Common MSP Misconceptions That Need to Go

What an MSP is...

A managed IT service provider (MSP) is a company that manages computer systems and networks for clients.

Besides this, MSPs also offer a variety of services to their clients such as remote IT support, onsite support, proactive monitoring, equipment maintenance and repair, data backup and recovery, and more.

To put it simply, an MSP takes care of your organization’s IT issues so that you won’t have to. 

And businesses all over the US are loving it!

In the words of an MSP client,

“[Our MSP] may be a remote support team but they’re always there to help us. It almost feels like we’ve got our own IT staff in house!

We have dozens of machines to oversee across 4 clinics, and they have helped us monitor each of them as well as cut down potential wasted time and resources.

Keeping up with IT work and compliances can take a lot of time and energy. Instead of worrying about these things, our MSP handles that for us.”

What an MSP is not...

Despite the benefits that MSPs bring to businesses that work with them, many organizations still have reservations about partnering with MSPs—but a lot of these are MSP myths and misconceptions.

Let’s take a look at a few of them:

MYTH 1: An MSP is too risky for a healthcare practice.

As a healthcare practice, being extra careful with who you trust is a good thing. Keeping your clinic data safe is something you constantly have to keep in mind, and this means making sure your IT environment is in good hands.

If you’re wary of MSPs managing your IT infrastructure, you’re not overreacting. Not all MSPs have the technology, training, and experience to cater to the needs of healthcare facilities.

What you need is an MSP that’s equipped to handle and protect the confidential data you have access to.

We at ER Tech Pros, for example, have HIPAA-certified staff, HIPAA-compliant technology, and a SOC-certified infrastructure. We cater specifically to medical practices, dental clinics, and healthcare facilities.

MYTH 2: An MSP costs too much.

A lot of people have this misconception that partnering with an MSP is expensive and unnecessary...but many companies actually go for it because it saves them a lot of money. 

See for yourself:

Here in Sacramento, hiring an IT manager can cost you around $11,000 every month—and that doesn’t include employee benefits or insurance yet. ER Tech Pros, however, offers a monthly flat rate of as low as $40 per desktop.

Depending on the size of your practice, outsourcing your IT tasks to an MSP can mean huge savings. It’s virtually having an entire IT team taking care of your systems, and paying for less than one employee.

And besides, we know that it’s not all about the price...it’s about value for money.

If you’re looking to make the most of what you pay for, working with an MSP that offers reliable 24/7 support is a great way to start—no holidays off, no sick leaves, no excuses.

MYTH 3: An MSP replaces your current IT team.

An MSP doesn’t have to replace your IT staff. On the contrary, MSPs can actually help ease up their workload and enhance their capabilities. For many companies, MSPs serve as a support system for the in-house IT team. 

As much as your IT team would want to have all bases covered, they may find it difficult to take care of daily tasks without neglecting other responsibilities.

By outsourcing some of these time-consuming tasks to a tried-and-tested MSP, your practice’s internal IT staff can focus on more long-term, business-building initiatives.

So should you partner with an MSP?

Now that you know what an MSP is and what it isn’t, the next thing that would probably pop into your head is whether or not you need to partner with one.

We can help you out with that. Here are a couple of questions that you can ask yourself to know if an MSP would be the best, most practical next step for your practice.

Do you have a dedicated (HIPAA-certified) IT expert for your clinic?

If your answer is no, then you may want to consider having a dedicated team to take care of your practice’s IT environment. 

You may have been doing minor IT work yourself, or you’ve probably been asking a friend or two to come over and help out...regardless of how you’ve been coping with IT demands, it’s important to remember that you can’t do all that yourself.

If you’re depending on break/fix solutions by IT service companies, that will cost you an arm and a leg in the long run—and they may not even know anything about HIPAA compliance!

Without the wisdom, experience, and guidance of healthcare IT experts, you are putting your clinic data at risk of being lost, stolen, and/or exploited. Don’t let that happen.

Partner with a team of IT experts who can cope with the IT demands of healthcare facilities while keeping your budget on track. An MSP can be the most practical first step for you. 

If you already have internal IT staff, do they look like they’re juggling too many things at the same time?

It’s great that you have IT expert(s) in your workforce, but it’s important to ensure that they’re not burdened with more tasks than they can handle.

Overworked employees can greatly affect every area of your organization...IT and cybersecurity are definitely no exception to that.

When your IT staff are overworked, whether or not they admit it, this can lead to unhappy, unhealthy, and demotivated employees looking after your systems. And this often translates to poor work performance, oversights, and lapses, which can be dangerous when we’re talking about clinic data security.

By partnering with an MSP, you have an entire team to complement and work with your current IT staff. This not only means more hands on deck, it also means that every person managing, monitoring, and maintaining your system is at their most effective.

Curious but still a bit hesitant?

A test ride won’t hurt!

Go for a free trial with an MSP that specializes in healthcare IT.