Last year, a 40-person accounting firm in Edmonton called us in a panic. Their “IT guy” had quit with zero notice. No documentation. No passwords written down. No backup plan.
They’d been paying someone for years. And they had absolutely nothing to show for it.
That’s the reality for a lot of businesses. You’re already paying for IT. The question is whether you’re actually getting anything for it.
A managed service provider (MSP) is a company that takes ownership of your IT. According to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, over 70% of Canadian SMBs now rely on external IT service providers for at least part of their technology management. Not just fixing things when they break, but actively managing your technology so things don’t break in the first place.
Think of it this way: the old model (break-fix) is like only going to the doctor when you’re in the emergency room. An MSP is your ongoing care team. Monitoring, prevention, planning, and yes, fixing things when something goes sideways.
That means network monitoring, cloud computing, cybersecurity, help desk support, and strategic guidance. All bundled. All proactive.
Here’s the problem with the break-fix model: the person you’re paying has zero incentive to prevent problems. They get paid when things go wrong. The worse your systems run, the more billable hours they rack up.
That’s not a partnership. That’s a conflict of interest.
We’ve been doing this at Keeran Networks for 26 years. And in that time, I’ve watched businesses burn through tens of thousands of dollars on reactive IT that never actually improved anything. The same problems, over and over. No root cause analysis. No long-term planning.
Just invoices.
I had a client who was paying a break-fix provider $4,000 a month in emergency calls. The provider never once suggested a proactive solution. Why would they? That would kill their revenue stream. When we took over, we stabilized their environment in 90 days and cut their IT spend by 40%.
A real MSP doesn’t just keep the lights on. They become an extension of your business. Here’s what that looks like:
Proactive monitoring and maintenance. Your systems are watched 24/7. Issues get caught and resolved before your team even notices. No more “the internet is slow again” tickets piling up on a Monday morning.
Cybersecurity that’s actually layered. Not just antivirus. We’re talking endpoint detection, email filtering, MFA enforcement, security awareness training, and incident response planning. The threat landscape has changed dramatically since 2020. Your defenses need to change with it.
Strategic IT planning. A good MSP sits down with you quarterly to review where your technology is, where it needs to go, and how to budget for it. You should never be surprised by a major IT expense. A technology roadmap isn’t a luxury. It’s how you stop wasting money on the wrong things.
Predictable costs. One monthly fee. No surprise invoices. No “well, that wasn’t covered” conversations. You know what you’re paying, and you know what you’re getting.
Vendor management. Dealing with Microsoft, your internet provider, your phone system, your line-of-business software? That’s your MSP’s job, not yours. You have a business to run. The last thing you need is to spend two hours on hold with a software vendor trying to resolve a licensing issue.
Here’s what I see over and over: a business picks their MSP based on price. They go with the cheapest option, sign a contract, and six months later they’re frustrated because nothing has improved.
Cheap IT is expensive IT. Always.
The MSP that’s undercutting everyone on price is doing it for a reason. They’re understaffed. They’re cutting corners on security. They’re not investing in the tools and talent required to actually protect your business. They’re using outdated monitoring platforms and relying on a skeleton crew to manage hundreds of clients.
When you’re evaluating an MSP, don’t start with “how much does it cost?” Start with “what happens when something goes wrong at 2 AM?” and “who’s accountable when there’s a breach?”
If they can’t answer those questions clearly, walk away.
Other questions worth asking: How do you handle employee offboarding? What does your security stack look like? Can you show me a sample quarterly business review? What’s your average response time for critical issues, and how do you measure it?
You should know your account manager by name. You should have regular check-ins. You should feel like your MSP understands your business, not just your network topology.
At Keeran, we’ve been building those relationships for over two decades. We work with companies across Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto, and the reason clients stay with us isn’t because we lock them into long contracts. It’s because we deliver.
When one of our clients is planning a new office, we’re in on the conversation early. When they’re evaluating new software, we’re giving input. When they’re worried about a security threat they read about in the news, they call us and get a straight answer within minutes. That’s what partnership looks like.
If you want to learn more about how to select the right one, we’ve written a full guide on that too.
If you’re currently paying someone for IT, ask yourself three questions:
1. Can I get a full inventory of my IT assets right now?
2. Do I know exactly what’s covered under my agreement?
3. Has my IT provider proactively recommended a single improvement in the last 6 months?
If the answer to any of those is no, you don’t have an MSP. You have a vendor collecting a check.
The right managed IT solutions and services partner will save you money, reduce risk, and give you back the time you’re currently spending on IT headaches. That’s not a pitch. That’s what 26 years of experience has taught us.
Not sure if you’re getting real managed IT or just break-fix with a monthly bill? We’ll take an honest look at what you’re getting and what you should be getting.
What does a managed service provider (MSP) do?
An MSP takes full ownership of your IT environment: monitoring, maintenance, security, backups, help desk, and strategic planning. Unlike break-fix providers who only respond when something breaks, an MSP proactively manages your technology to prevent problems before they happen.
How much does a managed service provider cost?
Most MSPs charge per user per month, typically ranging from $100 to $250 depending on the level of service and security included. This is usually more predictable and cost-effective than break-fix, where a single incident can cost thousands in emergency rates.
What is the difference between an MSP and break-fix IT support?
Break-fix charges you when something goes wrong. An MSP charges a flat monthly fee to prevent things from going wrong. The MSP model aligns incentives — your provider benefits when your systems run smoothly, not when they fail.
How do I know if my MSP is doing a good job?
Ask three questions: Can they show you a technology roadmap for the next 12 months? Are they proactively recommending improvements, or just reacting? Do you have regular strategic meetings, or only hear from them when something breaks? If the answers are no, you have a break-fix provider with a monthly invoice.
Related: Learn more about the benefits of managed IT services and endpoint management.
We’re here for you every step of the way, ready to guide, connect, and protect your IT ecosystem. Get in touch with us today, and let us help you thrive in the digital landscape.