Keeping a company’s IT running smoothly, securely, and without hiccups isn’t easy—it takes constant monitoring, smart planning, and ongoing upkeep.
Let’s say your team is busily trying to complete a project on time when suddenly—boom—your network crashes because a critical software patch was missed. Now you’re scrambling to fix IT problems when you’d rather be focusing on your work. This scenario is one of many signs indicating that managed IT services could benefit your organization.
You probably know an MSP is a third-party company that provides an outsourced IT team you can hire to handle or supplement your IT needs instead of doing everything in-house. But you might not be sure exactly what they cover, what they don’t, or what you’re really paying for.
In this article, we’ll break down that information to help you set realistic expectations for the available IT support for small businesses in Calgary and confidently make informed decisions about your technology.
The Typical Tasks That Managed IT Will Handle
Most managed IT providers in Calgary will offer their services comprehensively for one flat fee: that means you pay a predictable amount each month, without any surprise costs for the standard maintenance or support outlined in your service-level agreement (SLA).
While all their IT service packages might look different, here are a few standard best practices you should expect:
Helpdesk support
If your organization struggles with an IT issue, you want an on-call team to troubleshoot it with you and address it quickly. The right MSP will include a responsive and friendly service desk that can handle your technical questions proficiently and get you back to work quickly.
Network monitoring
A high-quality MSP should provide proactive IT support that involves monitoring every element of your IT infrastructure around the clock—from your firewall and cloud environments to your email systems and server—to minimize downtime and stop threats on their track before they result in operational disruptions or data loss.
Preventative maintenance
With an MSP overseeing routine management tasks, you can expect your systems to run smoothly. Whether it’s updating your software with security patches, running disk checks to improve performance, cleaning up unnecessary files or verifying that your antivirus and automatic updates are active, they’ll help prevent issues before they happen.
Advanced data protection
A skilled provider will offer robust cybersecurity services to protect you against threats. Their fee will cover a wide range of services, depending on their specialty, but should ideally include managed detection and response, security awareness training and testing, email defense systems, and cloud services management such as encryption and defensive mechanisms, among other tactics.
Disaster recovery
Your managed IT services will also focus on implementing measures to protect your business in the case of an incident, including integrating data backup solutions, so you can restore it efficiently, as well as setting up network security protocols to limit a breach’s impact and developing a clear recovery plan so your employees know what to do.
What Falls Outside of The Managed IT Scope
While high-quality managed IT services in Calgary will include offerings that address many of your organization’s technology needs, your provider’s fee won’t cover all aspects of your IT. Some tasks will require additional agreements or separate providers! This includes:
- Hardware Purchases and Replacements: The actual cost of new devices or other infrastructure elements will not be included in your monthly fee. However, many MSPs have long-term relationships with leading vendors, and will work on your behalf to negotiate a great discount.
- Hardware Repair: While an MSP can support with troubleshooting and diagnosing a problem, they typically won’t repair these items themselves. However, they can act as your repair or warranty liaison to make sure vendors handle issues promptly.
- On-site IT staff: Some providers will offer site visits for issues that they can’t handle remotely, but your organization won’t have full-time, embedded IT personnel working exclusively for your business.
- Project work: If your organization needs any significant IT deployments, such as replacing or adding any servers, cable/runs certification or major line-of-business software rollout, this will likely fall outside your monthly fee.
Many providers lock in a set price for a specific period in their contract. However, once that term ends, they may adjust your fees if your IT environment changes significantly—such as adding more users, expanding to new locations, or adopting additional cloud services.
Why It’s Important to Understand Your MSP Coverage
Partnering with a Calgary IT services provider can be a smart move for your organization. When your daily operations rely on your digital workspace, having experts on hand can make all the difference in keeping your tools stable, secure, and efficient.
However, not all MSPs offer the same level of service! Unfortunately, many businesses have assumed their MSP covers all IT needs under one fee. Then, during a critical moment, they discover gaps in service, leading to a stressful situation.
It’s important to have an honest, transparent conversation with your provider ahead of time to avoid any hidden costs or misunderstandings.
You’ll be able to maintain a predictable budget, of course, and plan ahead to budget for extra services to prevent disruptions to your workflow.
But even better, knowing the details of your contract will help you maximize your IT investment and get the most value. Some companies underutilize their provider because they don’t even realize all the support and tools included in their contract!
Access Comprehensive Managed IT Services in Calgary with Bulletproof IT
How frustrating would it be if your organization was in the flow, getting work done and closer to achieving your latest goals, only to hit a bump in the road because you discover your managed services provider can’t meet your needs?
At Bulletproof IT, we’re all about transparency. When you partner with us for our netSHIELD+ managed services, you’ll receive clear, comprehensive tailored solutions that fit your specific environment. No surprises, and no hidden fees—just reliable, proactive IT support that empowers your team to stay productive.
Whether it’s managing your day-to-day IT needs or planning for the future, we’re here to make your technology one less thing to worry about.
Want to work with a provider who will take care of every corner of your IT infrastructure? Contact us to discuss how we can help you save time and money for your most important priorities.