Find The Best Local MSP Near You In CT: Here's What You Need To Know

Are frequent technology issues disrupting your business workflow? Want to find out if there are any hidden vulnerabilities lurking within your IT environment and how to fortify your defenses against evolving cyber threats?

Curious how you can leverage your technology to future-proof your business and gain a competitive advantage? Do you need reliable, local IT support and managed IT services to help you meet these and other IT challenges?

If the answer to these questions is yes, like other small and medium-sized businesses, you may have been wondering how you can find the best local managed service provider (MSP) in your area that can meet your business and technology needs.

In this article, we’ll examine the key MSP services to look for, the benefits of working with a local managed IT service provider near you, and common mistakes to avoid when partnering with an MSP.

With this information, you’ll know exactly what to look for when searching for an MSP near you, what the benefits are for using a local MSP serving Connecticut and Massachusetts, and the criteria to use to research and choose the right business IT services provider to solve your IT challenges.

What Is An MSP And Do You Need One?

Understanding Managed Service Providers (MSPs)

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) offers ongoing, proactive technology management and support to businesses and organizations.

Businesses needing to boost their internal IT support staff, as well as those with few or no in-house IT professionals, are increasingly relying on strategic IT outsourcing to boost operational efficiency, network security, and profitability.

Related Article: Why Are More Small And Medium-Sized Businesses Using Managed IT?

Many SMBs also turn to managed IT services to get relief from the burden of having to maintain their systems and constantly put out fires, allowing them to get back to focusing on running their businesses.

They look to managed IT support for a proactive approach to solve their IT challenges. 

MSPs offer flexible and scalable advanced solutions to maintain the health and security of your business, with a range of services including: proactive network monitoring, wireless and network solutions, threat detection and incident response, 24/7 helpdesk support, and business continuity and disaster recovery. 

How Do I Find The Best MSP Near Me In Connecticut? Key Services To Look For

With an MSP, you gain an entire team of IT and cybersecurity experts with broad industry knowledge, along with a comprehensive suite of proactive IT solutions and technical support, all at a predictable monthly cost.

Related Article: Managed IT Services: What’s Your True ROI?

When searching for a local managed service provider in Hartford County and beyond, look for providers who offer:

• Managed IT support services – 24/7 network monitoring, along with ongoing maintenance and proactive IT support, ensuring a quick response to identified networking or device issues, or potential threats, minimizing downtime
  
  
• Cloud IT services – Cloud-based or hybrid cloud infrastructure for data storage, networking, cybersecurity, and other scalable resources to meet your organization’s changing needs
  
  
• Cybersecurity services – Robust managed security tools, such as: automated network monitoring with real-time threat detection, firewall management, incident response and remediation, multi-factor authentication, patch management, employee cybersecurity awareness training, network operations center, and regulatory compliance solutions
  
  
• vCIO services for managed IT support – A virtual chief information officer (vCIO) blends broad knowledge of the latest IT and industry trends with a deep understanding of your business, to provide actionable insight and strategic IT planning and budgeting that aligns with your business goals
  
  
• Helpdesk & on-site support – Responsive support with strong ticket response and resolution times in solving clients’ technical issues

Related Article: Gain A Competitive Edge: Strategic vCIO And TAM Support in Managed IT

What Are The Benefits Of Partnering With A Local MSP In Connecticut & Massachusetts?

A growing number of small businesses are recognizing the many benefits that MSPs offer to improve business operations, enhance security, meet data privacy and cybersecurity requirements, and reduce costs. 

Using a local MSP serving Connecticut and Massachusetts offers strategic, customized support, including: 

1. Personalized Service & Support

• Unlike national or larger regional firms, local MSPs provide hands-on, personalized IT services and support with enhanced flexibility to adapt and scale services as your business needs evolve. 
  
  
• They take the time to get to know you and gain an intimate understanding of your business and IT infrastructure to provide customized levels of service and support tailored to meet your needs.
  
  
• With a local managed service provider, you’re treated like a valued partner, not just a faceless number.

2. Faster Response Times for IT Issues

• Using an MSP near you can significantly improve response and resolution times to many common technology challenges facing businesses today.
  
  
• Since a local managed IT provider uses in-house staff, you’ll have the opportunity to get on-site tech support when you experience issues with your devices or systems, rather than having to settle for only phone or online support.

3. Cost-Effective IT Solutions

• When using local MSP services, you can eliminate the need to spend a significant portion of your budget to hire and maintain an internal team of qualified IT professionals.
  
  
• Instead, you would gain an entire team of local IT experts with extensive experience who can optimize your technology to boost efficiency, productivity, and help you gain a competitive edge.

4. Business Growth & Long-Term Stability

• A local MSP can create a customized plan to address your organization’s immediate IT challenges and achieve your long-term business objectives.
  
  
• Small to medium-size businesses are constantly looking for the best, most cost-effective solutions to reach their strategic goals. Local MSPs with vCIO services offer strategic IT consulting services, allowing businesses to take advantage of C-level IT leadership and guidance on a fractional basis.
  
  
• A local managed service providers in your area can provide secure backup and disaster recovery solutions to ensure business continuity in case of an emergency such as a natural disaster, system failure, or data loss. 

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring An MSP

Open communication is key to developing and maintaining a strong client-MSP relationship.

Here are some common missteps that can jeopardize the relationship:

1. Unrealistic expectations

• Entering a new MSP partnership requires a period of acclimation and adjustment on both sides. So, you should go in with realistic expectations on the speed with which existing issues can be resolved.
  
  
• Many factors can determine how long it might take to fix a particular IT problem, including the issue itself and the age and complexity of your technology.

2. Last-minute notifications

• Repeatedly giving late notice to your MSPs about new hires, for instance, can strain client-MSP relationships.
  
  
• In this example, providers would need sufficient time to order the equipment the employee will need, and install any necessary software and security tools on them ahead of the start date.

3. Undefined roles and responsibilities

• Both you and the provider should be informed about who the main points of contact are within your respective organizations so you both know who to reach out to when issues, questions, or changes pop up.
  
  
• For example, providers need to know who to contact for approvals or additional information needed to complete an order, verify information, or get an approval.
  
  
• Businesses need to know who to get in touch with at the MSP to report a new hire or departure, make a change to the statement of work, or report a concern, among other things.

4. Lack of transparency

• Transparency on the part of both the client and provider is essential for any strong MSP partnership.
  
  
• Providers need to keep their clients in the loop about the status of ongoing work, how things are going, any issues they may have encountered, and how those issues are being addressed.
  
  
• Likewise, businesses need to provide timely, accurate information to their MSP to ensure the work continues smoothly and that you're billed properly.
  
  
• Quarterly business reviews (QBRs) are an effective way to keep clients up to speed on the progress of work and foster open lines of communication. QBRs include reviews of your technology plan and budget. 

5. Poor project management

• While communication may be the glue in a client-MSP partnership, project management is the oil that touches every aspect of the alliance and keeps things running smoothly.
  
  
• Effective project management ensures that the work stays on course and that nothing gets overlooked.

The Bottom Line With Using A Local Managed IT Provider

If you're looking for affordable IT support for small and medium-sized businesses near you, now you know what to look for to find the best MSP in CT that's right for your business. 

Curious about how much managed IT services might cost you? Use our free pricing calculator to get an instant estimate. 

The right local MSP will offer personalized service, faster response times, and cost-effective IT support services to keep your business running securely and efficiently.

Check out this article to discover 10 Reasons For SMBs To Hire A Managed IT Services Provider. 

As a local MSP located in Glastonbury, CT, Kelser delivers a comprehensive suite of advanced IT technologies and robust cybersecurity tools for businesses throughout Connecticut and neighboring Massachusetts.

At Kelser, we pride ourselves on providing white-glove service to our clients, going the extra step to deliver state-of-the-art solutions with a personal touch, where clients know our dedicated team members by name. 

Starting from our welcoming, personalized onboarding process and continuing through the entire partnership, Kelser understands that our business is more than just about technology, it’s about the people behind it.

We work tirelessly to foster a collaborative partnership and develop a deep understanding of your business to deliver strategic, proactive support tailored to meet your IT needs and long-term business objectives.

Your success is our success. 

Our goal is simple: we want our clients to feel like they’ve gained a true partner rather than simply being in a distant, transactional relationship.

We know that you have lots of choices when it comes to managed IT providers, and we encourage you to research several providers before choosing one you feel most comfortable working with who can meet your needs.

Read this article to learn more about Kelser's approach to managed IT services. 

If you’re ready to take the next step in your digital transformation, reach out to us now. Learn more about our process here. 

We’re ready to guide you every step of the way to help you leverage your technology to meet the challenges ahead and fuel your business into the future.