Choosing Your Perfect Managed Services Provider

Featured article by Diana Smith, Independent Technology Author

If you aren’t familiar with the term, managed services is definitely something worth digging into – it’s among the fastest growing sectors in the world of business technology. Whether it comes to data management, system monitoring or IT security, it seems that everyone is turning to this trend that’s on the rise! We hope that this guide will help you choose the perfect managed services provider for your needs.

Find an MSP that Offers a Perfect Payment Method

The fee structures here are different with each provider, but the three basic methods are: alerting and monitoring only, pay per user and pay per device. Managed Service Provider (MSP) that you choose should suit your needs as much as possible.

The first mentioned, alerting and monitoring method, entails the provider either performing software updates and sending patches, or forwarding the alert to an IT representative within your company. Although this service structure doesn’t really fix any potential issues that may arise on your end, it is a solid, cheaper solution, especially beneficial for businesses with large internal IT teams.

The second, pay per user pricing model is by and large the most preferred one and it is based around flexibility – all of each user’s devices are covered under the user’s own cost.

The third, pay per device structure is based on customers being charged by the number of supported devices, including computers, servers, home computers, cell phones, laptops, etc.

Finding the perfect MSP payment method is of the utmost importance.

Communication Channels

Communication between your MSP and your company is the very backbone of a successful relationship. Your rights as a client are to know as much (or as little) as you like about what’s happening with your technology “behind the scenes”. While some clients want to get their technology fixed without caring about the details and steps of each process, others prefer diligently overlooking the entire operation. Regardless of which type of a client you might be, you have a full right to know everything and even if you’d prefer not to get caught up in the details, you should look into this with your MSP.

Here are some questions to ask them:

– How are the updates distributed to my team – through email, over phone, or in person?

– How frequently will my team be getting updates?

– Who’s involved in the entire process?

Your Provider Should Have Experience with Your Industry

Seeing as how your MSP will be your end-to-end solutions provider, it is very important that they have both the knowledge, as well as experience, in your operational environment. Every industry has certain requirements, much like is the case is with legal industry and compliance, so your MSP has to be introduced and experienced in dealing with these. Luckily, there are many specialized MSP businesses, that focus on a certain industry, the way Medihost Solutions does for hospitals and medical facilities.

Reputation

As is the case with every service provider, you should always look into your Managed Service Provider’s reputation. Their financial stability is of vital importance, regardless of whether you’re planning on having a long-term strategic relationship with them, or just looking as far as the first steps into managed services go. Check with your peers for the target MSP’s reputation and do your own research. Consider their experience and the services they offer.

Selecting a perfect Managed Services Provider for your business is just as important as having a quality IT team. Check their payment methods, communication channels, be wary of their reputation, find an industry-specific provider and, finally, never make a rash decision – this can put you in a world of trouble in a matter of weeks.