Top 50+ Managed Service Provider companies

MSP stands for managed service provider. These teams engage IT, professionals, to work with a company to support its IT needs. With an MSP, organizations can outsource IT management services such as:

Also, a managed IT services provider will often be proactive and suggest areas where firms can improve their IT strategy, technical support, and IT systems.

A growing number of companies provide managed IT consulting services, offering a wide range of professional services to small businesses as well as large corporations.

Some of the biggest names in managed IT services include IBM and Cisco. Backed up by powerful data centers, these large MSPs offer the full range of IT solutions. Smaller MSPs may specialize in areas like e-commerce, healthcare, or financial services.

A managed services company can take responsibility for all aspects of a company's IT services, working onsite or remotely. MSPs often collaborate closely with the IT staff in a company's IT department, developing and implementing strategies for software upgrades and other technology services. Some MSP services may reduce a company's reliance on in-house IT departments—automation solutions, for example, which automatically set up servers and other devices.

Some of the key benefits of an IT outsourcing business model include:

Many MSPs sell their services as a subscription, charging their clients a fixed monthly fee for an agreed range of services. Another option is to charge on a project-by-project basis, but this denies the MSP a consistent flow of monthly revenue.

Even the best IT managed service providers can prove to be a poor fit for some companies, so think carefully about your needs before engaging an MSP. It's important that the MSP can work well with your in-house IT department and adapt to your evolving business needs. You can tap your network for recommendations of MSPs, or look through MSP company reviews right here on Upwork.