Is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) Worth the Cost?

Many business owners wonder if working with a Managed Service Provider is worth the cost of hiring one. There are a couple of different reasons people assume that they don’t need an MSP. We would like to go over some of these concerns and talk about exactly what you get with a well Managed Service Provider.

I already have an IT department so I don't need a Managed Service Provider

Well, it depends on what you’re business is doing, and what your budget is, but an MSP is always an asset. A good way to think about it is that just about any business can be fine with just an IT department, at least until they get hit with a real cyber attack. Then you will wish you had an MSP on your side.

MSPs are able to offer you a team of people to help when things go wrong. You don't have to hope that your one IT person knows how to solve the problem. Instead, you get 24-hour access to a group of professionals who are dedicated to helping you.

In many cases using an MSP might be cheaper than going with internal IT. You can actually have more people working to help you solve problems but for a lower cost.

IT Departments never seem like they do anything. How is this any different?

This is always a bit of a trouble point when discussing the value of IT and if an MSP is worth the cost. There can be a feeling with technology that either nothing is wrong so you are paying unnecessary expenses, or everything is wrong, and how did our technology people let this happen in the first place.

The first thing to address in this equation is cost. MSPs can cost less than having an IT person in the house. This is because you are paying for services provided by the MSP, instead of paying an actual person. This means no payroll, fewer taxes, and overall savings for you in the long run.

Additionally, MSPs are better at keeping you safe. It’s true that it can be hard to show what IT people are doing when everything is running smoothly. No problems are the ideal situation for everyone, but that does not mean that you are paying for nothing. MSPs are there to protect people from all the dangers, monitoring data, managing it, and creating a conversation when the landscape changes.

You can think of it as a gate at the front of your property. If no one tries to break in then you may feel like the gate is a wasted expense. However, as soon as one criminal tries to come inside you will be glad you paid for the security.

I don’t have a server because I only use Cloud storage. This means I don’t need an MSP.

This is a totally incorrect way of looking at the problem. There is a misconception that working on the Microsoft or Google Cloud means that their support will be able to help you if something goes wrong. They can help with some things, but not everything.

For instance, what if someone steals your login information and changes all of your personal data. You may be able to reach out to a help desk, but you would be unable to provide any personal information needed to match you to your account. Now the attacker has total access and there is nothing you can do.

Working with an MSP gives you additional security to help you if something like this happens. They can also help keep you aware that someone might be trying to attack your system and work on more safety measures to make sure your data is secured.

The value of an MSP can be difficult to imagine if you only think about the work that you actually see. MSPs are constantly working and checking to make sure everything is ok. That’s how they continue to keep you safe.

Our team at ITS offers a free consultation for any business that wants to determine if an MSP is worth the cost for their business. Give us a call to learn more about how we can help with the data management need for your business in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, or Chicago.