Glossary

What Is Managed Service Provider (MSP)?

A managed service provider (MSP) is an outside company that takes ongoing responsibility for part or all of a business’s IT — monitoring, support, updates, backups and security — usually for a fixed monthly fee.

Instead of waiting for something to break and then calling someone, an MSP monitors and maintains your systems continuously: user support and helpdesk, device and server management, patching and updates, backups, email and cloud administration, and basic security controls.

An MSP is different from an IT consultant. An MSP operates your day-to-day IT under a recurring agreement; a consultant advises on strategy, vendor choices, budgets and risk, and is usually engaged for a defined piece of work. Many businesses use both: a consultant to decide what the IT should look like, and an MSP or an internal team to run it.

When comparing providers, check what is included in the monthly fee, how fast they commit to respond, how they handle security and backups, who owns the admin credentials and documentation, and how you can leave if the relationship ends.

Related

• Small business IT consulting: consultant vs MSP vs in-house (guide)
• IT consulting rates and pricing models (guide)
• Remote IT management (guide)
• IT consulting for small business

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