For many businesses, the decision to partner with a local managed service provider (MSP) is a strategic one rooted in trust, personalized service and a deep understanding of regional needs. You get a team of IT experts who know your business inside out, understand your challenges and feel like an extension of your organization.
But what happens when your trusted local MSP is acquired by a national IT group? Suddenly, the partnership you’ve relied on shifts, changing everything about how your IT is managed.
Although there may be promises of improved resources or expanded services, many companies quickly realize the drawbacks outweigh the benefits, affecting your service quality, costs and overall experience. Here’s a closer look at the real impact you may face when your MSP becomes part of a larger IT organization.
Read: 9 Tips on Choosing the Right Managed Service Provider (MSP)
One of the most noticeable changes is the loss of that close, personal relationship you’ve built with your local MSP. Your local MSP likely knew your business inside out – they knew your team members by name, anticipated your business needs and offered proactive IT management solutions with a personal touch.
Once they’re acquired by a national company, this connection could be at risk. Instead of being a valued client with tailored service, you might feel like another account number in a massive portfolio. The rapport you once had – the ability to call and speak directly with someone who truly knows your environment – may be replaced with more formal and less personalized interactions. You may find yourself routed through generic help desks or ticketing systems, working with unfamiliar technicians who lack vital context for your business. This can all lead to frustration, miscommunication and delays in resolving IT issues.
In most acquisitions, clients have little to no say in the transition. You chose your local MSP because it aligns with your goals, values and business culture, but now you’re working with a completely different company. This lack of control can be particularly frustrating, especially if the new provider has different values, takes a conflicting approach to IT or lacks the industry expertise you relied on. Businesses can then feel stuck or powerless, especially if contracts are automatically transferred or new terms are introduced without much explanation.
With national IT firms come higher costs. Larger companies typically operate with more overhead – national sales teams, multiple layers of management and expansive infrastructure. To cover these costs, they often standardize pricing across clients, which can result in higher monthly fees, project costs or hourly rates.
What was once an affordable, cost-effective solution tailored to your needs can suddenly come with a much steeper price tag. Clients often find themselves paying more for the same, or in some cases less, support than they received before the acquisition.
Acquisitions frequently lead to restructuring, management changes and staff turnover. This transition period can create service inconsistencies, longer response times and knowledge gaps, causing service quality to dip. Even after the dust settles, you may find the new team lacks the same experience with your systems or doesn’t take the same proactive approach to support.
If the original technicians and leadership leave during the transition, your IT service may suffer – both in quality and reliability. You may notice a shift from problem-solving to ticket-closing, with less emphasis on long-term strategy and optimization.
Read: 10 Signs of Poor IT Management
Local MSPs often shine because they understand the nuances of doing business in your area, whether that’s dealing with regional regulations, responding quickly on-site or accounting for your specific seasonal challenges.
National providers tend to deliver services at scale, which can mean slower response times, a less customized approach and a general lack of agility, reducing the effectiveness of your IT solutions. Your business may need to jump through more hoops to get issues addressed, and you might lose access to the fast, flexible service that made your local MSP such a valuable partner in the first place.
Your local MSP likely shared your values and worked as a true partner and extension of your team, not only a vendor. After an acquisition, the cultural mismatches between your company and the new provider can make collaboration more difficult. It might feel corporate, impersonal or misaligned with your business. You may encounter stricter processes, different communication styles and a shift away from the partnership model that worked so well to begin with, making it harder to build the trust and collaboration needed for successful IT support.
One of the hidden costs of an acquisition is the potential loss of strategic IT leadership. A local MSP often acts as a trusted advisor, helping your business grow through technological changes and advancements, as well as planning, budgeting and aligning IT with your overall business goals.
National firms, especially those focused on volume, may not offer this level of involvement; they may lack the bandwidth or interest to provide that level of strategic insight, especially if you’re a smaller client in their system. As a result, your long-term IT planning, cybersecurity strategy and digital transformation efforts can stall or even backslide.
If you’re experiencing the impacts of an MSP acquisition, you don’t have to sit back and accept the changes. Here are some proactive steps you can take to regain some control:
Read: 5 Questions to Ask When Evaluating Managed IT Services
Although not every national acquisition leads to a negative experience, many businesses find that the personalized relationship, service quality and agility they once heavily relied on start to erode. If you’re seeing signs of this after your MSP has been acquired, it’s time to re-evaluate your IT partner to ensure you receive the IT support needed to thrive.
You deserve a provider that understands your business, delivers personalized support and puts your success first. One MSP that provides this and more is Thriveon.
We offer a variety of proactive IT services, including IT management, cybersecurity, modern office and more. Our Fractional CIO will work closely with you to ensure your IT investments align with your business goals and set you up to succeed.
Schedule a meeting now for more information.