What Is a Managed Service Provider (MSP)? Scope, Pricing Models and 20 Questions to Ask

The short version: A managed service provider (MSP) runs part or all of your IT on an ongoing basis, under a written scope and service levels, instead of fixing things only when they break. Most MSPs charge per user, per device or by a tiered package. Choose by asking for the scope in writing, the response targets by priority, and how you leave.

This guide is for owners and managers who are comparing MSPs for the first time. You will leave with a scope list to check a proposal against, a way to compare the three charging methods, 20 interview questions and a clause checklist for the agreement. Brocent has provided managed IT services since 2007; the lists below are written so you can use them on any provider, including us.

What does a managed service provider do?

An MSP takes responsibility for outcomes you would otherwise handle yourself: devices that work, systems that are patched, backups that restore and people who can get help. Work is planned and recurring, and it is measured against service levels.

A typical scope has these parts. Ask for each to be marked as included, optional or excluded:

1. Service desk: a single point of contact for users, with ticketing, priorities and response targets.
2. Device management: setup, enrolment, configuration and retirement of laptops, desktops and phones.
3. Patching: operating system and common third-party software updates on a schedule.
4. Monitoring: alerts on servers, network gear, backups and key services, with someone assigned to act on them.
5. Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administration: users, licences, mailboxes, groups, policies.
6. Security basics: MFA, endpoint protection, email filtering, access reviews.
7. Backup and recovery: backup of agreed systems, with restore tests.
8. Network and Wi-Fi: firewall, switches, access points, internet lines and their suppliers.
9. Vendor liaison: managing calls with your internet, software and hardware suppliers.
10. Planning and reporting: a regular review, a hardware and licence roadmap and a monthly report.
11. On-site support: visits for work that cannot be done remotely.

Our own scope is described on the managed services page.

How do MSPs charge?

There are three common models. Prices differ by provider and market, so this section explains how each works and where it can go wrong. For Brocent's published rates see the pricing page.

Per user

1. How it works: a fixed monthly amount for each person you employ.
2. Good for: companies where each person has one main device and headcount is steady.
3. Watch for: extra charges for shared mailboxes, second devices, contractors and part-timers. Ask what counts as a user.

Per device

1. How it works: a monthly amount for each managed device, often with separate rates for workstations, servers and network equipment.
2. Good for: estates with many shared or kiosk machines, or with servers and network gear to cover.
3. Watch for: the device count creeping up as the provider's monitoring finds machines you had forgotten. Agree how new devices are added and priced.

Tiered package

1. How it works: a bundle at a set level of service (for example basic, standard, premium) priced by company size or scope.
2. Good for: buyers who want a predictable monthly cost and clear lists of what each level includes.
3. Watch for: the item you need sitting one tier up. Check the list line by line against your scope.

Projects such as an office move are usually quoted separately in all three. If a provider offers only hourly rates, that is break-fix support, not managed support; see break-fix vs managed IT services.

20 questions to ask when you interview an MSP

Group them into four rounds.

Scope and people

1. What exactly is included in the monthly fee, and what is billed on top?
2. Who is my named contact, and who covers when they are away?
3. Which tasks are done by the service desk, and which are passed on to engineers?
4. Where are your engineers and your service desk located?
5. Do you use subcontractors for any part of the service?

Service levels

1. What are your response targets by priority? Compare them with our SLA page.
2. Is the target for first response or for resolution?
3. In which hours are those targets measured?
4. What happens if you miss a target?
5. How do you report: which figures, how often, and can I see a sample?

Security and access

1. Who at your company can log in to our systems, and how is that access controlled and logged?
2. Which tools do you install on our devices, and who owns the accounts for them?
3. How do you handle a security incident that you find, and who do you tell first?
4. How do you back up our data, and when did you last test a restore?

Commercial and exit

1. What is the contract length, and what are the notice terms?
2. How are price increases handled during the term?
3. Who owns the documentation, passwords and licences, and what do we get when we leave?
4. How long does onboarding take, and what do you need from us?
5. Can we speak to a customer of a similar size?
6. What is outside your scope that I should plan for separately?

For a structured way to score the answers, use the MSP selection scorecard and read how to choose a managed IT services provider in Hong Kong.

Which clauses should you read in the agreement?

1. Scope schedule: every service named, with the excluded items listed.
2. Service levels: targets by priority, measurement hours and what the remedy is.
3. Term and renewal: whether it renews automatically and how much notice you must give.
4. Termination: the right to leave for repeated missed targets, not only at the end of the term.
5. Price changes: when they can happen and how they are notified.
6. Data and credentials: you own your data, administrator accounts and licence tenancy.
7. Exit assistance: documentation and handover on leaving, with the effort and timing defined.
8. Liability and insurance: the limits stated in the agreement. Ask a lawyer to read this clause.
9. Confidentiality: what is protected and who in the provider can see it.
10. Changes to scope: how new devices, sites and users are added.

Common mistakes

1. Comparing monthly totals without comparing scope. The cheaper quote may leave out the service desk hours you assumed.
2. Accepting "24/7" without asking what it means. It may be monitoring only, with no engineer to act.
3. Leaving the Microsoft 365 admin accounts in the provider's name. Make sure you hold a Global Administrator account yourself, or the top admin role in Google Workspace.
4. Not testing a restore. Ask for the last restore test date.
5. Skipping the exit clause. The best time to agree handover terms is before you sign.

How to check it worked

1. After onboarding, ask for the asset list and compare it with your own count.
2. Raise three test tickets of different priorities and compare the response with the SLA.
3. Check the first monthly report against the scope schedule.
4. Confirm you can sign in as administrator without the provider.

FAQ

What are some examples of managed service providers?

Providers differ by focus: general IT providers that run service desk and devices, security-focused providers, and providers that specialise in one industry or platform. Compare them by scope and service levels, not by the label.

What is the difference between IT services and managed services?

IT services can be one-off or hourly work. Managed services are ongoing, with a written scope, service levels and usually a monthly fee.

What is MSP used for?

MSP stands for managed service provider: a company you use to run day-to-day IT and keep systems patched and secured.

Is there a managed service provider for small business?

Yes. Many MSPs work with small teams. Ask whether the service desk, tooling and pricing model fit your size.

To score the MSPs on your shortlist side by side, use our MSP selection scorecard.

Brocent publishes its managed IT support plans with per-user monthly prices for Hong Kong, Singapore, mainland China and the United States, so you can compare before you talk to anyone: see the plans and pricing.