Managed Service Pricing

First, inquire about the MSP's ability to handle the task at hand. The sooner you ask about this, the better your chances of avoiding subsequent discrepancies and fees. Avoiding multi-year contracts is also a good idea, especially if you're simply looking for a specific or time-sensitive service.

Because MSPs' products and costs might vary widely, it's important to spend some time upfront getting a sense of what your MSP will provide, what they won't provide, and what you should anticipate from them. Disaster recovery, backup, network support, and cybersecurity are just some of the things that an excellent MSP should be able to provide.

Ask if the MSP is contractually bound to specific products or providers, such as Microsoft Office 365, Google Apps, or G Suite. Even though most reputable MSPs are platform-neutral, certain providers may prefer specific technologies or platforms that may not be the best fit for your unique business needs.

The helpdesk is one of the most popular solutions among the top MSPs, but not all of them are equal. A 24-hour help desk for emergencies and triage of your security environment should be provided by your MSP. The helpdesk can be contacted via email, phone, or text message, so long as you can submit a ticket. Having a fast and reliable channel of contact with your MSP is crucial when it comes to protecting your business operations.

You should also inquire about how the managed service provider works considering COVID-19 and safer-at-home principles. No matter where they are located, can they still provide the same level of service and attention if you need it? Is it possible for a company from another part of the country to handle all aspects of the project via the internet? Will they be required to travel at the project's beginning or for any of its major turning points?

Your entire system could fail, erasing your ability to conduct business and safeguard sensitive information. If your firm is compromised by a cyberattack or an infrastructure failure, the consequences can be disastrous. Unfortunately, this threat is real and prevalent. Most cyberattacks target small firms, yet less than 15% of them are prepared to defend themselves. In the past year, more than half of all small firms had a security breach. There has been an upsurge in attacks because of the epidemic and remote work, as well.

The average cost of a cyberattack on a small business is $200,000. Not to mention the harm is done to your company's reputation and customer trust.

If something goes wrong with your network, you need a service provider who is prepared to handle the worst-case scenario. Is it possible for the MSP to access the data it needs to restore your system and bring you back online if your network goes down?
 concerns or issues.

A good MSP is a trusted ally. For the supplier to be successful, he or she needs to get to know your business, not just what you do. From the perspective of your leadership team as well as bigger industry developments and trends, what's next for you?

You may expect your MSP to be a true partner in helping you expand your company and achieve its goals by looking at security, technology, the customer's perspective, and workplace transformation efforts. For example, if you need to add extra workstations or employee accounts, or if you need help with increasingly difficult IT projects, you should look for a company that can grow with you.

The ability of the MSP to educate and train its employees is also a relevant question. Providing your first line of defences—your staff—with the information and tools they require is critical to maintaining a secure workplace. Employee education and support are crucial for the successful adoption of any new technology. There will always be a learning curve (and opposition from those "who have always done it this way") when implementing new technologies.

A company that can get the job done is obviously what you're looking for. In many cases, you're looking for someone with whom you can establish a long-term, mutually beneficial working relationship. It's hard to say for sure. Understanding the MSP team's organizational structure is one method of gaining insight into the process. Is it a small group? How long have they been working in this field? Describe some of the principles that they espouse (cheap prices, on-call availability, personalized service, and environmental stewardship). What's most important to them, and how do they express this?

Begin with your own team and company. Who or what is most important to you right now? Do you have a good working relationship with your co-workers? The MSP should be a good fit for your personality and working style. If that's the case, move on to the next.

You should inquire further as to the MSP team's in-house status versus the providers' using outside engineers or contractors with a particular experience. If you appreciate a tight-knit team and personalized service, you may not choose to work with a large, national managed service provider (MSP).

You should also ask the MSP which members of your team should be participating in the project. Leadership? Does it matter if you're a lawyer, an HR professional, or an IT specialist? Prepare yourself for time and effort you'll need to put in?

In an MSP, it's critical to be open and honest with all parties involved. The ability to view the big picture is critical if you want to make the best decisions for your company. In the end, your consumers value openness, so you should value it as well in your commercial endeavors. Your customers put their trust in you to protect their personal information, and you must put yours in the hands of an MSP you can rely on to do the same.

One other advantage of being open and honest is that it makes it easier to assign blame and responsibility. In the event of a cyberattack on your business or information, knowing your responsibilities and how to promptly contact the professionals can help minimize the damage and save your firm time, money, and reputation from being tarnished.

This means any MSP you choose should have a well-established policy and practice of openness in their culture and practices as well as their technologies. To ensure openness, accountability, and responsibility, inquire about the provider's documents.

Last but not least, while interviewing for an MSP position, be sure to get straight to the point. What are the benefits of working with you?

Answering this question should be a piece of cake for an MSP that is genuinely unique. Ask for references, case studies, and testimonials instead of a prepared response, and pay attention to what other customers have to say. Unlike many other IT companies, we aim to make IT fun and easy, something that many others fail to do. We also put the needs of others first. We don't simply provide support targeted to your needs; we also approach technology from a human-centred perspective, ensuring that our clients get the most out of their technological investments.

Choosing a managed service provider partner can be complicated, and we hope this piece makes it a little easier. Many MSPs are out there, and these seven questions can help you find the best one for your company's protection and success — but we hope you choose N8 Solutions! We're confident in our abilities, and we welcome the opportunity to address any of your concerns or issues.

This is the most critical of all questions. It is essential to sign a contract with a Managed Service Provider. If the MSP tells you they don't have a contract, then that is a red flag right there. You don't want to get into business based on handshake or oral agreements. The days of 'gentleman' agreements are long gone, because IT is no longer a luxury — it's now a key driver of businesses. Any small mistake can take you out no matter how big your organization is.

An MSP contract protects your organization and the MSP plus any other parties involved in the agreement and ensures that each party knows what is expected of them. It simply takes guesswork out of the window and puts down everything in perspective. Without a contract, there would be no legal recourse if one party failed to uphold their end of the agreement.

Though it may seem like MSPs have all the responsibility in the world when it comes to managing the agreed services, the fact of the matter is that you as the customer have responsibilities of your own. For example, you'll be responsible for the human errors resulting from your employee. So it's upon you to always carry out regular training to ensure that all employees understand the risks of their actions as they use the tools in their disposal.

No business is 100% safe, and MSPs are no exception. They too can be hit by criminals. So this question is not meant to find out if their security posture is foolproof, but rather whether they have a clear plan around it. In the unfortunate event that your MSP is attacked, it could have a serious impact on your business. Your data could be compromised, and you could be left without vital services. Find out what steps they take to protect their systems and what their plan entails in case of an attack.

Don't forget that once you start to work together, the MSP will be handling some of your data including sensitive customer information. If they outsource the storage, dig in to establish the strength of the provider they are using. Is the vendor certified, is there any documentation you can have a look at. Also depending on the industry, there may be regulations in place related to data storage. For example, healthcare companies are subject to HIPAA compliance, which includes requirements for how data must be stored and protected. MSPs should have processes and infrastructure in place to meet such regulations. Additionally, it's important to consider where services will be performed. If an MSP is located in a different country, there could be issues with data sovereignty.