What Is a Managed Service Provider?

Managed Service Provider (MSP) is currently on everyone’s lips and many are wondering what exactly it is all about and how this IT service provider differs from others. Today we want to shed some light on the matter and have briefly summarized the most important points for you here.

Managed service providers at a glance

The IT sector is characterized by rapid technological developments. As an IT service provider, it is therefore essential to adapt to this change, develop new services and align with market needs. These needs are increasingly directed at MSPs and are thus moving them to the forefront.

Here is some background information: The new “ Managed Service ” service emerged in the 2000s and is increasingly winning over new, enthusiastic companies. This service was developed by the companies EDS (Electronic Data Systems), IBM Global Services and Centerbeam. The focus was on large companies that should include this service in their range of services.

Essentially, an MSP is a company that provides IT support for others. This is usually used by companies that do not have their own IT department or that lack comprehensive IT know-how. With managed services, this means that responsibility for certain areas of IT is passed on to an IT service provider. This ensures that the defined activities are carried out using service level agreements (SLA). Billing is usually at a fixed price. The service provided by MSPs includes all aspects from advice to operations and service. And all of this via remote access. At first glance, it seems quite clear that smaller companies would like to use an external service provider for their company’s IT infrastructure, but such an investment can also make sense for larger companies.

Managed Service Provider vs. Outsourcing – what’s the difference?

There are often difficulties distinguishing between managed service providers and outsourcing. Be careful – there are definitely two important differences. Outsourcing involves outsourcing complete IT tasks or IT areas. In contrast, with managed services, only individual areas, such as the permanent functionality of networks and servers or protection against malware, are transferred to an MSP.

Typical managed services

Managed services cover a very extensive range of IT services. Exactly what services are offered can vary greatly from MSP to MSP. In principle, this refers to different scenarios. For example, IT systems can run on-site at the customer’s premises, but are monitored and administered by the MSP via Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM). Another option is for the MSP to operate the systems on its own infrastructure.

Also Read : Boosting Your Bottom Line with Managed IT Services