MSP stands for managed service provider. An MSP takes over the ongoing management of your IT systems for a flat monthly fee, instead of billing you hourly every time something breaks.
The break-fix model vs managed IT
Before MSPs became common, most small businesses handled IT on a break-fix basis: something breaks, you call someone, they charge you an hourly rate to fix it. The problem is that the incentive is backwards. Your IT provider makes more money when things go wrong.
A managed service provider flips this. Because you pay a flat monthly fee regardless of how many issues arise, the MSP is incentivized to keep your systems running smoothly. Fewer problems means less work for them. This aligns their interests with yours.
What does an MSP actually do?
Depending on the contract, a managed service provider typically covers some or all of:
Does my business actually need an MSP?
If you have 5 or more computers and no dedicated IT staff, you almost certainly benefit from one. The question is not whether you need IT support. You do. The question is whether you want to call someone every time something breaks and pay an unpredictable hourly rate, or whether you want a flat monthly cost that covers everything.
Most small businesses that switch to managed IT do so after a bad experience: a breach, a hardware failure that wiped out data, or simply a period where they were spending 10 or 15 hours a year dealing with IT problems instead of running their business.
What to look for in an MSP
Not all managed service providers are the same. Before signing anything, ask:
The answers to those questions will tell you more about a provider than any marketing page. A good MSP has specific, documented answers. A bad one will be vague.
EagleOnyx is a managed service provider for Central Florida businesses with 5 to 50 users.
Sub-5-minute response on active issues, no outsourcing, and flat-rate pricing from $60/user/month. Otto responds to every new inquiry personally.
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