Managed Services
Managed Service Providers
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) provide valuable services to thousands of companies in the United States and abroad. Quite a bit of what MSPs provide can be accomplished in-house, with better results, more control and for less money.
Are Managed Services as good as vendors say?
Well, maybe. We are a managed Service Provider and have been for over 14 years, longer than most MSP's. We can't do our job without Managed Services anymore. They are a fact of life and yes, they probably are as good as some vendors claim. Managed Services are very complicated to deploy and manage. READ MORE
Do Managed Service Systems make the MSP?
A system that is not managed by an experienced Managed Service Provider is at a HUGE disadvantage on many levels, but most important isn't the response time. Most have a much better understanding of their customers systems, can document the systems better than any provider that doesn't have a MSP system and can deploy a system that is much more stable than one deployed by a company that doesn't have a MSP system. READ MORE
Third Party Managed Services
Managed Services usually means remote access to a system which, by its nature, is contrary to good security. Allowing a 3rd party unlimited remote access to your system is usually considered a security violation. Remote access usually means 24 X 7 access to your complete network. Would you allow your employees full access to your network and all its files 24 hours a day, from anywhere? If the managed service company's employees who will be accessing your network have not been interviewed by your company or had background checks run by your company, what assurance do you have they meet your standards?
Seven Deadly Sins of Managed Service Providers
(copied from a blog we saw on the Internet)
With the increasing level of noise singing the praises of managed services as the future, it may be worth taking some time to consider how a fundamental shift in the way IT is provisioned may impact a business. Under the right circumstances, managed services can be a blessing that leads to improvements in functionality and performance, mitigation of risk and reduction of the total cost of ownership as well as spiritual enlightenment. However, as the Profit says, The path to enlightenment has many pitfalls". . . . READ MORE
What "Plans" do MSP's offer?
MSPs want to build a large base of recurring revenue and managed services seems to be an excellent way to do it. As long as you keep this in mind when dealing with companies that offer managed services, you should be able to effectively evaluate the company and their services. You should also be able to evaluate if their managed services are a "get rich scheme" or are they genuinely working to provide their customers the best possible services. . . . READ MORE