The traditional way of making money as a Managed Service Provider (MSP) is through the correlation between time and labor, and margins on products and services. MSPs present contracts to customers to detail the services included, as well as start and end dates for those services. Outsourcing solutions available through vendors could include mobile device management, software as a service, platform as a service, help desk, and backup recovery. Most MSPs promote all-inclusive packages with unlimited IT resources while contracted, including day-to-day network management. These services are sold as a subscription and customers pay a monthly fee.
This approach provides a steady stream of monthly recurring revenue (MRR) for the MSP, in contrast to the unpredictability of generating revenue from one-off projects. MRR's stability is part of what has attracted investors to the MSP sector. Cost reduction is another way MSPs can make money. Companies can reduce overheads by outsourcing IT operations. According to the CompTIA study, ROI and cost reduction were a driving factor driving the use of an MSP for approximately 30% of all companies.
This money can be reallocated to marketing, sales, business development and other departments to increase profits. IT outsourcing also allows companies to budget for the year based on a fixed monthly fee instead of unpredictable technology expenses if they pay on the go. Other MSP trends that managers must prepare to adapt to include the increasingly complex nature of managing multi-cloud environments, evolving cybersecurity needs, and the increasing demand for automation. A lack of trained IT staff is another important reason organizations seek the services of a managed service provider. Managed service providers take charge of all their customers' IT operations or select business or IT functions, and monitor their smooth operation on a day-to-day basis for a fee. A proactive managed service provider should be interested in the bottom line of an organization and should help them gain insight into how to improve their IT to achieve their organization's goals and objectives. MSPs must also be prepared to transform their business model every few years and modify their service mix on an ongoing basis.
They remotely monitor and manage a company's IT infrastructure, typically for a monthly subscription fee.
Managed IT
services are the practice of outsourcing IT needs, such as maintaining and updating network security, managing infrastructure, and providing help desks to the end user. Companies turn to managed service providers to manage functions for which they do not have sufficient staff. Managed services often operate on an all-inclusive pricing model where the MSP charges a flat rate to manage and monitor all of the IT support offered by the plan. A managed IT service provider will monitor suspicious activity and immediately notify stakeholders for corrective action. Managed service providers proactively monitor a company's network, minimize IT issues, and troubleshoot any issues that arise on the network.They can also help organizations save money by reducing overall IT expenses while making monthly costs more predictable. From better IT support to financial benefits, the value that a managed service provider can bring to an organization is unmatched.
