To choose or not to choose has always been a dilemma since ages for mankind. The great bard had mentioned it in his classics albeit in a different fashion. Yet, the same holds true when we have to select between objects that offer similar facilities. With the information technology throwing up varieties in abundance on every conceivable issue, how to choose the best managed service provider software also has its share of selection dilemma.
The straight forward response or answer to that question no doubt would be that it is dependent on the benefits that one desires to achieve from this selection. There are however certain basic features that all MSP claims to be inherent with their product. Every MSP provides information about the network as a complete entity. They also are capable of percolating the solution to a problem of the network from one single access point. Customisable to the ever changing business process which is directly linked to the changing market scenario is also one more feature that every MSP claims.
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. MSP's are third party vendors who carry out the job of managing the client's network against payment by the client. Any and every managed service system works on this basic business principle. It is therefore imperative that the MSP be of such calibre that it can sense the defect of the network even before its actual occurrence. In short a good MSP should be proactive. 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.
One other factor to be considered for choosing the best managed service provider is the knowledge base of the MSP about the current IT field. Being an ever changing one, frequent new upgrades and newer technology arrive into the market. MSP which can advise the management on this new technology as well as provide methods for implementing the same are a guiding factor for selecting an MSP. An MSP with lax security features would be very dangerous to the health of the enterprise. Holes in the security of an MSP are vantage points for malicious programs to enter into the network and wreak havoc with the data and the application software too. MSP with high features in its security aspects is to be selected.
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.
These could be taken as the guidelines on how to choose the best managed service provider amongst the many that would be offering their services.
