It’s that time of year again. Business leaders ramping up, thinking about their new yearly goals, and – if you’re really looking to keep your IT house in order – probably wondering if their current Managed Services Provider (MSP) is cutting it. 

Whether you’ve been with your MSP for years or recently signed a contract, the new year offers the perfect window to see what you’re getting, what’s lacking, and if it’s time to make a switch. 

No one’s denying that managed services provider evaluations are important year-round. But conducting one at the start of the year has a few unique advantages: 

• You’re Setting The Year’s Budget: As the year starts, you’re likely putting together your financial plan for the year ahead. This is a great chance to ensure you’re not overspending on your MSP or missing out on essential services. You want to make sure your IT support is worth the investment.
• You’re Reviewing Your Strategic Goals: The new year brings new objectives, whether it’s launching a new product, expanding your reach, or improving the efficiency of your workflows. It’s a great opportunity to see if your MSP can help you achieve your 2025 goals.
• Your Contracts are Up for Renewal: Many MSP contracts run annually, making the new year the perfect time to decide whether to renew, renegotiate, or shop around for a better option that fits your needs.
• You’ve Got Time for a Thoughtful Review: With the hassle of the holiday season behind you, you have more time to reflect on your IT setup. This is your opportunity to assess whether your MSP is meeting your expectations and helping your business run smoothly.

Now that we’ve shown you why now is the time for an MSP performance review, let’s talk about the three specific (often overlooked) areas you should evaluate in that performance review.

When you sit down to review your IT-managed services provider, focus on these three areas to get a complete picture of their performance.

Licensing management is the process of keeping track of the software licenses your employees need to do their jobs—how many you have, when they expire, and who’s using them.

Without someone managing this, it’s easy to overpay for unused software, face compliance fines for missing renewals, or find yourself paying for licenses that aren’t actually helping your team or your internal processes.

An MSP that’s on top of your licensing can “rightsize” your usage, ensuring you only pay for what you actually need, stay compliant, and avoid surprises. That means thousands of dollars in savings and a lot less stress for you and your team.

When evaluating your MSP’s approach to software licensing management, here are a few questions to consider:

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  Are they actively tracking your software usage? An MSP should help you identify software licenses you actually need versus licenses you’re paying for but rarely use. This is also known as “rightsizing,” and it can be a powerful cost-cutting tool.

  
  
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  Are they proactive with renewals and updates? Nobody likes the “surprise” of an expired license. A good MSP will have a system in place to keep track of expiration dates and alert you well in advance. They’ll also manage renewals in a way that minimizes disruption to your workflow.

  
  
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  Do they help you stay compliant? Licensing isn’t just about paying for software—it’s also about keeping everything legally compliant. A solid MSP will guide you on the ever-evolving requirements of software vendors so you can dodge any potential legal landmines.

  
  

IntegraTouch’s approach to licensing management, for instance, goes beyond basic tracking to include continuous optimization—meaning you only pay for what you actually use, with zero surprises.

Next, let’s talk telemetry. It might sound like something out of NASA’s mission control, but for your business, it’s all about gathering data from your IT systems, specifically your remote ones.

With telemetry, your MSP can monitor your network’s health, track usage patterns, and identify potential issues before they impact operations. In other words, it’s a tool to help IT stay one step ahead—exactly what you want from your MSP.

However, not every MSP is skilled in telemetry implementation, and some barely touch it. When reevaluating your MSP, ask yourself:

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  Are their data collection processes generating data that’s actually useful? Good telemetry implementation means collecting data that provides valuable insights to improve your IT operations—not just a jumble of random metrics.

  
  
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  Are they proactive in identifying trends? The data should be used to spot patterns, like potential server failures or recurring slowdowns. An MSP worth its salt will use telemetry to find and address issues proactively instead of reactively.

  
  
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  Do they help with decision-making? Ultimately, telemetry isn’t just about “knowing stuff”—it’s about using data to make smarter decisions for your business. A reliable MSP will analyze the data and provide insights that allow you to optimize IT resources, scale where needed, and avoid unnecessary costs.

  
  

An IT-managed services provider like IntegraTouch will use telemetry implementation as part of a larger strategy to prevent downtime and help you get the most out of your resources, all while ensuring security and performance.

Finally, let’s talk about change management—the process of preparing, supporting, and helping people or companies make transitions to new states as smooth and painless as possible. Especially when it comes to IT.

We all know that organizational change is inevitable in IT—whether it’s adding new software to a process, upgrading your systems, or migrating to a new platform entirely. And the way your MSP handles those changes can be the difference between successful change and organizational chaos.

If your MSP supports you properly, they’ll have a rock-solid approach to change management that keeps transitions as smooth as possible. When reevaluating your MSP’s approach to change management, consider:

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  Do they have a clear implementation process? A proactive MSP should have a well-defined, step-by-step plan for testing updates or new systems before going live, ensuring any potential issues are ironed out in advance.

  
  
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  Do they communicate that process effectively? A well-prepared change management process should never catch you off guard. Your MSP should provide clear, regular updates so that everyone on your team knows what to expect and when.

  
  
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  Are they planning for change, or are they reacting to it? Good MSPs don’t wait for something to go wrong before they get involved. They actively help you prepare for upcoming changes by planning and testing ahead of time.

  
  
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  Do they minimize downtime? Ultimately, the goal of change management is to keep your business running smoothly. If your MSP regularly drops the ball here, it might be time to look elsewhere.

  
  

After going through this list, if you find yourself thinking, “My managed services provider doesn’t really check all these boxes,” then it’s worth considering upgrading to IntegraTouch.

Sure, a lot of MSPs can fix a broken server or answer your helpdesk calls. But if you’re looking for a partner who actually helps your business thrive, IntegraTouch is in a class of its own.

Whether it’s optimizing your software licenses, fine-tuning your data monitoring with telemetry, or making sure changes happen without a hitch, we’ve got you covered. And, with our hands-on, forward-thinking approach, IntegraTouch helps businesses like yours not just manage their IT but really make it work for them.

Don’t settle for another year of mediocre IT service. Reach out to us today to make sure 2025 is your most successful and effective year yet!