Managed Services

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 […]

What if your IT manager resigned today? What if two or more of your internal IT team needed time off at the same time? What if maternity/paternity leave for multiple IT staff overlapped? What if everyone in the IT department got food poisoning from the takeout meal they shared? We’re getting a little melodramatic here but the point that we’re making is that when you have a small internal IT team, you’re just one situation away from big trouble, especially in a tight job market. How can you make sure that you’re always staffed even if something happens to pull […]

As a business leader, you might be hesitant to make a change with what you’re doing with IT because you don’t have the technical background needed to compare different managed IT service companies. If your goal is to augment your internal IT team, there will certainly be some technical questions that your IT manager will want answered. However, whether you’re looking for a co-managed or fully outsourced solution, what you, as an executive, really need to determine is: As you gather the information that will answer these two questions, you’ll be able to paint a picture of what it will […]

Wondering if your small business needs the benefits of a managed IT service provider is like asking if you need a guide to scale Mount Everest. Theoretically, you could do the climb yourself but how many years would it take for you to gather all the knowledge you need about the terrain? And how long would it take to get your technical skills up to the level that they need to be? And what’s it going to take to manage the whole expedition? By the time you get it all together you might very well have missed your chance to […]

The term “Managed IT Services” isn’t new but unfortunately, there are a lot of companies that say they’re “managed” but they’re really not. How can you tell the difference and how do you know if that’s what your organization needs? Start by asking yourself, “Is IT serving our business?” Here’s what we mean by serving your business. Imagine that you hired someone to take half the workload off your plate. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Now imagine that instead of decreasing your work, it doubled because that person couldn’t do what you wanted them to do without your constant supervision and […]

Effective help desk services are critical during this time of increased remote work. Employees can no longer ask the person sitting next to them for help. Instead, they have to figure out a solution on their own or contact the help desk. Unfortunately they are often underwhelmed by the response that they get. Help desk are often understaffed and overworked, so they focus on closing tickets quickly rather than end user satisfaction. Often companies have their own help desks, but aren’t able to provide those teams with adequate training and support. This results in internal help desks that are often […]