streamlining operations.
What an MSP Does
Let us begin by defining what an MSP does. An MSP can provide the following services as an external IT resource for your business:
- assist you in resolving a break-fix situation involving your technology;
- assist you in optimizing the performance of your information technology infrastructure;
- provide server monitoring and information technology maintenance;
- manage and adapt to your changing technology requirements;
- reduce your business’s costs by lowering the cost of your hardware and software infrastructure;
- enhancing operational effectiveness;
- Secure your systems, make regular backups of your data, and develop a disaster recovery plan;
- assist your users with their information technology requirements;
- match your business with the appropriate technology;
- create a strategy for a trouble-free cloud migration;
- enable you to avoid the expense and hassle of recruiting and retaining a large in-house IT team.
That sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? However, before you sign on the dotted line, continue reading to ensure that you understand the limitations of this service provider.
What an MSP Doesn’t Do
These IT professionals troubleshoot issues and assist in optimizing your business’s technology. They cannot, however, do everything. Additionally, your MSP cannot resolve all issues immediately. While an MSP will appreciate the urgency, not all technology solutions are straightforward.
Additionally, you cannot anticipate never encountering a technical issue again. While an MSP’s role is to monitor and secure your hardware and software, they cannot prevent every issue. For example, if an employee discovers an infected thumb drive and plugs it into a business desktop, the MSP’s only responsibility is to act to resolve the issue.
Additionally, your MSP’s technical team cannot magically deduce what is wrong with your IT infrastructure. The more information you provide up front, the more targeted their efforts will be. When submitting a service or support ticket, it’s beneficial to include the following information:
- who is harmed;
- the magnitude of the problem;
- the critical nature of the situation;
- what you attempted to correct it;
- Any error messages that occur are displayed.
Finally, the MSP should abstain from dictating policy or micromanaging your business. While these experts can provide insight into how technology can assist and can also weigh in on how proposed changes may affect your IT infrastructure, you should not feel compelled to make decisions by them.
Partner with MSPs
You now have a better idea of what to anticipate from a partnership with your MSP. If a business makes a promise to do something on the does-not-do list, you may be in for poor service.
By gaining a better understanding of what an MSP actually does, you can avoid developing unrealistic expectations. This can assist you in maximizing the return on your investment in this IT partnership.
Click here to schedule a free 15-minute meeting with Stan Kats, Founder and Chief Technologist.
STG IT Consulting Group proudly serves Greater Los Angeles and surrounding areas for all of your IT needs.
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