Over the last 20 years, only a small handful of credible companies have offered NOC or help desk solutions to MSPs. Yet, there is a lot of discussion around NOC solutions for MSPs, and MSPs need to understand why. There are specific times throughout an MSPs life when outsourcing NOC services to another MSP maybe both plausible but also wise. Let’s look at when those times may occur and when MSPs should NOT outsource something as mission-critical as a NOC.
History of Outsourced NOC
Speaking only of NOC solutions to other MSPs and not to end-users, this business model, sometimes called “Master MSP,” has its origins in the vendor community. That’s right. Vendors were among the first to organize and deliver outsourced NOC services to MSPs. These were “outsourced” arrangements themselves (the vendor didn’t actually own the NOC, they just contracted with another MSP to sell those services to other MSPs). The reason should come as no surprise; vendors wanted to encourage the adoption of managed services. For smaller MSPs who didn’t have the resources or need to build a 24/7 staffed NOC, outsourcing made a lot of sense. Plus, it helped the vendor sell their goods.
Now that we know where the outsourced NOC model comes from, we can now examine scenarios where MSPs would want to utilize them. We’ll look at some of the downsides as well.
When NOC Outsourcing is Smart
When should you look at handing over your NOC strategy to another company?
- New MSPs: When a new company or division offers a managed service, creating a NOC or help desk can be an expensive endeavor. If your new MSP offering has a legitimate need for a NOC and you can’t cost-justify its creation, outsourcing might be the right solution.
- High Growth – There are periods of high growth within a company where the draw on resources can be challenging. I have even seen MSPs with existing NOC capabilities outsource to another MSP solely to achieve true 24/7 coverage.
