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Managed Service Provider (MSP)
A managed services provider (MSP) handles outsourced IT services for other businesses that lack the time, budget, or capacity for in-house IT services. MSP offerings can cover areas such as networks, applications, infrastructure, and security. Once engaged, MSP responsibilities can include strategic planning, installations, maintenance, and technical support. Some MSPs specialize in a particular vendor or technology (e.g., Amazon Web Services, data storage) while others focus on industries (e.g., legal, healthcare). MSPs typically monitor and administer their clients’ IT systems remotely, and make on-site visits as needed.
What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About Managed Service Provider (MSP)
For SMBs, working with an MSP can be a savvy business decision. MSPs help save time, money, and effort while providing advanced technical expertise that many SMBs don’t have on staff. Since SMBs often can't afford to employ sizable in-house IT security teams, working with an MSP can provide access to critical cybersecurity services that protect the company against cyberattacks.
Related terms
- Haptics
- WAN (Wide-Area Network)
- Intranet
- SLO (Service-Level Objective)
- Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)
- Scalability
- Service-Level Agreement (SLA)
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Data Center
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Synchronous
- Multitenancy
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- IT Services
- Authorization
- Service-oriented Architecture (SOA)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Managed Service Provider (MSP)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)