Pros and Cons to Working With a Managed IT Service Provider

Interested in the idea of partnering with a Managed Service Provider, but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered! Here is our list of the pros and cons of your business working with a Managed Service Provider. No misleading here: these are the honest advantages and disadvantages of working with an MSP, written by a current MSP.

Pros:

1. Expertise. Trying to internally replicate the resources and expertise you gain with an MSP would be very expensive. That would mean having to hire a dedicated cybersecurity specialist, multiple network administrators, a professional services team, a provisioning team, and a help desk. A Managed Service Provider performs all of these roles, and often at a considerably reduced cost.
2. The suite of tools they have access to are oftentimes specialized and expensive. Due to the economies of scale of the computers and networks they support, they can manage and monitor your network at a higher level than an internal IT department could.
3. They have vast knowledge of technology at hundreds of different locations. They see what works and does not work in different settings. They are not “siloed” and can introduce you to new and better technology to improve your business operation.
4. Robust processes and documentation to ensure tickets are completed in a timely fashion. There is a mutual incentive to fix problems quickly and ensure service tickets are minimized which requires doing things right the first time!
5. Allows scaling up and down easily. Pricing is often on a per endpoint or per user basis. As you grow, your technology spend is easy to predict, rather than having to hire an additional IT team member that may not be working at full capacity or even close to it.

Cons:

1. You have access to the resources, but that amount of time you get is much less than if you had an internal team.
2. They will not know the ins and outs of your business specific applications or vendor nuances like an internal IT person could.
3. Massive variation in the quality and responsiveness of MSPs. It can be difficult to determine which MSP to choose. Support and pricing can vary greatly! To help more with this, check out 16 Questions You Need To Ask When Evaluating A New IT Provider. The responses to these questions will tell you a lot and help you choose the right provider.
4. Employees don’t have contracts usually… Even if you’re unhappy with a provider, there is often a minimum of a one-year contract in place.
5. Less direct management of your IT systems – Your provider will likely have a standard set of tools they implement. If you or your internal IT prefer a different set of tools, there will often be a mishmash. This is rarely an issue because most organizations hire a Managed Service Provider so they do not have to consider these things. However, in the rare cases they do want to stray away from the recommendations, it could be considered a con for both parties.

Read through our list and decided that working with a Managed Service Provider may be the right fit for your business? Still need a bit more convincing? Reach out today for a free consultation to identify your technology and goals!

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