--- title: "What is an MSP? Managed IT services explained for decision-makers" description: "An MSP runs all of a company's IT for a fixed monthly fee, with a written SLA and continuous monitoring. See the cost and what changes. No-commitment proposal." language: en url: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/what-is-an-msp-managed-it-explained/ source: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/what-is-an-msp-managed-it-explained/ publisher: DataRoad IT (DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting), Portugal --- > An MSP runs all of a company's IT for a fixed monthly fee, with a written SLA and continuous monitoring. See the cost and what changes. No-commitment proposal. # What is an MSP? Managed IT services explained for decision-makers At a glance For decision-makers short on time. - 01 An MSP takes on ongoing management of a company's IT for a fixed monthly fee. - 02 Response times written into an SLA and permanent monitoring, not just repairs. - 03 At DataRoad, IT Unlimited from €395/month + VAT, annual contract no lock-in. - 04 A premium MSP since 2015, managing 232 companies, Top 5% SME (scoring.pt). **IT invoices that change every month, faults fixed only once someone complains and nobody accountable for the whole: that is the real cost of paying for IT by the hour. An MSP (Managed Services Provider) takes on the ongoing management of all of a company's technology for a fixed monthly fee, with response times written into an SLA and permanent monitoring. DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting is one of Portugal's reference premium MSPs, headquartered in Alfragide, with support across the whole country and 232 companies managed on this basis.** ## Why does paying for IT by the hour cost more? When your provider charges by the hour, it earns more when things break. Nobody is paid to prevent the fault, so the fault keeps coming back. An MSP reverses the logic: it receives the same fee every month and has every reason to keep everything running. ## How do you recognise a genuine MSP? - **A fixed price:** You pay a monthly fee, not each call-out. - **Signed deadlines:** The SLA states in writing how quickly they respond. - **Continuous oversight:** Systems are monitored every day, whether they fail or not. - **One accountable partner:** A single point of contact for network, workstations, servers, security and cloud. - **Prevention first:** The aim is for the problem never to happen. Chosen by respected and international companies ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews ## Why DataRoad as your MSP? - **11 years and 232 clients** Since 2015, from embassies and hotels to clinics and multinationals. - **Top 5% SME** According to scoring.pt, and 5.0 from 52 Google reviews. - **Not a single security incident** At DataRoad in 11 years. - **International reach:** International companies in Portugal, in Europe and in the US, with remote, on-site and telephone support. ## Questions decision-makers ask ### Can an MSP replace an in-house IT engineer? Yes, in most companies that do not need someone on site every day. The MSP becomes the IT department: it supports users, manages the network, workstations and servers, watches over security and plans renewals. The company stops depending on one person, their holidays and their memory. ### How is it different from calling an engineer when needed? An ad hoc engineer deals with whatever comes up; an MSP is accountable for the whole environment working. It monitors the infrastructure to anticipate failures, documents what is in place and responds within the time set in the SLA. DataRoad does not take on one-off jobs: it works only under contract, because that is the only way to carry that responsibility. ### How much does an MSP cost? At DataRoad, [IT Unlimited](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/it-unlimited-premium-on-site-support/) starts from €395/month + VAT on the Essential plan, with remote and telephone support only. Premium, from €750, includes unlimited on-site support. Premium 365, from €1,200, adds nights, weekends and public holidays. The fee is fixed in the proposal, with no extra hours on the invoice. ### How does the contract work? The contract is annual, renews automatically, with no lock-in period. The monthly fee is agreed before work starts and covers the scope set out in the proposal. DataRoad works with companies of more than 10 workstations and always directly with the end client, never as a subcontractor. ### Are we locked in to the MSP? No. Access credentials and infrastructure documentation remain the company's property and are handed over in writing. With no lock-in, you can change provider whenever you choose. The written SLA protects you during the contract; the documentation protects you after it. ### How do you move from an engineer to an MSP? The move starts with an audit of the existing infrastructure. DataRoad inventories systems, access and risks, then plans the transition without interrupting business. Ongoing management begins with the environment documented, and from then on every request is logged and measured against the SLA. ## Next step: your IT run by an MSP The first meeting commits you to nothing. Tell us about your company and we will send a no-commitment proposal with a fixed scope and monthly fee. **More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and telephone support.** +351 211 459 950 * · sales@dataroad.pt **Call to a Portuguese landline.* News ## Projects delivered and news from DataRoad. [See all news →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/news/) [NewsFrance Affiches: three sites, no single point of failureA French group founded in 1984 hands a Portuguese MSP the infrastructure of Antony, Wissous and Vialonga: high-availability firewalls, fibre…25 October 2026 · 4 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/france-affiches-it-three-sites-paris-lisbon/)[NewsSSAP: a managed business wireless network with 14 access pointsA sixth project for the same public body since 2019: when a tender goes to the same company again, it is the previous network doing the talk…12 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/ssap-managed-wireless-network-14-access-points/)[NewsManaged cybersecurity: one architecture, no incidents in 11 yearsThe same security architecture for every client, operated rather than merely installed. In 11 years, DataRoad has never suffered a security …12 October 2026 · 8 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-cybersecurity-single-architecture/)[NewsManaged Ubiquiti UniFi: more than 138 sites and 1321 devicesA network made of different brands and installers fails at the joins. DataRoad has managed more than 138 Ubiquiti UniFi sites on the same te…10 October 2026 · 3 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-ubiquiti-unifi-networks/)[NewsFrance Affiches: an on-site IT audit in ParisA premium Portuguese MSP at a French group's headquarters: the audit of France Affiches' network and systems was done on site in Paris and d…10 October 2026 · 4 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/france-affiches-it-audit-paris/)[NewsManaged remote support for companies without a fixed officePaying for a provider's offices speeds nothing up. Immediate remote support, an in-house datacentre and on-site work only when the network c…8 October 2026 · 5 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-it-remote-companies-europe-usa/)[News24 public IT contracts: the standard of RTP, Técnico and SSAPA public tender gives no second chances. Since 2017, eight public bodies, from RTP to SSAP, have awarded DataRoad 24 IT contracts, all verif…3 October 2026 · 5 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/public-contracts-it-partner-rtp-tecnico-ssap/)[NewsEmbassies and international groups: why they choose DataRoadEmbassy of Korea, Consulate of Brazil, DCIAP, Reltio by SAP, beQom, Mitrelli Group: organisations that demand written guarantees chose DataR…12 September 2026 · 4 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/embassies-international-groups-msp-portugal/)[NewsDataRoad in five languages: managed IT for overseas head officesWhoever chooses the IT partner for a subsidiary in Portugal is often in Geneva or New York. DataRoad's website now speaks the language of th…12 September 2026 · 4 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-it-services-five-languages/) Numbers you can verify **11** years in business **232** clients **< 10 min** average response time **15+** IT vendor certifications **10+** Countries with clients supported **5.0 ★** 52 Google reviews Transparency ## What many providers hide, we publish. [See plans and prices →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/it-unlimited/) - **Prices upfront** Essential from €395/month + VAT, Premium from €750 and Premium 365 from €1,200. - **No lock-in** Annual contract, no lock-in and no joining fees. - **Everything in writing** What is included, the scope and the price, before you sign. - **Support without counted hours** Remote and phone in every plan; on-site support from Premium. Partners and certifications DataRoad · Managed IT for business ## One StepAhead of IT. We stop failures before they reach your business. Every network we design, document and manage is treated as if it were our own. - **11** years in business, since 2015 - **0** DataRoad security incidents in 11 years - **1** contract and one owner for everything We do **IT** right. Contact ## One hour of downtime costs more than a year of prevention. Talk to the team that fixes it before the failure reaches yours. Phone +351 211 459 950 * *Call to a Portuguese landline Sales email sales@dataroad.pt Headquarters Avenida dos Moinhos 12 B, 2610-119 Alfragide, Portugal More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and phone support DataRoad works only for companies under an IT Unlimited contract. We do not take subcontracted work or one-off call-outs. --- Versão HTML desta página: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/what-is-an-msp-managed-it-explained/