Many companies choose a managed service provider (MSP) for outsourced IT services to offset the costs of having on-site staff and leveraging the scale that MSPs can provide. This guide serves as a tool to gather the appropriate information to properly vet a MSP that will keep your environment safe, keep you up to date on the latest technology trends, and prepare you for the future growth of your business. While some may see this as an opportunity to cut costs, you should view your relationship with your MSP as a true partnership, one that can help grow your business.
This guide outlines the top ten questions you can use when selecting a new MSP or reviewing your existing MSP to ensure your company gets the support and security it needs to deal with today’s business challenges. The objective is to arm you with the relevant questions to gain comfort over your MSP’s approach and ensure they are aligned with your technical and business needs and risks.
In addition to the questions discussed in the guide, you will want to consider the following:
Many MSPs don’t just manage your IT infrastructure; they also serve as your first line of defense against security threats. The connection between your environment and the MSP’s creates a door into your environment and should be set up in such a way to minimize potential vulnerabilities and security gaps. For every MSP, you should question the following:
With the rise of ransomware, backup solutions have become increasingly more important. All too often, MSPs have failed to implement a proper backup strategy, resulting in their customers being in a difficult situation with their environment down and no easy way to recover.
It’s essential to check the credentials of any MSP you are considering. Outside of just visiting their website and looking for third-party recognition and awards, you should dig deeper into their company background, experience, and technical bench.
At the start of your relationship, your MSP should conduct a thorough assessment of your environment. This assessment will identify the onboarding strategy and where best practices may not be followed. It is an opportunity for the MSP to ensure they are providing you the best-in-class infrastructure to meet your business needs. Be cautious of MSPs that attempt to force technologies on you without a valid justification or that appear to always have an added solution to their existing recommendation.
The MSP should have well documented processes that expand past their technical staff and include key stakeholders to ensure that company attrition does not factor into whether they can continue to support your organization. Those robust processes begin with a strong technical bench of people with expertise in the products they install and manage.
Your MSP plays a significant role in the functionality of your business. As your business grows, the technologies must scale with it. Companies should think ahead to where they want to be in two, five, and ten years and determine whether the MSP can help your business grow to its fullest potential. Key decisions here include:
Your business growth depends on a robust technical infrastructure and a team to manage it. Your MSP must be aligned in their level of support, their expertise, and their growth to support you as you grow.