Does your MSP feel like a true partner? Do they really have your back and your best interests at heart?
Unfortunately, the managed IT support industry has largely adopted a service delivery model that’s designed to maximize billables. It’s tough to find a company who offers unlimited IT services and acts like a true partner.
Sure, if you want that type of total commitment, you can hire full-time IT staff and C-level leadership. Yet many midmarket companies can’t justify the expense.
The solution is an MSP who acts like a true partner. This type of MSP doesn’t view customers as profit centers, but as real people who deserve world-class support, guidance, and collaboration. Here at Corsica Technologies, this is the approach we take—and our unmetered services and predictable monthly pricing are an essential part of who we are.
So how do you know if your MSP is acting as a true partner?
Here are 6 key signs.
1. Your MSP is prepared to minimize the impact of third-party outages
The CrowdStrike outage on July 19, 2024, serves as a stark reminder that technology environments are incredibly fragile when they have a SPOF (single point of failure).
Yet many companies don’t realize how vulnerable their systems are.
An MSP who acts as a true partner will start with a comprehensive analysis of your technology risks. Cybersecurity risk assessments, backup audits, and a full review of disaster recovery plans are essential to minimize potential downtime. A true partner will address these strategic and tactical concerns in addition to handling day-to-day technology tasks.
2. Your MSP team has a “can-do” attitude
Ultimately, technology services aren’t about technology. They’re about people. Your MSP exists to make life easier for your team and to improve strategic outcomes for your leadership.
In this sense, technical expertise is just table stakes for an MSP—but technical expertise alone isn’t enough. A network whiz who’s difficult and impolite with clients isn’t doing anyone any favors.
The first thing to look for in an MSP is a “can-do” attitude. Does the MSP team put your people first? That’s what a true partner does. This type of partner is easy to work with. They understand that ultimately, their job is about people—your people.
3. Your MSP offers simple contracts that anyone can understand
What exactly are you getting from your MSP? What have they committed to do when the chips are down, and what will it cost you?
If you can’t answer in a few sentences off the top of your head, you may have a complicated contract.
Unfortunately, this is the norm among MSPs. Contracts run to 8, 9, or 10 pages, with all kinds of extra clauses, exceptions, and out-of-scope items. It’s difficult to understand exactly what you’re getting from your MSP and how they would handle various situations.
The alternative is a simple contract—one that anyone in your company can understand. It spells out what types of services are covered and what your predictable monthly price is.
We didn’t always write simple contracts here at Corsica. But we’ve learned that simple is better for both our company and our clients. Simple contracts remove red tape and allow us to work more closely with clients, regardless of the challenges that come up on their strategic journey.
4. Your MSP doesn’t nickel-and-dime you with billables
There’s a stark reality hiding in those complex contracts. Most MSPs place significant limits on what’s “in scope” for their monthly service fee. Anything outside those limits will require additional billable hours.
In other words, most MSPs are built to ring up the cash register as often as possible.
That’s great for them, but it’s not great for their customers. In fact, this model makes it difficult for the MSP to pivot with the customer’s changing needs. It actually prevents them from acting like a true partner.
Think of it like this. If you hired an IT team, they wouldn’t tell you that your requests would cost more money. But this is what most MSPs do. And that leads to unpredictable billing.
This leads us to the next sign of a true partner.
5. Your MSP gives you one predictable monthly price
A true partner doesn’t create financial instability for their customers. Rather, they prioritize customer success, and they understand that success means sticking to a budget.
This is why Corsica Technologies offers unmetered services for one predictable monthly price. You don’t have to worry about fluctuating costs due to a spike in support requests or the addition of new users. We really do function as an extension of your team, covering all your technology service needs for the same price every month. It’s that simple!
6. Your MSP has bandwidth across multiple disciplines, including EDI and data integration
There’s a curious divide among technology service providers.
On one side, you have the MSPs and MSSPs (cybersecurity service providers). To one degree or another, most of these companies handle both IT and security.
On the other side, you have companies that specialize in B2B Integration, EDI and data integration. They’re experts in these things, but they can’t help you with IT or cybersecurity.
This “great divide” forces you to work with multiple vendors. It also leads to tricky situations in which you have to coordinate between partners who don’t care about mutual success. It creates headaches, and ultimately, it can create technical problems.
You shouldn’t have to work with multiple vendors. That’s why Corsica Technologies has expertise across numerous disciplines—not only IT, cybersecurity, and digital transformation, but EDI and data integration as well. We really are your one-stop shop for all things technology. And since we offer one integrated team, you get the coordination and cooperation you need to succeed with a complex technology environment.
This is what a true partner looks like.
Ready to work with a “true partner” MSP?
Reach out to schedule a consultation with a specialist.
