You’re almost ready to pull the trigger on hiring an MSP, but need to feel completely confident to make your next move. Placing your trust in managed service providers (MSPs) makes good business sense so you can save time and resources and focus on the business. A qualified partner can accelerate your digital transformation, optimize your security strategy, and improve organizational collaboration in remote, in-office, or hybrid situations.
But MSPs aren’t all created equal, and finding the best fit from a sea of finalists can be a challenge. Determine what your organization is lacking and get the keys to selecting the right MSP provider.
Understanding Your IT Needs and Gaps in Coverage
If you want smooth sailing all the way, your organization needs to safeguard its operations. Take the time to understand your IT performance right now so you can begin to allocate resources to close security gaps and mitigate risks. With this knowledge in hand, it will be much easier to find a qualified support partner.
Tip #1 Assess current IT infrastructure and support requirements.
What does your ideal state look like? Identify your top goals and challenges for technical, business, and operational IT systems to get an idea of the services your organization may need. An MSP provider offers expertise that can lower your operational costs, improve cybersecurity, and reduce business risk.
Tip #2 Engage with professionals to sort your priorities.
Still not sure where to focus your efforts? Get in touch with your top-choice MSPs for advice on your options to improve your IT strategy, elevate compliance, and safeguard your network and infrastructure. In doing so, you can gather more intel on how they can support you, all while collecting ideas about which areas to focus on.
Evaluating MSP Expertise and Experience
Technical skills and experience are the secret ingredients to a successful MSP partnership. You’re handing over the keys to your organization’s technology infrastructure, so the MSP you choose must be able to deliver positive results.
Look for a team that offers the right combination of qualifications, training, and experience so you don’t have to take up the burden of hiring in-house. Certified technical experts reduce your operating costs, downtime, and overall IT expenses, keeping your team free to concentrate on core business activities.
Consider a few aspects to inform your decision:
Service Offerings and Flexibility
You don’t want to sign on the dotted line with a firm that ultimately can’t help. MSP providers offer a range of services, such as a remote help desk, security services, and network management. Research thoroughly as you look for an IT partner.
Can you maintain business continuity as your needs change? Service plan flexibility needs to be part of the equation so you can customize solutions to get what you need when you need it, such as:
- User and data security.
- Application and systems accessibility.
- IT governance.
- Workflow automation and optimization.
Your IT infrastructure shouldn’t matter, either. Whether you need support for an on-premises, hybrid, or cloud-based setup, look for an MSP that can rise to meet you.
Security and Compliance
With security and compliance being a hot-button concern across legal, healthcare, financial and similar fields, the MSP you choose must rise to the challenge. Pay close attention to available cybersecurity services that can offer both defensive and offensive protection, such as:
- Email security against spam, malware, viruses, phishing, and ransomware.
- Penetration testing to uncover security vulnerabilities that need to be remediated.
- Patching and endpoint protection and response to close vulnerabilities and guard against external threats.
- Data protection via antivirus solutions and cybersecurity services to monitor for gaps and vulnerabilities.
You also need to know your MSP can keep your organization in check with various regulations and compliance. Are they equipped to make improvements to prevent data breaches and fines?
No matter your regulatory obligations, make sure any MSP provider you’re considering is equipped to help. For instance, the HIPAA Security Rule requires protections to safeguard personal health information. Similarly, any organization that processes consumer payment information is subject to PCI Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) compliance—along with its 300 security controls and 12 security domains—to protect sensitive card data. Your MSP should be able to configure access control or encryption.
Cost and Value
On a budget? There’s no uniform way that MSPs price their services, much less a minimum required level of support. But there are several common pricing models to keep an eye out for that may impact the value of your investment:
- Per-device: A fixed price based on the number of devices served, usually ideal for a limited number of devices due to the cost to scale.
- Per-user: A price based on how many users are served, making it simple to add or remove devices without impacting cost.
- Tiered: Service levels at different price points and service options, allowing scalability based on budget.
- Value-based: A cost based on risk reduction and improved efficiency, which requires clear objectives and metrics.
What could this cost you in the long run? Weigh the costs and value of services provided along with total visibility and governance against the total cost of ownership (TCO). It could become quite involved when including purchase price, IT support, system management, downtime and maintenance, and licensing.
Communication and Support
Whether you encounter a significant threat or just need help navigating your underlying systems, you’ll likely need to reach out at some point. Make sure you can get in touch with your MSP provider.
Instead of getting stuck with a chatbot, endless help articles, or outsourced support that isn’t available on your schedule, ask key questions like:
- Do they offer a 24/7 helpdesk?
- Are remote access and emergency onsite support available?
- Do they have expertise in your industry to quickly determine the root cause of the issue?
Technology and Innovation
You’re trying to solve your organization’s tech posture, but how is theirs? Top-tier MSPs often partner with hardware and software sellers, so they should be abreast of—and using—the latest tools and technologies. Offering the best solutions, equipment, and rates is just as important as being able to reduce your security and compliance risks.
Choose an MSP Provider to Elevate Your Business
You know choosing an MSP provider requires more than a Google search, and you’ve done your homework to get this far. It’s all about understanding your organization’s goals and how companies can meet your challenges, accounting for everything from plan flexibility to compliance capabilities to cost. It’s an investment in your organization’s safety and operations—so treat it accordingly.
All Covered lives up to our name, offering a range of cybersecurity, IT, and data solutions to keep you going at 100 percent. We’ll be your one-stop MSP provider, managing all of your tech solutions so you don’t have to juggle multiple vendors. All Covered offers expertise, scalability, and a range of services that local MSPs just can't provide. Get started today for access to unparalleled service and expertise.
