Now, let’s dive into what you need to be aware of when choosing a Managed
Service Provider (MSP).
Many managed service providers will tell you that they have the best customer
service, the best personnel, or the best pricing.
These are all, of course, great attributes, but what really sets the good MSPs
apart from the rest?
Firstly, let’s examine exactly why you’re thinking of changing IT providers –
this usually comes down to one of the following reasons:
- The current IT provider is slow to react.
- Service levels are not what they used to be.
- The IT provider is perceived as not being forward-thinking.
- You’ve outgrown your current provider; they don’t have the knowledge to help
you transform. - Price: the current provider has become too expensive; they charge for every
little thing. - Failed backups: you’ve lost data even though you’re paying them for a backup
service. - IT security breach, cybersecurity attack or ransomware infection, data leak –
you need someone more secure to manage your business IT infrastructure.
These are all common reasons why businesses switch to a new provider, but
what should you look out for when shopping the market?
Expertise and Experience
Once you’ve narrowed down your selection of IT providers to a handful of
companies, one of the first places to start investigating their experience is on
LinkedIn. It’s a wonderful tool that allows you to look up the employee size of
the business.
How many people does the IT provider employ, and what’s their experience?
This can easily be researched by looking at the employees within a company
and their work history. It will quickly give you a feel for the depth of knowledge
and experience a company has.
Just remember, it’s not all about size – a 5-person IT provider might be a better
fit for you compared to a 50-person IT company.
Range of Services Offered
Your business is unique; it has different needs compared to other companies. As
part of your research, you should be asking what services are covered in your
managed service agreements.
Common IT services include:
- Managed IT Support
- Remote Monitoring & Management
- Account Management
- Backup Services
- Cloud and Physical Infrastructure Support and Service
- Hardware & Software Purchasing
- Internet Connectivity
- Network Management
- Security & Compliance
- Data Analytics, Data Capture
- AI Automation / Power Platform
Customer Support and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
Almost all managed service providers will offer some level of service
agreement. This is usually part of the term contract, and various service levels
will be offered or come as standard.
It’s important to find out what the standard service level offering is. For
example, if someone in your company logs an IT support request, how long is a
typical response? 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 3 hours?
Also, ask what the average response time is. Many of the SLAs in place have an
autoresponder that acknowledges the support issue has been logged – this
autoresponder keeps the MSP in line with the SLA, but it’s important to
understand the average response time by an IT support engineer.
Compliance and Security Standards
Cybersecurity and risk are becoming more common areas that MSPs cover.
Many businesses now have cybersecurity insurance that will pay out if there is a
data breach or some form of security incident resulting in loss to the business.
However, complying with the requirements of cybersecurity insurance is
becoming more difficult every year. When shopping around for a new IT
provider, it’s good to find out if everything within your cybersecurity insurance
will be covered by them. If not, what is the additional cost to maintain the
correct level of compliance?
This can result in out-of-contract project work, which should be costed up prior
to agreeing to a new managed service provider agreement.
Pricing Models and Cost-Effectiveness
Many IT providers will not give you a cost upfront – this is mainly due to the
different needs businesses have for IT support and managed IT services.
It can be difficult to compare providers purely based on cost. Many businesses
will mark down IT providers if they come in too cheap – a low-cost option is
usually a reflection of the service level you will experience from the provider in
the future.
Where there is a comparison, it’s worth comparing or asking for the costs on a
per-user basis. These can vary from $100-$500/month/user – a good starting
point for how to compare the service offerings by a handful of providers.
Enjoy this article and want more help in switching IT providers? Get in touch
with us today.
