fbpx
Connect with us
Apply Now

Tech + Startups

How to Choose an IT Managed Services Provider

In today’s digital age, businesses of all sizes rely heavily on technology to operate and grow. With so much riding on your IT infrastructure, finding the right Managed IT Services Provider (MSP) to manage and maintain it is critical. Hiring the wrong MSP can result in increased downtime, security breaches, lost productivity, and ultimately affect your bottom line. Here are a few tips to help you select the right IT partner. 

Technical Capabilities

The first and most important factor to consider when selecting an MSP is their technical capabilities. Afterall, the “T” in “IT” stands for “technology.” Here are some key things to look for:

  • Assess the provider’s technical expertise, certifications, and experience in managing IT infrastructure in businesses like yours.
  • Look for a provider who has experience with your industry-specific software, compliance standards, and security protocols.
  • Ask about business continuity and their backup and disaster recovery plans, and their response time in case of a disaster.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

Something else you want to take a look at is their Service Level Agreements (SLAs). SLAs are agreements that define the provider’s commitments to their clients, including response times, resolution times, uptime guarantees, and penalties for not meeting these metrics. Here are a few things to think about when evaluating an MSP’s SLAs:

  • Evaluate the provider’s SLAs for response times, resolution times, uptime guarantees, and penalties for not meeting these metrics.
  • Make sure the SLAs are customized to meet your business needs and are not just generic templates.
  • Discuss the provider’s communication channels and escalation procedures for handling critical issues.

Customer Support

Customer support is another crucial factor to consider when selecting an MSP. Most IT issues that occur within businesses don’t come with the luxury of waiting around until you’re provider can get around to it. These issues need to be addressed quickly and completely. Here are a few tips for assessing whether their support will meet your needs.

  • Determine the provider’s availability for support, including after-hours, weekends, and holidays.
  • Ask about the provider’s customer service team, their expertise, and their communication methods.
  • Check the provider’s reviews and references to gauge their reputation for customer support.
  • Understand the provider’s escalation procedures for handling critical issues and how they communicate with clients during these times as well as what turnaround times are.

Security and Compliance

In an era when expert hackers are ubiquitous, information technology security is a critical concern when it comes to managing IT infrastructure. When selecting an MSP, you should assess their security measures and their compliance with industry regulations. Here are some things to consider:

  • Assess the provider’s security measures, including firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion detection and prevention, and data encryption.
  • Verify the provider’s compliance with industry regulations, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR.
  • Find out how the provider handles security incidents and breaches, and what measures they take to prevent them.

Scalability and Flexibility

Finally, most businesses that need a managed service provider are growing entities and so it’s important to consider the provider’s scalability and flexibility when choosing an MSP. Here are some things to consider:

  • Determine the provider’s ability to scale up or down their services based on your business needs and growth.
  • Ask about the provider’s flexibility in customizing their services to meet your specific business requirements.
  • Evaluate the provider’s compatibility with your existing IT infrastructure and their ability to integrate with your current business applications.

With the competitive nature of today’s business world and considering the fact that many businesses are still in the thick of the “Digital Transformation” process, choosing the right Managed IT Services Provider can make all the difference in building and maintaining the stability and efficiency of your IT infrastructure. By carefully evaluating providers based on the factors above, you can make an informed decision that meets your business’ specific needs. Making the right choice can be key to the success of your business now and in the future as you scale and grow. 

Related Topics:
Continue Reading


Copyright © 2022 Disrupt ™ Magazine is a Minority Owned Privately Held Company - Disrupt ™ was founder by Puerto Rican serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony Delgado who is on a mission to transform Latin America using the power of education and entrepreneurship.

Disrupt ™ Magazine
151 Calle San Francisco
Suite 200
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00901

Opinions expressed by Disrupt Contributors are their own. Disrupt Magazine invites voices from many diverse walks of life to share their perspectives on our contributor platform. We are big believers in freedom of speech and while we do enforce our community guidelines, we do not actively censor stories on our platform because we want to give our contributors the freedom to express their opinions. Articles are not commissioned by our editorial team, and opinions expressed by our community contributors do not reflect the opinions of Disrupt or its employees.
We are committed to fighting the spread of misinformation online so if you feel an article on our platform goes against our community guidelines or contains false information, we do encourage you to report it. We need your help to fight the spread of misinformation. For more information please visit our Contributor Guidelines available here.


Disrupt ™ is the voice of latino entrepreneurs around the world. We are part of a movement to increase diversity in the technology industry and we are focused on using entrepreneurship to grow new economies in underserved communities both here in Puerto Rico and throughout Latin America. We enable millennials to become what they want to become in life by learning new skills and leveraging the power of the digital economy. We are living proof that all you need to succeed in this new economy is a landing page and a dream. Disrupt tells the stories of the world top entrepreneurs, developers, creators, and digital marketers and help empower them to teach others the skills they used to grow their careers, chase their passions and create financial freedom for themselves, their families, and their lives, all while living out their true purpose. We recognize the fact that most young people are opting to skip college in exchange for entrepreneurship and real-life experience. Disrupt Magazine was designed to give the world a taste of that.