SureTel
Resources · Managed IT
What Is a Managed Service Provider?
An MSP takes ongoing responsibility for agreed parts of your IT, instead of only fixing things after they break.
In short
A managed service provider, in plain terms
A managed service provider (MSP) is a company that takes ongoing responsibility for an agreed part of a business's IT — usually user support, device monitoring, patching and endpoint security — for a monthly fee. That differs from break/fix support, where someone is paid per call-out after something fails. What an MSP covers depends on the written scope: servers, Microsoft 365, backup, networks and onsite work are often separate.
- An MSP is responsible for an agreed scope every month, not just when something breaks.
- The written scope matters more than the label: check users, devices, servers and applications.
- Microsoft 365 management, licences, backup, networks and onsite work are often purchased separately.
- MSP, in-house and co-managed IT each suit different businesses.
A normal month
What an ordinary managed month looks like
Most of an MSP's work is routine and happens in the background. These are the activities a typical base service includes.
User support
Staff log requests — a laptop that won't connect, a printer error, a software install — and the helpdesk handles them remotely within the agreed fair-use scope.
Monitoring and inventory
An agent on each managed device reports its health and keeps an up-to-date list of hardware and software, so problems such as a failing disk can be spotted early.
Patching and vulnerability management
Operating system and common software updates are tested, scheduled and applied, and known software vulnerabilities are tracked until they are dealt with.
Endpoint protection (EDR)
Security software detects suspicious behaviour on managed devices and can isolate a device to contain a threat. It is not the same as a staffed 24/7 security team.
Vendor coordination
When a problem involves an internet provider, printer supplier or software vendor, the MSP logs and follows up the issue rather than leaving your staff to do it.
Reporting
A monthly summary shows tickets, patch status and device health so you can see what was done and what needs a decision.
Written scope
Where the written scope should draw the line
Disagreements with IT providers usually start where the scope was unclear. Make sure each of these is defined.
- Users
- Which named people are managed users, and how joiners and leavers are added or removed from the agreement.
- Devices
- Whether each user's primary laptop or desktop is included, and how shared PCs, extra devices and phones are treated.
- Servers and infrastructure
- Servers, storage, firewalls, switches and Wi-Fi are commonly scoped and priced separately from per-user support.
- Vendor applications
- Accounting, practice-management or line-of-business software usually stays with its vendor. The MSP supports the device it runs on and coordinates.
- Microsoft 365 tenant and licences
- Administering accounts, access and security settings is a service; the Microsoft licences themselves are a separate cost.
- Backup and onsite work
- What is backed up, how restores are tested, and how onsite visits and travel are charged should each be written down.
Fit
MSP, in-house or co-managed IT?
No model suits every business. This table shows where each one usually fits and what to watch for.
| Model | Usually fits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Managed service provider | Businesses without a dedicated IT team that want one accountable provider for day-to-day IT. | Exclusions, response versus fix times, and how extra work is approved. |
| In-house IT | Larger organisations or those with specialist systems that need people on site every day. | Leave cover, depth of skills, tooling costs and reliance on one person. |
| Co-managed IT | Businesses with an internal IT person or team who want help with routine work, tooling or cover. | Unclear split of responsibilities and shared admin access. |
| Break/fix support | Very small setups with few devices and low risk. | Ongoing monitoring, patching and documentation are not inherently included; agree in writing who is responsible between call-outs. |
Before you sign
Questions to ask any MSP
- Who owns the admin accounts and passwords, and how are they handed back if we leave?
- What hours does support run, and what happens outside them?
- Are the response targets for acknowledging a ticket, or for fixing it?
- How is extra work approved and quoted before it is done?
- What is backed up, who can request a restore, and how are restores tested?
- Which items are excluded or charged separately?
- How does the agreement end, and what documentation is handed over?
- What does onsite work cost, including travel?
SureTel
How SureTel's Managed IT is set up
A brief outline for context. The Managed IT service and pricing pages hold the full detail.
Base service
Remote helpdesk within fair use, monitoring, inventory, patching, software vulnerability management, SentinelOne EDR, vendor coordination and a monthly summary — for one primary device per managed user.
Support hours
Remote-first, Monday to Friday 08:00–17:00 excluding South African public holidays. Critical (P1) issues get an initial response within 60 minutes during those hours; that is a response, not a fix time.
Modules you choose
Microsoft 365 management, managed backup, servers, networks, onsite work and projects are added separately, so you only pay for the scope you need.
Starting price
From R500 per managed user per month excl. VAT on a 12-month agreement. The normal minimum for the base service is R7,500 per month; smaller agreements need management approval.
Keep reading
Related guides and services
Managed IT vs in-house IT
A balanced comparison of external, internal and co-managed IT.
How to compare managed IT quotes
Match the scope before comparing totals.
Managed IT services
What SureTel's Managed IT includes and who it suits.
Managed IT pricing
The base price and how modules are added.
Microsoft 365 management
Separately chosen administration of your Microsoft 365 tenant.
Managed backup
Separately purchased backup with restores under the chosen scope.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an MSP and break/fix IT support?
Break/fix support is a reactive arrangement, paid per call-out or per hour after something goes wrong. It does not inherently include ongoing monitoring or patching, so any responsibility between call-outs needs to be agreed explicitly. An MSP takes ongoing responsibility for an agreed scope for a monthly fee; check the written scope for which routine work, such as monitoring, patching and endpoint protection, is included.
Does an MSP look after everything in our IT?
Only what is in the written scope. Users, primary devices and routine support are usually covered; shared endpoints, servers, networks, Microsoft 365 tenant administration, backup, onsite work and projects are often priced as separate items. Ask for a clear list of inclusions and exclusions.
Is cybersecurity included in managed IT?
Check the written security scope of any agreement rather than assuming. With SureTel, SentinelOne EDR on managed devices is part of the base service. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) software is not the same as a staffed 24/7 security operations centre, so check whether anyone is watching alerts after hours and what happens during a serious incident.
Are Microsoft 365 licences part of an MSP's monthly fee?
However a quote bundles or itemises them, identify which part is the Microsoft licence and which is the management service. With SureTel, Microsoft licences are billed separately, and Microsoft 365 tenant management is a separately chosen module.
Can we use an MSP and keep our own IT person?
Yes. This is called co-managed IT. It works when responsibilities are written down: who handles user support, who owns admin accounts, who approves changes and who escalates to whom.
How does SureTel's Managed IT work?
SureTel's Managed IT starts from R500 per managed user per month excl. VAT on a 12-month agreement, with a normal minimum of R7,500 per month for the base service; smaller agreements need management approval. Support is remote-first, Monday to Friday 08:00–17:00 excluding South African public holidays. Microsoft 365 management, backup, onsite work and projects are added separately.
See what managed IT would cover for your business
Request a free, qualified IT Health & Risk Assessment: normally 2–4 hours, remote-first, ending in a readout of findings and priorities. SureTel reviews your request and contacts you to arrange a time. It is not free remediation, penetration testing or unrestricted scanning.