Managed Services Providers are IT professionals or organizations that deploy and manage network-based services, applications and equipment to enterprises, residences or other service providers.

Managed services providers can be data centers or internet access providers whose services may include fully outsourced network management. Most of the services can be performed from outside a corporate customer’s internal network, with special emphasis placed on integration and certification of Internet security.

In addition to basic communication services such as leased-line wide area network (WAN) and frame relay service, managed services providers can oversee a range of activities associated with enterprise networks. These outsourced services may include basic transport and access, managed premises, web hosting, VPN, unified messaging, video networking or more sophisticated services.

Managed services providers are sometimes referred to as management service providers, which also manage information technology services for corporate clients. However, some industry experts say managed services providers provide a broader range of services than management service providers, which tend to focus on monitoring services for servers, routers, firewalls and other applications.