Managed Services is a term that can mean a lot of things to many different people. There are even examples of managed services being used without any hint of technology at all. The term managed services, as it is used in the technology industry, has a precise meaning particularly for those companies who call themselves Managed Service Providers (or MSPs).


Definition of Managed Services

Managed Services is the proactive management of an IT (Information Technology) asset or object, by a third party typically known as a MSP, on behalf of a customer. The operative distinction that sets apart a MSP is the proactive delivery of their service, as compared to reactive IT services, which have been around for decades.


Managed Services Characteristics

Typically, MSPs will have the following distinguishing characteristics:


Managed Services Specialties

While the term MSP may be somewhat generic these days, there are many types of MSPs who deliver specific services or manage specific types of customers. Some of the more common types of solutions include security, storage, desktop, server, hosting, applications, and mobile device management.


Managed Services Vertical Markets

Just like there are many types of service offerings, there are many types of vertical markets MSPs service. For example, banking, financial services, health care, and legal, are just a few of the vertical markets that have shown high demand for managed services for the last two decades.