# Managed service provider (MSP)

> A managed service provider (MSP) is a company that takes ongoing responsibility for a business's IT, including monitoring, maintenance, security, and user support, for a recurring fee that is usually charged per user or per device.

Also called: MSP, managed IT services provider, managed IT provider, outsourced IT department.

An MSP installs monitoring and management software on your computers and servers, then looks after them continuously. Updates are applied on a schedule, backups and security alerts are checked, and staff contact a help desk when something goes wrong. The work is governed by a contract and a service level agreement that set out what is covered, how fast the provider responds, and what counts as extra.

For a small business, an MSP replaces the choice between hiring a full-time IT person and waiting for things to break. Costs become a predictable monthly figure, and problems are often caught before staff notice them. Because the provider is paid the same amount whether or not things fail, it has a reason to keep systems healthy instead of billing for repairs.

Read the scope carefully. Check which devices, users, and hours are covered, whether security tools and backups are included or sold separately, who holds the admin passwords and documentation, and how you can leave. Ask how response times are measured and reported. We offer managed IT plans priced per user and delivered remotely.

## Where we do this work

- [Managed IT services](https://techpitsolutions.systems/msp)
- [Managed IT pricing](https://techpitsolutions.systems/pricing)

## See also

- [Co-managed IT](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/co-managed-it): Co-managed IT is an arrangement in which an outside IT provider shares responsibility with a company's in-house IT staff, taking on agreed areas such as the help desk, monitoring, security, or after-hours cover.
- [Break-fix IT](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/break-fix-it): Break-fix IT is a support model in which a business pays an IT technician only when something goes wrong, usually by the hour or per job, with no ongoing monitoring or maintenance in between.
- [Service level agreement (SLA)](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/service-level-agreement): A service level agreement (SLA) is the part of a service contract that sets measurable targets, such as response time, resolution time, and uptime, and states what happens if the provider fails to meet them.
- [Remote monitoring and management (RMM)](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/remote-monitoring-and-management): Remote monitoring and management (RMM) is software that IT providers install on computers and servers to watch their health, apply updates, run maintenance tasks, and connect remotely to fix problems.

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Source: https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/managed-service-provider

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