Top Managed IT Service Providers

With the technology landscape growing by the minute, the number of issues and crimes related to it also increases, from cybersecurity issues to loss of data to servers crashing. In fact, in 2022 alone, the number of phishing attacks increased by 61%. When left unresolved, these issues could lead your business to the bankruptcy, among other things.

This is where a managed IT service provider comes in. Managed IT can help keep your tech systems running and protect your data. The fast-paced growth of the MSP market shows how more and more businesses today are realizing that MSPs are essential for their survival.

The question then is how do you find the best managed IT service provider for your business? This article will cover all you need to know about managed IT services, as well as a guide and list of top service providers to help you find the best one.

Definition of Managed IT Services

First off, it’s important to understand what managed IT services really entail. A managed IT service is an Information Technology (IT) task that a third-party contractor provides and delivers to the customer.

In a typical arrangement with a managed IT service provider, the MSP holds all the responsibility for the functionality of the equipment and the IT service, with the customer paying a monthly fee. Although managed IT service comes in different types, they share the same goal of lessening the customer’s burden of maintaining IT and transferring it to a service provider.

The best-managed IT service providers are able to let customers benefit from predictable pricing and allow them to focus on the essential aspects of their core business instead of chores related to IT management.

There are different responsibilities included in managed IT services, such as:

• Monitoring and managing hardware and infrastructure remotely
• Configuring, monitoring and managing cloud services
• Security services which include monitoring, threat hunting, penetration testing or incident response
• Communications support

Traditionally, the break/fix model was used to approach managed fix services, which monitors the systems until they detect an issue that needs resolving. A lot of MSPs now take a more proactive approach to management and maintenance, which includes predictive maintenance and patch management.

Managed IT services also often get confused with cloud services. However, it’s important to know the difference between the two.

Cloud services are software offerings that third-party vendors manage and deliver to customers on demand. In general, they include vendor management of data, application and platform services. However, they don’t include management of the customer workload. Meanwhile, the top managed IT service providers typically have the cloud platform provided on which they can deliver their service.

Benefits of Managed IT Services

Big corporations from around the world have made IT a priority. However, it’s their high amounts of revenue that allow them to build first-class internal IT teams. This means that SMBs have to find a solution to fill that gap and level the playing field. Smart SMB owners know that leveraging managed IT services is the ideal option.

Here are several benefits of hiring a top-managed IT service provider.

Benefit #1: Reduced IT costs

The best-managed IT service providers can help small businesses reap the benefits of IT support at a lesser cost compared to building their own internal team. Through a subscription-based model, SMBs are able to pay for the services they need when they need them, which allows them to scale and grow.

Internal budgeting and tracking expenses are also made a lot easier when managed IT services are contracted out to a third-party expert. Since MSP costs are generally fixed and consistent, small business owners can easily forecast their monthly, quarterly and yearly expenses. This allows them to focus more on business development and marketing.

Benefit #1: Reliable service

Most business owners tend to forget that IT operations are also resource-intensive. With the skills of an MSP, clients are able to better benefit from the company’s resources. With a top-managed IT service provider, clients are able to experience more dependable services with fewer interruptions.

Not to mention, clients are also able to benefit from having a dedicated IT professional. With internal teams, their focus may be split from having to balance different responsibilities. However, a third-party MSP can give clients the sole focus they need and deliver first-class service around the clock.

Benefit #1: Leverage expert knowledge

MSPs come with a breadth of IT-related expertise. They possess professional knowledge on things such as industry compliance, effective cybersecurity policies and knowledge gained from real-world experiences.

To mitigate a client’s risk, businesses need the knowledge that MSPs have on intricate cybersecurity and regulatory compliance. Since they’re the go-to experts responsible for the managed IT support of the company, they are always up-to-date on the latest technologies, information and processes that allow the infrastructure to work efficiently and successfully.

Types of Managed IT Services

For a business to make the most informed decision, it’s important for them to be aware of the different types of managed IT services and how exactly they can benefit your business.

End User Services

This type of service covers a wide range of offerings. However, they mostly revolve around the IT support channels and methods that a business has set in place for its customers and employees.

At the most basic level, this service includes a helpdesk solution handled by a team of agents that resolves technical issues experienced by users. These issues can range from basic mobile support to application upgrades to connection errors and other deskside IT services.

On-site Services

On-site IT services are often called managed field services. This service involves a managed service provider who dispatches technicians to different locations to perform various IT tasks such as installing or repairing equipment, site surveys, wireless or cabling projects and more.

Security Services

With cybercrime increasing every year, it’s critical for a business to invest in managed security services. Partnering with a managed security service provider allows a business to receive validated alerts in real-time every time a security breach or other related incidents happen. However, this is also less likely to happen when the business leverages the expertise of an MSSP.

Infrastructure Support

Infrastructure should be thought of as the heartbeat of the business. As day-to-day processes and functions become digitized, the infrastructure in charge of facilitating them should be operating at its maximum efficiency. Since a typical IT infrastructure has different components, the managed service offerings for this type of IT service can span across different categories such as network security, firewall, data analytics and more.

Cloud Services

For businesses that want to stay competitive in the ever-changing landscape of business and IT, cloud services are a necessity. Cloud-based services allow companies to easily accommodate the growth of their business by creating a more predictable IT budget, scaling their services and more. Not to mention, the cloud provides secure remote access to a company’s network, which means employees can remain productive wherever they go.

Technology Support

This type of service can come in the form of a project, technology assessment or ongoing technical support for applications launched by the business. A top-managed IT service provider can provide the business with the resources and technical expertise they need to complete a critical IT project.

How to Choose a Managed IT Service Provider

With the number of managed IT service providers out there, it can be difficult to pick just one. But this is a task that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and proper research and evaluation need to be performed before selecting the best-managed IT service provider for the business.

Here are several tips you can use:

Look for someone who has a genuine interest in your business.

The best-managed IT service provider is one that understands the needs of both the wider industry and the unique organization. Without a proper understanding of how the company works, the MSP won’t be able to develop the right strategies to help the business grow. They should also be nimble and have enough experience to work with any regulatory compliance or specialized software that applies to the business. After all, every business has different IT needs.

Ask if they offer anything other than managed IT services.

If the MSP says that they offer other services besides those relating to managed IT, then they’re probably not the best managed IT service provider for the business. This is because the scope of their business does not focus on becoming a high-quality MSP. Thus they won’t be able to deliver the concentrated attention and dedication that the company deserves.

Search for a managed IT service provider with a proactive approach.

Forward-looking MSPs use proactive remote monitoring in order to spot and prevent any issues before they can cause data loss, downtime or other disruptions. It’s important to have fully realized disaster recovery plans that include regular backups for on-site and off-site data.

Make sure that provider accountability is part of the agreement.

If the MSP is unable to meet the level of performance that it promised, then the company should have the right to ask for accountability. Make sure to ask the managed IT service provider what they plan to do in case of failure.

Recognize that upfront expenses should not be a deciding factor.

Upfront costs should not be used as the basis for the final decision. Instead, it’s important to also carefully weigh the financial benefits of reliable security, minimized downtime, regulatory compliance, and averting costly network disasters.

Request references.

A potential MSP should be able to provide testimonials, references and endorsements to prove their expertise, reliability and trustworthiness. A provider who has been around a while and has built a solid reputation is typically the ideal choice.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Managed IT Service Provider

Any business operation requires reliable, secure and effective technology to survive. Any type of company, from small establishments to big corporations, relies on IT networks and stored data to support their business. When selecting the best-managed IT service provider for the business, there are a few key factors that need to be considered and discussed.

IT Strategy and Future Requirements

The service delivered by MSPs includes access to a team that develops and implements comprehensive IT strategies to help the business achieve its short-term and long-term goals. The team is also responsible for determining the new IT needs of the business as its goals change and technology evolves.

The strategy provided by the MSP should cover a long-term plan, routine network maintenance schedules and reports and budgetary information. Having this much attention to detail can greatly contribute to reducing costs in equipment, personnel, insurance, software, budgeting and security services.

Ongoing Support and Security

A business needs the support of a reliable and trustworthy IT service. With security demands evolving along with technical requirements, it can be stressful for business owners to deal with IT headaches while focusing on the growth of the business.

Hiring MSPs is the most logical solution. However, the MSP should be able to deliver proper support and security to not just the clients but the business as well. They should be able to respond quickly to calls and address service requests on a daily basis.

After all, the best experiences, practices and insights gained by partnering with a professional MSP are incredibly difficult to replicate.

Proactive Network Management

With proactive network management, the network of a business is able to run smoothly and ensure that the proper security measures are in place to prevent any loss of data. A strong client onboarding process is one that includes security protocol assessments and infrastructure upgrades to ensure the stability of the network.

The best-managed IT service provider includes routine patches, backups and updates in their daily procedures. They should also be able to provide up-to-date network diagrams, status reports, and equipment inventories on all computers, servers and peripherals on the company’s network.

These are some of the elements that should be brought up when interviewing any potential managed IT service provider.

Top Managed IT Service Providers

In our list available of Top Managed IT Service companies, we comprise the most prominent and successful Managed IT Service Providers. These providers have been extensively evaluated and ranked based on various criteria, including the range and quality of services they offer, customer feedback, industry experience, and market presence. By accessing this list, you can gain insights into the top-performing Managed IT Service Providers and make informed decisions while choosing the best provider that suits your business needs.

Conclusion

In today’s business landscape, managed IT services are currently in demand. It can be difficult for small business owners to balance handling their IT network while focusing on the core aspects of their business. This can lead to inefficiency, increased expenses, increased risk of cyber threats and many more.

This is where an MSP comes in. However, choosing the best-managed IT service provider for the business is not a decision to be made hastily. There are certain factors that need to be carefully considered to ensure that the MSP is able to help the business achieve its short-term and long-term goals.

Frequently Asked Questions