What is an IT Managed Service Provider?
An IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) looks after your company’s Information Technology (IT) computer network, provides your employees with IT support and offers consultancy to improve your business operations.
Managing your own IT in-house requires a range of skills and experience which is often not feasible for a business and if there is an internal support team, it can be a costly overhead which often requires additional outsourced support (usually from an MSP).
Managing IT is time-consuming and rarely straightforward. Whether it is fixing a desktop computer that won’t work or ensuring the business is cybersecure, IT support is demanding work and can easily make you feel overwhelmed if you are not equipped with the necessary skills technology and insight.
How can a Managed Service Provider help?
An MSP has a team of highly skilled and professional IT experts who provide exceptional service when things go wrong or stop working. Technicians will work with you and your business to find the suitable solution to technical difficulties.
An MSP will make sure your network is kept up to date, if not ahead of the curve, with the latest in IT and technology trends. The IT landscape changes rapidly, and an MSP will make sure your systems are keeping pace.
What are the main benefits of using a Managed Service Provider?
A leading MSP will:
- Offer solutions you may never have heard of before or didn’t know existed but will be right for your business.
- Offer you insight from a much wider knowledge base than you may have internally.
- Minimise risk, keep your network secure and make you compliant.
- Minimise expensive network disasters.
- Stay focussed on your IT and network and not be distracted by other business issues.
- Have their own software and hardware solutions or work with vendors - dealing with the complexities so that you do not have to.
- Offer a cost package which is controlled with no surprises in price.
- Implement new technology seamlessly to keep you operating to a high level.
- Provide quick response and turnaround times using a team of dedicated engineers who will swiftly fix any IT issues.
- Stop any long-suffering recurrent IT issues you have experienced in the past.
- Create a disaster recovery plan, not because you will need it but to give you peace of mind.
- Use the best technology and equipment to deliver. IT is constantly upgraded, and a leading MSP will ensure your IT is current and not obsolete.
- Be accountable and offer you a consistent partnership which you can rely upon.
What types of services can a Managed Service Provider offer?
Your business deserves to run at its highest efficiency, and that can only be done when your networks are operational. An MSP IT service can offer a whole host of options. Below are some of the main services you might wish to consider.
Cybersecurity
Cybercrime is a serious issue for businesses and is becoming more prolific and sophisticated. Anti-Virus is no longer sufficient. Leading MSPs will assess your risk and offer software recommendations depending on what they find.
Data back up
Backup creates a copy of data that can be recovered in the event of data failure. It can also be as a result of hardware or software problems, data corruption and human error in deletion of data. Backup allows data to be recovered from an earlier point in time. An MSP will ensure good backup procedures are followed including multiple point backups which are regular and consistent.
Cloud computing
The cloud has become a firm fixture in business operations but relying on web-based solutions has its own issues, one being how data is backed up in the cloud. MSPs will ensure you are secure and compliant.
Consistent support on troubleshooting
MSP technicians can offer quick solutions and support to every day IT issues to minimise downtime. They offer a proactive maintenance service to allow your computers and network to operate effectively.
How to choose a Managed Service Provider
Do some research. Ask your business network if they know and rate any MSP providers. Networking and LinkedIn recommendations can be very useful here. If googling MSP’s, then google reviews can be informative to look at. Also look for experience in your line of business (although this shouldn’t be a deal breaker, if they have the right attitude) and look at their website and social media, are they keeping up to date with technology and do they know about the latest trends.
Choose 2 or 3 MSP companies who have been recommended to you or that you like the look of. Meet with them, invite them to your business but more interestingly visit theirs too. Meet the whole team, not just the face fronting the business, see where and how they work. This can give you valuable insight to assess if the MSP aligns with your vision, values and culture.
Do a bit of due diligence, ask about the MSP’s business plan and their financial growth to check that their growth aligns with yours. Conduct a credit check to ensure they are solvent. Pay attention to the MSP’s qualifications, ask to see their general service standards document and contract terms.
All of this will help ensure you pick the right IT support provider to partner with you and your business.
EPX Technical Services are a leading Managed Service Provider (MSP). We will evaluate your company’s IT provision and make recommendations upon what we find. Having the appropriate provisions in place is essential for any business regardless of size and structure, and it is important for us and you that this first part of the process is carried out.
EPX Technical Services stay ahead of the curve. Our IT experts know their stuff and will never cut corners, they love IT and have their fingers on the pulse at all times. Your IT infrastructure should evolve in line with your business and remain up to date with the latest industry releases and developments, for the utmost performance and security.
EPX Technical Services can help deliver a leading and proactive Managed Service Provider service. Learn more about us by visiting www.epx.co.uk, contact us on 01785 878 311 or email info@epx.co.uk.
