Choosing the Right Managed Service Provider (MSP) for your Business

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can create efficiencies within your business, improve communication, limit downtime from technical issues, and overall, improve your workflow. However, not all MSPs are equal. When choosing the right MSP for your business, it is important to consider more factors than just cost, such as industry experience, essential services provided, programs and processes in place, support response time, monitoring and management, and cybersecurity solutions.

Six Steps to Choosing the Right Managed Service Provider:

• Industry Experience
• When choosing a Managed Service Provider, look for MSPs with years of experience, especially experience dealing with other companies within your industry. Previous experience with similar clients ensures that they understand the demands of your industry, can estimate their own abilities and your capabilities, can anticipate your needs and can foresee potential problems. Ask potential providers for references so that you can understand what they will be able to do for you.
• Essential Services
• Not all MSPs offer all services that are necessary to completely protect and support your business. First, assess your own business structure and determine what your solution needs are from an MSP and then review potential MSP service offerings to ensure that they are able to provide all services necessary for your business. A great MSP also offers more than just the essential services, but also offers scalable solutions which your company can add or remove as you grow and your needs change.
• Programs and Processes
• Even the most experienced MSPs aren’t always the best fit for your company. Make sure to review their offerings and processes to make sure that they align with your company’s own values and goals. For instance, review their procedures for handling specific tasks to be sure that they work with those already in place in your own business. Additionally, ensure that potential MSPs can properly handle the entire scope of your business by having the appropriate number of staff members, all necessary certifications and qualifications, and the ability to support various devices and programs so that your company is always protected.
• Real-Time Support
• Depending on the issues you may come across, you may need either physical maintenance or remote, virtual issue resolution. A great MSP will be able to provide on- and off-site support in order to respond in a timely manner. This is why local vendors are preferred, as they will be able to quickly send their employees for physical maintenance and provide immediate service. Your MSP should have the ability to respond to emergency requests.
• Continuous Monitoring
• Your MSP should not only be available to fix technology when it isn’t working but should prevent issues from occurring in the first place with continuous security precautions and around the clock monitoring for your business and employees, all from a remote location. With proactive management, your MSP can prevent disruptions, unnecessary downtime, and loss of data by detecting and preventing all sorts of problems. Look for MSPs with the ability to provide continuous monitoring through detection and alert systems and automated responses.
• Cybersecurity Solutions
• A comprehensive security solution offering is an important factor to consider when choosing an MSP. Such security precautions reduce risks from hackers and cyber-criminals through regular testing and monitoring. Combined with automatic backups, this ensures that your data remains safe and helps your business grow.

Experienced Managed IT Services Provider in Memphis:

Contact our  Managed Services Team to develop your own strategic plan to incorporate a MSP into your business strategy. For details,  contact ProTech Services Group, your local Memphis IT service provide!