Understanding, Hiring, and Using Managed Services Providers (MSPs) for Information Technology Outsourcing

Do you need to look into hiring another company to implement and support your technology solutions? This book explores the world of the Managed Services Provider (MSP) as a technology support vendor. It explains what an MSP is and does, the pros and cons of using one, and what you should expect in your relationship with them. This book provides insight and advice in hiring and successfully working with a Managed Services Provider.

An MSP is a technology company which sells its expertise, technology, and processes as services to non-technology companies on a contractual engagement, almost always with a service level agreement (SLA) to define appropriate actions and response times. MSPs like to say that they are your IT department. If you already have an IT department, the MSP can act in concert with your staff to fill advisory or operational gaps that might exist in your organization. MSPs can also be your gateway to the cloud.  

Keith's career in information systems began in 1992, when MS-DOS ruled the PC world. Through the years, Keith worked his way through the ranks as a systems analyst, network administrator, vice president of information systems, and as a consultant and senior engineer at a Washington, DC based MSP. His experience with MSPs comes from being both a client and a vendor of MSP services at different times in his career.