YOUR FAMILY-OWNED IT SERVICES SOLUTION

Making IT Simply Delightful Since 1994

At LME Services, we bring 30 years of experience helping small and mid-sized businesses stay focused on their business while we handle the I.T.

Our friendly team keeps IT systems up-to-date and delightful to use.

And our clients enjoy working with us.

Is your company ready to get back to business?

Schedule a Free Consultation

Senior businesswoman working together with young business people

Experience

Founder Leon Engelking has been in IT since the beginning, having worked under Bill Gates in Microsoft’s early days. Count on us to choose the right solutions and implement them correctly.

Responsiveness

The stereotypes about “IT Professionals” aren’t wrong…We pride ourselves on how our clients review our communication quality and timeliness.

Reliability

We understand that our work keeps mission-critical systems flowing for your business and ultimately, your clients and don’t take that responsibility lightly.

Managed Service Provider Model vs. IT Consultant Model

At LME Services, we bring 30 years of experience helping small and mid-sized businesses stay focused on what matters to them and watched the industry change.

Please allow us to explain how the way IT firms work has changed as IT has moved to the cloud.

An MSP Is a More Modern Manifestation of an IT Consultant

So, what is the difference between an MSP and a traditional IT Consultant, and what are some misconceptions about the MSP business model?

IT Consulting Model

Service Model:

IT Consulting Firms focus on providing strategic guidance and project-based solutions and are generally hired for specific projects or hourly work. They provide expert advice and implementation but usually do not handle proactive support. Because they bill hourly, they are financially incentivized to prolong projects, find additional work and to have things break, as this means more hours of billable work

Engagement Duration:

IT Consulting Firms are typically engaged in short-term, project-based engagements; once the specific project or consultation request is complete, the relationship may end, unless additional issues arise. The engagement is often based on a one-time fee or hourly rate for the duration of the project.

Scope of Services:

IT Consulting Firms can provide similar expertise on specific technology-related problems, business strategies, or technical implementations, however they lack the tools and motivation for preventative maintenance. They are focused on solving specific problems, and while they may find additional issues that they can work on, once the work is complete, they are done until something else breaks.

Responsibility:

IT Consulting Firms provides expert advice and implements specific solutions but does not usually take responsibility for ongoing management. They offer analysis, recommendations, and hands-on support for a defined period but typically do not engage in continuous monitoring or support after the completion of a project.

Cost Structure:

IT Consulting Firms charge based on a fixed project fee or hourly rate for consulting services. Costs are typically one-time or related to the specific project timeline, with expenses tied to the complexity and scope of the project.

Managed Service Model

Service Model:

MSPs provide ongoing IT services under a subscription-based or contractual model. This method makes MSP responsibility for the day-to-day management of a company’s IT infrastructure, systems, and networks as their services are proactive and continuous and are incentivized to keep systems from going down as more work means lower profits.

Engagement Duration:

MSPs provide Long-term, ongoing relationships with clients with continuous monitoring, updates, and maintenance of systems. Contracts are often structured as monthly or yearly agreements, with the MSP being responsible for always keeping the IT environment operational.

Scope of Services:

MSPs manage the entire IT ecosystem of an organization, acting as an outsourced or co-managed IT department. Services include network management, cybersecurity, data backup, disaster recovery, hardware and software procurement, help desk support, and compliance management. Because they want to keep issues at a minimum, they focus is on ensuring operational efficiency and preventative maintenance (fixing issues before they become critical).

Responsibility:

MSPs take full responsibility for the ongoing functioning of IT systems and infrastructure proactively ensuring systems are secure and operational, offering regular updates, security patches, and monitoring services to prevent downtime or data breaches. They can provide remote and onsite support, acting as an extension of your IT team or as your entire IT department.

Cost Structure:

MSPs work on a subscription-based pricing model (often per-user or per-device), providing predictable, recurring monthly costs. They include service-level agreements (SLAs) that define the performance expectations, response times, and up-time guarantees.

The Difference Between an MSP and an IT Consulting Company Is Proactivity vs. Reactivity

MSPs provides continuous, proactive long-term IT management while IT Consulting Firms are brought in to handle project-based or one-off IT Support requests with a defined start and end date to their services.

At LME, we know which is a better choice for serious businesses across the US.

Schedule a Free Consultation