Managed Services and Managed Service Providers (MSP’s) are a huge part of the IT world. Most businesses either already work with an MSP or know they should. The most common questions we hear are: What do MSP’s provide, how do they work and why do I need one?
Managed Services are anything you buy (almost always as a subscription) that is used by your organization but managed by someone else. Some good examples might be a Hosted Phone System, Website Hosting, offsite backups, Microsoft 365, Password Management, hosted servers and so much more. The party that is responsible for managing these systems is called a Managed Services Provider. The idea here is that you get all the benefits of using the platform and they take on all the responsibility for making sure it runs correctly. When handled properly, your users are happy and everything is implemented as it should be.
Managed Services
MSP’s are becoming increasingly common. Unfortunately, a GOOD Managed Service Provider can be difficult to find. The difference is quality of services to your users, access to the right partners and products, and a constant focus on Balancing Your Digital Ecosystem. That last part requires planning and communication between your team and theirs and should be a part of any ongoing relationship.
Here are a few examples of Managed Services that all providers should offer:
PASSWORD MANAGEMENT
Password management has quickly become one of the most important parts of any Digital Ecosystem. Unless you are one of the gifted few who have a natural talent for passwords, it is nearly impossible to remember every password for every user, device, website, and software platform in your organization. Additionally, a good security strategy requires those passwords to be complex and to rotate regularly. A tool that manages all of this in real-time and provides everything to you from a single platform is key to success.
HOSTED SERVICES
Whether you’re hosting websites or application servers on the cloud, the requirements are the same: Speed, performance, uptime, and affordability. Having a partner with access to server environments that can provide all of these as part of your Digital Ecosystem is a huge part of any digital strategy.
CLOUD PROVIDERS
Password management has quickly become one of the most important parts of any Digital Ecosystem. Unless you are one of the gifted few who have a natural talent for passwords, it is nearly impossible to remember every password for every user, device, website, and software platform in your organization. Additionally, a good security strategy requires those passwords to be complex and to rotate regularly. A tool that manages all of this in real-time and provides everything to you from a single platform is key to success.
SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE (SaaS)
Arguably, one of the most important aspects of a well-rounded digital ecosystem is your organization’s software platforms. It is not uncommon for us to meet clients who still have a traditional setup with software installed on their internal network. The alternative is Software as a Service (SaaS) where your platform is on the cloud and you access it over the internet. A good example of this would be QuickBooks online. While this is an important step for any growing organization as it provides stability, accessibility, and access to real-time updates it is not a move to be made lightly. Make sure to work with your Managed Service provider to choose the right solution.
NETWORK MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Whether you have 20 servers and 100 employees in a central location, or all of your data is on the cloud, you still need to have a network. What that network looks and feels like can vary greatly but the needs are always the same: Security, asset tracking, updating, and monitoring. Not only does your MSP need this to help manage your network but it allows them to provide support services and remote management of mission critical devices which is a huge help to you!
SUPPORT AS A SERVICE
Managed Services without support is like a house without bathrooms. Technically it’s still a house but you’re not going to enjoy the stay. The level of support offered by MSPs can vary making this possibly the most important factor in choosing the right partner. What are their hours? Do they provide emergency service? Is phone, email, text, and chat included? Will they white-label and act as your internal IT department? There are a ton of questions worth asking that have major consequences in making sure you have the right relationship in place…not just the right tech.
