FREE 5+ Managed Services Agreement Contract Samples in Google Docs | Pages | MS Word | PDF

What is the difference between managed services and outsourcing?

Because managed services and outsourcing both involve hiring an external organization, a lot of people see them as the same thing. The truth is, they have similarities but are actually not the same. They cover different scopes of work. With an outsourcing services agreement, a client requests for specific services to address their business needs. For example, if a client needs experienced property managers, then the outsourcing company must look for candidates with such qualifications. In a managed services agreement for IT services, a more holistic approach is provided to the client’s demands. Instead of providing only a computer technician, they look for employees who are skilled IT professionals that can provide a comprehensive range of technology services.

What should be included in a managed services contract?

You can say that a managed services agreement legal template is detailed if you see the following details in the document:

• Term of agreement
• Fees and payment schedule
• Taxes
• Coverage (hours, users, equipment, rental, lease, software applications, services)
• Definition of services
• Policy for service provided outside normal working hours
• Service calls
• Problem management
• Limited liability
• Miscellaneous
• Confidentiality statement
• Acceptance of service agreement
• Exclusions
• Policy for termination
• Procedure for support and escalation

What are the benefits of a managed services contract?

While making a managed services contract template for your business is no easy feat, there are awfully a lot of benefits you can get from it. Here are a few examples:

• The contract helps in identifying the needs of the business operations.
• It provides insights on the best strategy to improve the identification of the needs of the operations.
• It specifically points out the coverage of the agreed services, which includes work hours, hardware, software, vendor, user agreements, etc. It also provides information on things that are not covered in the agreement contract.
• It allows the service provider to paint a picture of the client’s working environment.
• It helps point out what the client is doing right and where they went wrong with their operations.
• It helps clients increase the profitability of their business by creating a framework that is suitable for their use.

Who are the top managed services providers?

Aside from learning the basics of a service level agreement or master service agreements, it’s also equally important to know your competition. So if you’re already a managed services provider or you’re planning to start this type of business, you should know the top companies in the same industry. According to acronis.com, the top managed services providers are as follows:

• Eze Castle Integration
• Executech
• US Signal
• Expedient Technology Solutions LLC
• Darkhorse Tech Inc.
• PAConnect
• Microland Computer Center
• Stratti
• Springs Hosting
• Cii Technology Solutions

Who hires managed services providers?

Medium and small-sized businesses have limitations when it comes to in-house IT capabilities. That is why they hire managed services providers to handle their need for IT experts. Large businesses or enterprises that are managing a tight budget with a limited workforce population also hire managed services providers. They do this to cover for their shortage of in-house IT staff.