The definition of an IT Managed Service Provider (or MSP as it is more commonly known) can vary depending on who you speak to – but for the industry that I work in – Small and Medium-sized businesses – my definition of an MSP is an IT Solution Provider who provides their clients with:-

• 24x7x365 Monitoring and Maintenance
• An unlimited (or “all you can eat”) Helpdesk or Support function
• Vendor Management

Importantly, as an IT provider you offer all these services for a fixed fee – be that monthly (most typical), quarterly or annually.