IT Managed Services Provider
What is an IT Managed Service Provider or MSP?
A managed service provider delivers a variety of services to help your business and your users with network monitoring and security, management of applications and licensing, IT infrastructure, and endpoint security. A qualified MSP may also provide a data center for hosting services and will have certifications, experience, and client testimonials that will demonstrate their capabilities for these services.
Businesses, of all sizes, turn to Conscious Networks as their IT Managed Services Provider of choice. With awards and recognition as the Best MSP in the Mid-Atlantic area, we can free up internal personnel, provide better IT infrastructure and support, seamlessly integrate technology, and often lower costs. When choosing to partner with an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP), like Conscious Networks, we believe the emphasis should be on partnering. After all, your MSP should be a transparent extension of your organization. Not only should your MSP provide a wide range of services, they should also be aligned with your leadership goals and business growth initiatives. There are thousands of options when it comes to selecting Managed IT Service Providers. So, how can you choose the right partner for your business? We have created the list of Frequently Asked Questions below to help you select a Managed IT Services Provider that will complement and support your business growth initiatives while protecting your data and serving your users.
Are you ready to get started?
An MSP for Holistic Technology Solutions
Conscious Networks serves as a valued technology partner for businesses that want to ensure their technology platforms are secure, optimized to enhance productivity, seamlessly integrated, and designed to increase overall profitability. Unlike many IT Managed Service Providers, we dive deep to understand your entire business operation and make recommendations that are methodical and comprehensive, rather than a one size fits all approach. Our MSP services can include, but are certainly not limited to:
- U.S. Based Help Desk & 24/7 Support
- IT Infrastructure & Network Monitoring
- Cloud Integration
- Software & Hardware Acquisition, Implementation & Licensing
- Website & Email Hosting
- Backup & Recovery Systems
- Endpoint Security & Enterprise Mobility Management (EMMs)
- Compliance
- VOIP, MFD Integration, & More!
The Benefits of Working With Conscious Networks
Since 2004, we have served as a valued business partner for technology. Our team has years of experience and is dedicated to finding innovative solutions to your problems. We provide 24/7 support and direct access to engineers, programmers, and consultants. Our team possesses the skills and knowledge to implement solutions.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing the Best MSP for Your Business
Take it with you! Download the Free PDF
Before you choose an MSP for your business, ask these 10 questions of your current and prospective Managed Service Provider. It’s the easiest way to find the Best MSP for your business.
- Does the MSP require your systems to backed up, patched, and ensure endpoint security? How often, where is data backed up and how do they protect users from compromising your network with their laptops, mobile, and other devices?
- What do you know about my industry and competitors? We believe that your MSP can be a valuable partner to helping your business now and with an eye for future growth so it’s important to have an MSP partner who understands the needs and challenges of your industry. Have they worked with competitors in your industry? How have they helped other businesses, in your industry, grow their business?
- What type of experience do you have with software and regulatory compliance issues, in my industry? Every industry has software designed to meet their needs. Your MSP can provide assistance with selecting the right software to create efficiencies, reduce costs, or enhance processes. If your industry has regulatory oversight or compliance requirements, an MSP can help you choose technology and software that will assist you in meeting those requirements.
- Describe your expertise and experience. Be sure that you’re dealing with an MSP that has a proven track record and recent customer references. A simple Google search can also be enlightening to show the depth and breadth of work and performance.
- Describe some ways in which you have been proactive with your clients.
- Is your support team outsourced or in-house? In a global workforce, many organizations require 24/7 help desk support. Is the help desk open and easy to communicate with? Are they based in the U.S. or abroad? How easy is it to reach the actual technicians and network administrators? Is your team able to communicate directly with the people responsible for your network and team?
- Thoroughly review and discuss the Service Level Agreement or SLA. Ensure that the MSP will be held accountable for their performance and address how failures will be resolved.
- Thoroughly evaluate the costs:
- Be sure to review cost escalations based on your desired growth initiatives. In some cases, the provider will quote a low price to get you on-board, and then significantly raise costs as your business grows. Be sure to understand data storage costs, users and license fees, peak demand, etc.
- Factor in added-value benefits. Uptime, security, network reliability, and regulatory compliance issues should all be evaluated and factored in. The lowest cost is not always the best choice – you will absolutely get what you pay for.
As you can see, when interviewing and selecting an IT managed services provider, there are many important considerations. Conscious Networks has decades of experience managing hundreds of MSP networks and serves as a valuable partner for end to end managed services.