MSP (Managed Service Provider)
Also known as: Managed Service Provider, Managed IT Provider
A company that remotely manages a customer's IT infrastructure and end-user systems under a subscription or retainer model.
A managed service provider (MSP) assumes ongoing responsibility for a defined set of IT services on behalf of its clients. Break-fix support charges you when something breaks. An MSP charges a recurring subscription to stop it breaking.
- Proactive monitoring
- Patch management
- Helpdesk support
- Backup
- Vendor management MSPs typically monitor environments 24/7 using remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools and provide predictable monthly IT costs. For organizations without large internal IT departments, an MSP can deliver enterprise-grade IT management at a fraction of the cost of building those capabilities in-house.