A managed service provider (MSP) runs your IT so you don’t have to, helpdesk, Microsoft 365, infrastructure, backup and security. Compare on accreditations (Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001, Microsoft partner tier), response SLAs and the depth of their security offering.
Last reviewed June 2026
Comms, connectivity, IT, cyber, mobile and energy from one UK provider.
Best for: SMEs and mid-market businesses that want to consolidate telecoms, connectivity, IT, cyber and energy with a single financially stable UK supplier, ideally with a managed account relationship rather than a call centre.
Technology led, people driven, the UK's largest independent B2B provider of voice, connectivity, mobile, IT and cloud.
Best for: UK SMEs that want to consolidate broadband and leased lines, phone systems, mobile, managed IT, cyber, and business energy under a single supplier with one UK support desk.
The UK's largest independent business communications provider: mobile, connectivity, cloud comms and IT
Best for: SMEs and mid-market organisations that want a single UK partner to bring together Vodafone business mobile, fixed connectivity, cloud telephony, contact centre and managed IT and cyber services. A good fit if vendor accreditation and scale matter more to you than rock-bottom transparent pricing.
The network that powers one in four UK businesses with Ethernet, connectivity and managed network services for SMEs, enterprise and the public sector.
Best for: SMEs through to enterprise and public-sector organisations that want business connectivity (fibre, leased lines, SD-WAN) alongside hosted voice/UC and managed networking and security from a single established UK provider. Also suits channel resellers looking for a connectivity-led supplier.
UK-owned, network-backed communications, connectivity and security for business.
Best for: SMEs up to enterprise and public sector buyers who want a financially solid, network-owning UK provider for hosted telephony, UCaaS and connectivity. Particularly well suited to organisations buying through a reseller or partner, or those standardising on Microsoft Teams Phone or Cisco Webex.
Behind brilliant things, the UK's incumbent provider of business connectivity, comms and security.
Best for: Mid-market to enterprise and public-sector buyers who want a single, financially-secure incumbent to handle nationwide connectivity, hosted voice, EE mobile and managed security with 24/7 support. Best suited to organisations that put network reach and resilience above lowest price.
One partner. Cloud communications, connectivity and cyber security, joined up.
Best for: Mid-market businesses and growing SMBs that want one managed partner to pull together cloud telephony, a Five9/Teams contact centre, connectivity and managed IT or cyber security. A better fit if you value breadth and scale than if you're hunting for the lowest price.
Cloud, fixed and mobile connectivity for UK businesses and the public sector
Best for: Mid-market, enterprise and public-sector organisations that want converged fixed and O2 mobile connectivity, SD-WAN, and managed cloud and security from a single large-scale UK provider.
Most MSPs charge a fixed fee per user per month. A full managed service for SMEs commonly runs around £60-90 per user per month, covering helpdesk support, monitoring, patching, security essentials, backup and cloud (Microsoft 365) administration. Lighter 'pay-as-you-go' or 'co-managed' models cost less but cover less. Look for a clear SLA with defined response and resolution times, UK-based support, a proper onboarding process, a named contact, and a written breakdown of what's in scope versus what gets charged extra (projects, hardware, out-of-hours).
Cyber Essentials is the UK government-backed baseline certification covering five core security controls: firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection and patching. The basic level is a self-assessment; Cyber Essentials Plus adds an independent technical audit. You may not be legally required to hold it, but it's increasingly expected to win public-sector and larger private contracts, to satisfy cyber insurers, and to demonstrate UK GDPR 'appropriate measures'. It's also a sensible minimum bar, and a reasonable thing to require of your MSP.
The big four: (1) lapsing onto deemed or rollover energy rates because you missed the contract end date; (2) staying on best-effort broadband when downtime is costing you, or paying for a leased line you don't yet need; (3) signing an MSP or telecoms deal on headline price without checking SLAs, scope and exit terms; and (4) not asking about broker commission or uplift. The fix is unglamorous: keep a simple register of every contract, its end date and notice period, start shopping 3-6 months ahead, and always get the all-in cost in writing, including setup fees, mid-contract rises and exit charges.
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