Choosing a managed IT provider is one of the more consequential decisions a growing business makes. You’re signing a 12-month contract for something your business depends on every day. Get it wrong and you’re stuck — slow response times, unresolved issues that keep coming back, and an IT environment that’s holding you back instead of supporting you.
Here’s what to actually look for — and the signs that should make you walk away.
What to look for
1. Transparent pricing before the sales call
A good MSP will tell you what things cost before you ask. If you can’t find pricing information on their website, or they won’t give you a number without a “discovery session” first, that’s a sign their pricing is either complicated, variable, or designed to be revealed after you’re already invested in the conversation.
Ask specifically: what’s the monthly cost for a business my size? What’s included vs. what costs extra? Can I see a sample invoice from an existing client?
At Connected Platforms, we publish our pricing. You can see it here before you talk to anyone.
2. They own outcomes, not just tickets
One of the most common complaints we hear from businesses switching to us is that their previous provider would close tickets without actually fixing the underlying problem. An issue would get “resolved” — and reappear two weeks later. The ticket count looked fine. The actual IT environment wasn’t.
Ask how they handle recurring issues. Ask what happens when the same problem comes back three times. A good provider treats repeated problems as a system failure to investigate, not a billable opportunity.
3. A clear first 30 days
Moving IT providers is a significant project. A good MSP will walk you through exactly how onboarding works: discovery and documentation of your environment, agent deployment, helpdesk transition, staff communication, and what a normal week looks like for your team during the switchover.
This should take 4-8 weeks done properly. If they say they can do it in a week, ask how. If they can’t describe the process in detail, they’re probably making it up as they go.
4. Security as a foundation, not a premium add-on
Cyber threats hit businesses of all sizes. A good MSP treats security as foundational — not something you pay extra for. Look for:
- Advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR), not just basic antivirus
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforced across your environment — no exceptions without a documented risk decision
- Proactive monitoring that catches issues before you know about them
- Clear guidance on cyber insurance requirements and Essential Eight compliance
If security is presented as an optional upgrade tier, be cautious.
5. Proactive communication — you shouldn’t have to chase them
A good managed IT provider tells you what’s happening with your environment before you ask. You should receive regular updates on what’s been done (patching, monitoring alerts, tickets resolved), what’s coming (end-of-life hardware, software expiry dates), and what your environment looks like from a health and risk perspective.
If the only time you hear from your IT provider is when something breaks, that’s reactive support dressed up as managed IT. That’s not what you’re paying for.
6. Local presence and genuine onsite capability
Remote IT support handles most day-to-day issues efficiently. But there will be times when you need someone on-site — a new office fitout, a server replacement, a network issue that can’t be resolved remotely, or just the reassurance of a face-to-face meeting when something serious has gone wrong.
Ask whether onsite support is included or charged separately. If it costs $300 every time a technician visits, factor that into your real cost of ownership.
Red flags to walk away from
Vague contract scope
“All your IT needs” is not a service scope. A properly written agreement specifies exactly what’s in and what’s out — which device types are covered, what constitutes a project vs. a support request, whether after-hours support is included. Vague contracts generate disputes.
No references from similar businesses
Ask for two or three clients in a similar industry or headcount range that you can call directly. If they can’t provide references, ask why. Testimonials on a website don’t count — you want a real conversation with someone who uses the service.
Evasive about exit terms
Every MSP contract has a term. A good provider is also clear about what happens if you want to leave: notice period, data and documentation handover, how long it takes. If they’re vague about exit terms, that’s usually because they know clients want to leave and they’ve made it difficult.
At Connected Platforms, our standard agreement is a 12-month term with 30-day cancellation notice — and we’ll tell you the exit process before you sign.
They quote without understanding your environment
Any serious MSP will do a discovery assessment of your current IT environment before quoting. If they’re willing to give you a fixed price without understanding what you have, what you’re running, and what state it’s in — they either don’t know what they’re taking on, or they plan to figure it out after you’ve signed.
The fit matters as much as the features
Beyond the technical checklist, you’re going to be working closely with this provider for at least a year. Ask yourself: do they explain things in plain English? Do they treat your questions as reasonable? Do they push back when they think you’re about to make a bad decision, or do they just agree with everything you say?
The cheapest option isn’t always the wrong one. But a provider who can’t tell you clearly what they do, what they include, and why it matters probably isn’t going to be the strategic IT partner a growing Brisbane business actually needs.
If you’d like to see how Connected Platforms approaches this, book a no-obligation 20-minute call. We’ll walk you through our process, answer your questions honestly, and tell you if we’re not the right fit — before you sign anything.
