Assessing Managed Services
Managed services are not created equal. A lot of IT providers claim to provide managed hosting services at really low rates. But what qualifies as managed IT service anyway?
Managed services, according to Wikipedia, refers to the transfer of daily related management tasks as a method for efficient and effective operations. This sounds like a good working definition except that it is still found wanting.
It’s not really difficult to determine which ones are managed service providers and which ones are knock-offs. You just need to ask the right questions.
For starters, you want to ask how long has the company been in the business. How long has it been providing the service? You want to know how the company developed its service packages and their basis for certain managed services. It’s not uncommon to find providers who add new services to their portfolio without thinking much about it as soon as they pop up in the market.
Next, you want to ask about the equipment that they use. It’s important to ensure that the company is using the latest software and hardware in order to provide services. A managed service provider should also be able to offer detailed reporting and management tools. This will give you an insight into the level of management it is doing.
It’s also important that the provider acts as a trusted advisor. He should be on hand to provide advice over the long term. If anything, the company is supposed to work with you through your long term business goals as far as IT is concerned.
Finally, you need to go over the details of the service. Managed services is not a generic field. Some company offer certain capabilities where others do not. You need to assess your expectations of managed services and then go with the company that can match these requirements with efficient solutions.
