An MSP is a company that takes ongoing responsibility for your business IT, monitoring your systems, managing security and providing support for a fixed monthly fee instead of charging per call-out.
MSP stands for Managed Services Provider. It is a company that takes ongoing responsibility for your business IT rather than just showing up when something breaks. But not all MSPs are created equal and choosing the wrong one can be just as costly as having no support at all.
Here is what you should know before signing up with one.
What a good MSP should offer
At a minimum a managed services provider should cover the essentials that keep your business running and protected. This includes monitoring your systems for problems before they affect your work, managing your devices and software updates, protecting your business from cyberthreats with proper endpoint security and email filtering, backing up your data and ensuring it can be recovered, providing a help desk your staff can contact when they need assistance and looking after your cloud services and network infrastructure.
Beyond these basics, look for a provider that takes a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. The goal of managed IT is to prevent problems, not just fix them faster.
Questions to ask before choosing an MSP
Not every provider will be the right fit for your business. Here are the questions that will help you separate the good from the mediocre:
What is included in the monthly fee? Some providers quote a low monthly rate but charge extra for everything beyond basic monitoring. Make sure you understand exactly what is covered and what will be billed separately. Ask specifically about on-site visits, after-hours support and new user setups.
How do you handle security? Your MSP should be able to explain their approach to endpoint protection, email security, multi-factor authentication and backup. If they cannot give you a clear answer they are probably not taking it seriously enough.
What are your response times? Ask for specific commitments, not vague promises. How quickly will they respond to a critical issue versus a general request? Do they have a service level agreement that puts this in writing?
Do you support remote and hybrid workers? If your staff work from home or across multiple locations your MSP needs to be able to support them securely regardless of where they are.
How do you handle onboarding and offboarding staff? Setting up a new employee with the right access and devices should be seamless. Equally important is what happens when someone leaves. Your MSP should have a clear process for revoking access and securing accounts immediately.
Can you explain what you do in plain language? If your MSP cannot explain their services without jargon they may not fully understand your business needs. You should feel confident that they understand how your business operates, not just how your technology works.
Red flags to watch for
There are some warning signs that should make you think twice about a potential provider.
A provider that only talks about price and never about outcomes is likely cutting corners somewhere. The cheapest option is rarely the best when it comes to protecting your business.
If they cannot show you a clear reporting structure or explain how they track and resolve issues, their processes may not be mature enough to rely on. You should expect regular reports on the health of your systems and any issues that were identified and resolved.
Watch out for long lock-in contracts with no performance guarantees. A good MSP is confident enough in their service that they do not need to trap you.
If they do not ask you detailed questions about your business during the sales process that is a concern. A provider who does not understand your operations cannot properly support them.
What to expect when you switch
Moving to a new MSP or signing up for the first time does not have to be disruptive. A good provider will start with an assessment of your current environment to understand what you have, what is working and what needs attention. They will then put together a plan that addresses the priorities without trying to change everything at once.
The transition period typically involves documenting your systems, setting up monitoring and security tools, configuring backups and making sure your staff know how to reach the help desk. Most businesses see an improvement within the first few weeks as the provider starts catching and resolving issues that were previously going unnoticed.
Why Recloud
Recloud is a Cape Town based MSP that works with businesses of all sizes. We start every engagement with a thorough assessment and build a support plan around what your business actually needs. No unnecessary complexity, no hidden fees and no jargon.
If you are evaluating managed IT providers or thinking about making a switch, get in touch. We are happy to walk you through what we do and how it would work for your business.