A managed service provider (MSP) is a specialized company that offers a wide range of management services for various clients. Businesses rely on MSPs to store, secure and host a variety of data relating to their IT department; an MSP can establish the network that frames a company’s entire network of firewalls, routers, servers and more. MSPs are responsible for offering their clients the ability to remotely run their entire organization’s IT infrastructure. Some of the services they specialize in include:
- Remote monitoring management (RMM)
- Remote control solutions
- Data backup
- Email protection
- Password management
- Documentation management
A selection of specialized MSP software provides all of these features and more in single platform, such as N-able. As you decide which type of services you need, it’s helpful to examine why an MSP needs these tools to be successful.
RMM
Remote monitoring management collects information about a client’s system and provides continual reports to the MSP. Proper RMM management ensures that potential threats are identified before they become a problem, and they allow technicians to forecast diagnoses and closely monitor device and server health. A quality server also allows businesses to automate many maintenance tasks and ensure their clients’ systems are always updated and optimized.
Cloud-based backup
MSP’s typically allow clients to centralize all of their customers’ data on private clouds and access data through a collaborative virtual environment. Document management, including forms, client credentials and reports, can be easily searched while simultaneously being backed up and protected against security threats through top-level encryption. Maintaining documentation by hand is not practical for large-scale MSPs, and an outdated model does not adapt easily to growth. Adaptable MSP software allows you to create a system that can naturally scale to suit each client’s individual needs and backup their most important information in real-time.
Email protection
Firewalls, antiviruses and email threat screening are imperative to a business’s cybersecurity plan. MSPs can offer various levels and forms of cyber protection to their clients, including email protection.
Email security includes defence against viruses, malware, spyware, phishing and unauthorized access. Embedded URLs are carefully screened to ensure they do not link to or refer any potential dangers, and anti-spoof protection can quarantine potential threats for reviews. Email credentials and account information, including passwords, can be managed by a MSP to ensure that all personal and private data is secured and easily accessed on an as-needed basis.
Cloud computing
As more businesses become hybrid or fully remote, cloud computing is becoming more commonplace. This form of computing allows for large quantities of data to be seamlessly managed and organized regardless of a business’s scale or growth; it’s also highly flexible, offering a variety of features at different price points to meet a variety of company’s budgets and needs.
While it may not be feasible for an organization to afford and maintain its own cloud-based applications, an MSP can install, manage and operate the cloud for various organizations. Troubleshooting is available at all times with licensed IT professionals who are experts in helping businesses integrate cloud computing into their current infrastructure.
Who needs an MSP?
While there are benefits to MSPs for enterprises, they are most ideal for small businesses and mid-size companies that lack the budget or ability to manage their own infrastructure. The full-scale packages available through an MSP are more affordable than employing a full IT division and investing in on-site hardware. As their services continue to expand in the face of technology’s rapid evolution, MSPs are becoming a more dynamic and practical asset in every industry.
