Managed Services

[2025 Update] If you’re reading this, someone probably told you to “look into managed IT services” for your business. Here’s what that actually means and whether it makes sense for you. But first, here’s what you need to watch out for – some companies calling themselves “managed service providers” can handle basic IT maintenance but have no idea how to help you implement AI tools, automation workflows, or other emerging technologies that could actually transform your business. So what’s a real managed service provider in 2025? And how do you tell the difference between companies that can genuinely help your […]

When your business runs on technology (and whose doesn’t?), you need confidence that your IT team has the expertise and bandwidth to handle everything required to keep your operations running smoothly. This is where options like all-inclusive IT services or co-managed IT services can make a significant difference. Whether you have an internal IT manager, a small IT staff, or someone “good with technology” overseeing IT, there may come a time when their capabilities aren’t enough. This situation puts your organization at risk. Downtime, employee and customer frustration, loss of competitive advantage, and even cyber-attacks are just some of the […]

When small business leaders face IT challenges, they often wonder: should we stick with internal IT staff, or is it time to partner with a managed service provider (MSP)? Evaluating an MSP vs internal IT requires the consideration of several key pros and cons, especially if your organization is in a time of growth or change. Whether it’s due to an IT manager’s departure, rapid company growth, or a cyber-attack, this decision can have lasting impacts on your business. To help you in your evaluation, here are some pros and cons of internal IT compared to hiring an MSP: Keep […]

Mergers and acquisitions have become common in the managed IT service provider industry. Owners often choose to sell their companies for various reasons, such as retirement, access to additional resources, or the desire to cash in on their investments. While acquisitions can bring benefits like increased financial stability, expanded service offerings, and access to new technologies, they can also pose significant challenges that may negatively impact the quality of service provided to clients. It’s important that business leaders recognize the signs that their managed service provider’s (MSP) acquisition might not be going as smoothly as intended. By understanding these potential […]

How does an IT support relationship go bad? It could be that you’ve outgrown your provider. It’s hard to know for sure if that’s the cause of your problems because the signs can be subtle. What’s more, the situation didn’t happen overnight but crept up on you slowly. Everything was great when you first started working together, but now you feel like you’re on a plateau, or maybe even going backwards. And that’s not just IT, but your whole business. When you outgrow your IT provider, it means that your needs are more than they can handle. It could be […]

When IT support isn’t there when you need it, you can feel like you’re falling into a black hole with no way out. Not only does slow IT support response cause frustration for employees, it impacts your whole business. What you end up with is technology that hinders operations instead of enabling them. What happens when IT support is always slow or doesn’t show up at all? It all adds up to frustration for employees because they can’t do their jobs as well as they would like. Customer satisfaction dips. You start to bleed money because productivity is poor. Your […]

What’s the transition to a managed IT services model going to be like? That’s the question that comes up next after you’ve decided that you need to do something different with IT, and managed services are the solution to your problems. Whether you’ve picked a provider or you’re still evaluating your short list, asking questions about what the transition to the new services will look like will help you to be prepared. The managed service provider (MSP) should have an established onboarding process that they follow to get clients started with services. The goal of onboarding is not just to […]

[Updated for 2025] Choosing managed IT services is a strategic decision, but to get the most value, you need a clear understanding of managed IT services costs. Pricing structures vary, and it’s not always an apples-to-apples comparison. That’s why it’s essential to know what’s included in the monthly fee—and what isn’t—so you can avoid unexpected expenses. Some managed IT services costs may not be obvious at first, but identifying them upfront will help you make an informed decision. While AI and automation are improving IT efficiency, they’re also making security, compliance, and monitoring more complex. At the same time, cybersecurity […]