The Ultimate Guide to Managed IT Services

Managed IT services means outsourcing the responsibility for maintaining, monitoring, and managing your IT infrastructure and systems to a third-party provider (commonly called an MSP — Managed Service Provider).

Instead of only calling someone when something breaks, you pay a predictable monthly fee for ongoing proactive support. Your MSP becomes your external IT department — handling everything from daily helpdesk queries to strategic technology planning.

The shift to managed services happened because businesses realised that reactive IT (fixing things after they break) was costing more in downtime, lost productivity, and emergency callouts than proactive monitoring and maintenance.

Understanding what's included in a managed IT agreement is crucial for comparing providers fairly. Most MSPs offer a core set of services, with additional options available at extra cost.

The industry has moved towards two main models: "all-inclusive" (everything for one price) and "base + extras" (core services included, with add-ons for advanced needs). Neither is inherently better — it depends on your business needs and how predictable you want your IT costs to be.

Knowing what's typically included versus what costs extra helps you avoid surprise bills and ensures you're comparing like-for-like when evaluating providers.

This is the chapter most people skip straight to — and for good reason. IT pricing can be opaque and confusing, with wildly different quotes for seemingly similar services.

We've included real UK price ranges because we're tired of the "contact us for a quote" approach that leaves businesses unable to budget or compare. You deserve to know what things cost before you even pick up the phone.

Remember: the cheapest option isn't always the most cost-effective. You need to compare total cost of ownership, including the things that are "extra" with budget providers but included with others.

Break-fix IT support is the traditional model: something breaks, you call someone, they fix it, you pay for the time. It sounds simpler and cheaper — but for most businesses, it's actually more expensive in the long run.

The hidden cost of break-fix is downtime. Every hour your systems are down, your team can't work. And because there's no proactive monitoring, you only find out about problems when they've already impacted your business.

That said, break-fix can still make sense for very small businesses with simple needs and high tolerance for occasional downtime. This chapter helps you work out which model fits your situation.

Not every business needs managed IT services. But there are clear indicators that your current approach isn't working — and recognising them early can save you significant pain and money.

The most common trigger is growth: your business has expanded beyond what your current IT setup (or person) can handle. But there are other signs too — increasing security concerns, compliance requirements, or simply spending too much leadership time on IT problems instead of business priorities.

This chapter includes a self-assessment to help you honestly evaluate whether managed IT is the right move for your business right now.

Choosing an MSP is a significant decision — you're essentially selecting a long-term business partner who will have access to your most sensitive systems and data. Get it right, and IT becomes an enabler for your business. Get it wrong, and you've got a new headache.

This chapter covers the evaluation criteria that actually matter, based on what we've seen make or break MSP relationships. Technical competence is table stakes — the differences that matter are often about communication, culture, and commercial approach.

We also cover red flags that should make you walk away, regardless of how good the price looks.

Walking into an MSP meeting without the right questions is like buying a car without asking about the engine. You'll get a slick presentation, but you won't know what you're actually getting.

This chapter provides 50+ specific questions organised by category, along with guidance on what good answers sound like — and what bad answers should tell you. Use these during sales calls, and you'll quickly separate the providers who know their stuff from those who are winging it.

The questions cover everything from support response times to security practices to what happens if you want to leave.

The first 90 days with a new MSP set the tone for the entire relationship. Understanding what should happen — and when — helps you know if things are on track or if you need to raise concerns early.

Good onboarding is thorough but not disruptive. You should see quick wins in the first few weeks, documentation and stability in month two, and strategic planning conversations by month three. If your new MSP disappears after the contract is signed, that's a problem.

This chapter also covers how to measure success and when to escalate concerns. Because even with the best providers, things can go off track if you don't communicate.

We've seen businesses make the same mistakes over and over when choosing and working with managed IT providers. Most are avoidable with a bit of knowledge and planning.

The biggest mistake? Choosing on price alone. The second biggest? Not checking references. Both seem obvious when stated plainly, but when you're busy and IT isn't your expertise, it's easy to take shortcuts.

This chapter covers the common pitfalls we've witnessed — and how to avoid each one. Consider it lessons learned from other businesses' painful experiences.

While the fundamentals of managed IT apply across industries, certain sectors have specific requirements that affect what you need from a provider. Regulated industries in particular need MSPs who understand compliance obligations.

An MSP who's great for marketing agencies might be completely wrong for a financial services firm. Industry experience matters — not just for technical requirements, but for understanding how your business actually operates.

This chapter covers specific considerations for common SMB industries, helping you understand what additional questions to ask and requirements to consider.