Managed IT services should give a business ownership, not just a helpdesk.
As founder of 39D, I work around the practical realities of supporting SMEs: users need fast help, systems need proactive management and management teams need confidence that someone is taking responsibility.
What does a managed service provider do?
A managed service provider, or MSP, takes ongoing responsibility for agreed parts of a client's IT. For a smaller business this can effectively provide an outsourced IT department, combining day-to-day support with monitoring, maintenance, security, supplier management and planning.
More than reactive IT support
Good managed IT should reduce recurring problems rather than simply close tickets. That means understanding devices, identities, Microsoft 365, networks, backups, security controls and suppliers as one operating environment.
Typical areas of responsibility
- User support and device management
- Microsoft 365 administration
- Patch management and monitoring
- Cybersecurity controls and endpoint protection
- Backup and recovery
- Cloud services
- Connectivity, Wi-Fi and networks
- VoIP and communications
- Technology lifecycle and budgeting
- Supplier and project coordination
When should a small business outsource IT?
Outsourcing becomes particularly useful when technology has become important enough that ad-hoc support is creating risk, but the organisation does not yet need or want a full internal IT team. A good MSP should provide both operational support and access to specialists when more complex work appears.
39D
I founded 39D around this model: practical managed IT for small and growing businesses, backed by deeper capability in cybersecurity, networks and communications.