In a different manner and context the bard of English literature had mentioned about the dilemma mankind faces when up for making a selection. Is this the right choice or not is the question that plagues the mind long even after having finalised the decision. How to choose the best managed service provider software for the network of an establishment is also one such issue that keeps everyone in a dilemma. The answer to this question of how to choose the best managed service lies in the aspect of what benefits do we wish to accrue from this selection. The basic features claimed in every managed service provider software are something all are well versed with. That it should provide information about the network and its working. That it should help in diagnosing the network problem and offer means to deploy the solution network wide from one single location. That it should be customisable to meet the changing needs of the business house and its operations are all well established facts and known to exist in every MSP software that is available in the market.
How these features are adapted to suit the business house's needs and how these features are implemented that it makes the task of network management an easier task to be performed are the factors that need to be looked into while replying the query of how to choose the best managed service.
It has to be remembered that managed service is a system where a third party is maintaining and motoring a clients resources. In turn the client pays money to the Managed service provider for the service. It is therefore essential that the chosen MSP is a proactive one. Meaning, the service provider should not wait for a defect to occur for fixing it, rather be able to sense the defect before hand, indicate and initiate corrective or preventive measures.
If Murphy's Law is to be accepted, then it is a well established probability factor that a breakdown of the network is inevitable even with all proactive agents at work. The MSP in such a case should be able to respond quickly to the situation and restore the network back to its normal function swiftly. Data and applications that process the data are critical objects of an enterprise network. There would be need for the MSP to restore the system to a clean point just before the defect occurred. To do so, taking regular backups of the entire system by the MSP is a pre-requisite. This backed up data would be used by the MSP during the restore process.
The MSP must also be able to advise the client on the various changes that are occurring in the volatile IT field and the possibility or feasibility of implementing the same in the existing network for higher efficiency.
Security of the network, more so the data which is critical and could be misused if available to wrong people is an important factor for consideration while selecting an MSP. MSP that implements a strict and secure system is the best choice. Verification of the managed service provider's credentials is one other important factor to be considered while choosing an MSP. A good method would be to obtain reference of previous or other places where the MSP has been implemented.
As a check off list the ideas stated here could help to choose the best managed service provider.
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