MSP vs MSSP: What is the Difference?
In the remote IT services provider sphere, there are two main IT providers: The Managed Service Provider (MSP) and the Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). While both provide third-party services to businesses across a broad range of industries, their focus is different. The MSP firm delivers network, application, database, and general IT support and services (as a fully managed service or to augment a client’s in-house IT team), while an MSSP’s sole mission is to provide cybersecurity services. As a leading Managed Service Provider in the New York TriState, Converged Technology Group offers this clarification between the two providers to assist regional enterprises to determine the best fit for their business’ needs.
Managed Service Providers
The era of the Managed Service Provider began over 20 years ago when faster internet speeds enabled IT professionals to perform troubleshooting on programs and applications remotely. Today, these IT consulting firms provide technical services to their clients. Managed Service Providers serve small- to mid-sized businesses who do not have the in-house expertise, and/or the budget to manage their own systems, databases, and applications, as well as, co-managed IT services for Mid-Market, Commercial and Enterprise businesses which allows organizations to augment existing staff with our experienced support team across all of your key IT areas, in a co-managed approach to optimize mission-critical operations. Partnering with a dependable MSP has been proven to save an organization time and money, especially in industries where time is money. Another plus to working with an MSP will allow any business to stay current with the latest technologies, and therefore to remain competitive in their field. One additional advantage to partnering with an MSP will allow a firm’s key decision-makers to focus on the objectives that are critical to running their business, their core functions. Here are the types of MSP services that Converged Technology Group offers:
Converged Technology Group offers small- to mid-size firms our SMB Assist360° Fully Managed IT Helpdesk Services which include:
- Discovery and Roadmap
- IT Service Management
- 24×7 Remote Monitoring & Alerting
- 24×7 Service Desk
- Managed Endpoint Protection
Additional services from Converged Technology Group include:
- Managed applications
- Endpoint management
- Endpoint security
- Managed Microsoft 365
- Business VoIP
- Managed print
- Database optimization/management
- Managed cloud services
- IT staff augmentation/co-management
- IT strategy services
Assist360° Co-managed Services which are cloud based and encompass:
- Managed Network Infrastructure
- Managed Server Infrastructure
- Managed End-User Helpdesk
- Managed Backup
- Managed Hosted Server / Storage Azure
- Managed Hosted Server / Storage Azure Sec. Checkups
- Managed Security Firewall
- Managed Security Patch Management
- Managed IT Helpdesk
- Managed Security Awareness Training
- Managed Web Security
- Managed Email Security
- Managed Detection & Response
- Managed PC Cloud Backup
While not an MSSP, Converged Technology Group taps into our network of cyber-security consultants to assist our clients to make informed decisions regarding solutions that will mitigate risk for their business. Security is foremost in every Converged Technology Group solution we offer. Whether integrated into our enterprise networks or as part of collaboration solutions, the Converged team covers all the bases by creating security frameworks that address the varied threats every one of our clients’ enterprises face. Additionally, Converged Technology Group offers a full range of security services including firewalls, endpoint protection, web and email security, Managed Detection and Response, Identity Access Management and Control, Secure Access Services Edge (SASE), and Multi-Factor Authentication.
Managed Security Service Providers
MSSPs provide security monitoring and management services to organizations as protection against cybersecurity threats. The types of services MSSPs can offer include threat monitoring and intrusion detection, firewall management, patch management, endpoint protection, and penetration testing. MSSPs typically have a high-availability security operations center (SOC) which continuously manages and monitors system and data security for its clients. An MSP, by comparison, uses a network operations center which manages network-related incidents and alerts to reduce downtime. General MSSP services include:
- Threat hunting and detection
- Network security monitoring
- Data breach response planning
- Data backup and disaster recovery
- Intrusion detection systems
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions
- Compliance support
Learn more about the value of partnering with Converged Technology Group as your MSP to protect your business assets. Contact our team today!
