MSP & Cloud FAQs

Clear answers to the questions we hear most — managed services, the NOC and SOC, cloud computing, IaaS, and the help desk.

Managed Services

What Are Managed Services?

Managed services is the proactive, subscription-based outsourcing of IT systems, networks, and applications to a specialized provider (an MSP).

Cloud

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing delivers computing resources — storage, processing, applications — over the internet as an on-demand service across public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud models.

What is IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)?

IaaS delivers core infrastructure — compute, storage, and networking — over the internet, letting MSPs build flexible private or hybrid cloud offerings without large capital outlay.

What is an ASP (Application Service Provider)?

ASPs were the mid-1990s pioneers of hosted, one-to-many application delivery — the direct ancestor of today's SaaS and the managed-services model.

Operations

What is a NOC (Network Operation Center)?

A NOC is the centralized hub — increasingly virtual — where an MSP monitors and manages client systems and networks 24/7.

What is a Help Desk?

The help desk (or service desk) is the MSP's end-user support function — handling tickets, troubleshooting, and user education — distinct from the NOC.

Security

What is a SOC (Security Operations Center)?

A SOC is a centralized cybersecurity function — people, process, technology, and threat intelligence — that monitors, detects, and responds to threats.