What is Managed service provider (MSP)?
Operations, IT, cybersecurity. A plain-English definition for Australian business owners.
A managed service provider (MSP) is an external firm that runs some or all of a business's IT on an ongoing contract — typically device management, helpdesk, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administration, backups and security monitoring — for a fixed monthly fee per user or device.
For most Australian SMEs an MSP replaces the call-someone-when-it-breaks model with proactive management. Quality varies widely, and an MSP's security practices effectively become your security practices, so their Essential Eight alignment, patching discipline and response times deserve real due diligence.
In a connected back office this sits with the Operations hub, where Valont runs it support, cybersecurity and cloud systems for Australian SMEs as one team. The full definition set is on the glossary.
Talk to an Advisor
General information, not advice. For how this applies to your business, talk it through with a Trusted Advisor or start with the Business Health Check.