What is a managed service provider in IT?

A managed IT services provider (MSP) delivers services, such as network, application, infrastructure and security, via ongoing and regular support and active administration on customers' premises, in their MSP's data center (hosting), or in a third-party data center. A managed service provider (MSP) is an outsourced third-party company that manages and assumes the responsibility of a defined set of day-to-day management services to its customers. An MSP can handle myriad operational tasks that, though critical to the success of a business, are non-customer facing.