Clearing Up a Few Common MSP Misunderstandings

Let’s be real: the title “managed service provider” doesn’t cast much insight into what we do on a daily basis. Even when people understand what we do, there are a lot of parts that confuse them and lead them to false conclusions. As a result, we wanted to take a few minutes and go over what it is that we do for our clients.

Breaking Down Managed Service Providers (Also Known As MSPs)
First, our title throws a lot of people. What are managed services, and why do you need a provider at all?

In a lot of ways, we’re just like the internal IT team that you may or may not have. We look over and manage your technology solutions as a part of the service we provide.

Again, just a part.

Yes, part of our role is that of a remote monitoring service, but we can provide much more than that. We can advise you on your technology solutions, assist you in procuring and maintaining them, help you implement technologies like cloud computing, help keep your data secure and your solutions compliant to industry requirements, and a lot more than just that.

We Won’t Replace In-House Staff (Or Vice Versa)
When they learn the extent of what we do, many business owners (and eventually, their staff) may start to wonder if they can outsource all of their IT responsibilities to us, essentially eliminating the need for an internal IT resource. While we appreciate the confidence, we wouldn’t recommend that, unless you don’t currently have an IT resource.

The truth is, we work as well in tandem with an organization’s IT staff as we do as a standalone management solution.

Most internal teams or resources face the same problem: an overwhelming workload. Between day-to-day problem mitigation, managing your current technology, and planning for your business’ future strategy, there isn’t enough time for them to do everything that they have to… and that’s where we come in. Our job is to pick up the slack, wherever it may be, so that all responsibilities are attended to.

However, if you don’t currently have an in-house resource and have been entirely relying on the services of break/fix by-the-incident providers, we can replace those, adding much more value than you could expect otherwise.

We Can Handle Most Anything You Throw At Us
Finally, you might be hesitant to reach out to us because you’re anticipating that your particular industry has needs that we just couldn’t keep up with. Compliances and minutely specialized solutions may be a key factor to your success, and you don’t want to risk it all on the expertise of an outside source.

We have one thing to say to that:

Try us.

It is our job to assist businesses with their solutions. This means that, as these solutions evolve and develop, we have to continually educate ourselves. How does this problem need to be handled? Is there a better option that we should learn more about?

As a result, we’re pretty up-to-date on most things IT.

To discuss your particular needs further, reach out to us at (202) 640-2737, or read some of our other blogs to learn more about how we can help you.