Common MSP misunderstandings

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are often misunderstood in terms of what they manage and the value they can provide. The language used to describe MSPs, MSSPs, and IT support in general can be a bit wishy-washy.

This article explores the misconceptions surrounding Managed Service providers and what goes into a successful IT partnership.

Common MSP misunderstandings

MSPs only answer support queries and monitor tickets

Whilst this is a part of what an MSP does, it isn’t all they focus on. MSPs are often confused with break/fix solutions, which, of course, still have a place in the world of IT support. That being said, they lack the proactiveness of IT being ‘managed’.

Protecting clients from disruption and downtime is still a large part of what they do. An experienced MSP will also offer a range of technological enhancements and consultative guidance including, but not limited to:

• IT infrastructure reviews
• Risk assessments
• Compliance certifications
• Malware protection
• Ransomware protection
• Vulnerability management
• Cloud migrations
• Unified Communications
• Digital transformations

MSP’s are just technicians and can’t provide strategic advice

MSP’s work on multiple projects, consisting of various products and services. This then requires individuals who are not only familiar with the products/services, but highly qualified too. An established MSP has a strong internal IT consultancy team that works tirelessly to not only deliver both everyday IT needs and transformative tech recommendations. Watch out for IT companies that contract their consultancy out to third parties, it wont run as seamlessly as an inhouse team.

If there’s ever a time you do need guidance and support around a large project, whether that’s an infrastructure refresh, a security overhaul or cloud migration, trust us, an MSP is your go to. Again, different MSP’s will have different offerings, but that’s why research is important when it comes to looking for an reliable MSP.

OryxAlign have a wealth of experience in delivering multiple projects across various sectors. Projects can vary between small or large-scale, but depending on the need of the client, our team can advise the best case scenario. Recommendations are always tailored according to the infrastructure and client needs and are made after a comprehensive review.

Identifying a five-star MSP

Whilst a break-fix support service disguised as an MSP will only offer break-fix support, a proper MSP will offer support services with remote monitoring. This means that a good MSP will take a proactive approach instead of a reactive one like the break-fix option.

Look for an MSP that is dedicated to proactively and consistently monitoring your IT. Are they monitoring your performance? Are they working on predicting what could go wrong? Are they waiting for changes or predicting them from the beginning and already looking for solutions? These are all important measures of what a good MSP will do.

For more information on managed services and how we can support your business, contact our team today.