MSPs: Your IT team may love them or hate them. But when it comes to outsourcing, there is no better partner to manage your technology infrastructures. (Especially if you don’t even have an IT team to begin with.) This article will help you understand the MSP model, the benefits, and the myths surrounding working with these companies.
What is an MSP?
MSP stands for managed service provider. Tech Target defines MSP as, “a third-party company that remotely manages a customer’s information technology (IT) infrastructure and end-user systems.” Thanks to the internet, and software-as-a-service models, MSP companies have proliferated as a service category. In fact, you can find MSPs in almost every type of IT from data storage to security. There are also MSPs that provide HR solutions, such as managing a contingent workforce, as well as benefits and payroll MSPs—to name a few categories.
There are more than 40,000 MSPs in North America by the latest count, and this service model continues across vertical markets in finance, legal, healthcare, and manufacturing—to name a few. Today you can find an MSP to handle your remote devices or your on-premise printers, your dev ops, or even your multi-cloud environments.
For small companies, MSPs allow the same level of IT support that big companies benefit from—without breaking the budget on hiring a resource in-house. That’s just one of the benefits of working with an MSP. But are there drawbacks? It turns out there are more myths about MSPs than you might imagine. Let’s break them down.
Myth #1: An MSP won’t care about your infrastructure as much as an in-house employee would so the quality of the IT service will degrade.
The opposite is true here. MSPs focus on one subset of IT and they become expert at managing it effectively. These technical experts are more likely to stay up to date on the latest changes to the technology so they can remain top of mind with potential clients. A Cisco study showed that the typical MSP increases the efficiency of their clients by 60%. Does that sound like they don’t care about your business?
Myth #2: Your data will be at risk with a third-party MSP vendor.
One cyber hack could put even the biggest MSP out of business. These companies have a vested interest in keeping your data safe. That’s why these vendors stay current on the latest security measures to ensure that a data breach never occurs on any network they manage. This includes the tricky area of access and device management, which has been so worrisome as many of our workers are now remote.
Myth #3: MSPs are more expensive than hiring talent in-house.
An MSP brings a team of experts to bear on managing your IT infrastructure or a subset of your technology tools. There is plenty of data out there to debunk this myth. One study listed the savings when using an MSP at 15% over hiring someone in-house; other studies list an even higher number. Help Net Security reports, “68% of SMB and mid-market business executives believe working with an MSP helps them stay ahead of their competition.” They also say the number one reason many companies choose to work with these third-party vendors is to cut costs.
AG Globe Services is a leading MSP that can handle your temporary staffing services. Our team can monitor and manage the host of staffing agencies your firm uses, carefully controlling costs and the quality of your contingent workforce. Get in touch with our team to find out learn more about the real benefits of our services.
