New Year Business Guide - brought to you by APL Media • Wednesday 14 January 2026


Tech, Software & Marketing • 13 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE


Beware of the watermelon in the room


How (not) to choose an IT managed service provider. Mark Thurston, managing director at Venture 1 Consulting, advises


THE ‘WATERMELON EFFECT’ Many managed services providers (MSPs) excel at marketing their performance. They promise 15-minute response times, 99.9% uptime and lightning-fast ticket closures. But behind those metrics can lurk a hollow service culture. An engineer may ‘respond’ within 15 minutes simply by acknowledging your ticket, then take days to fix the issue. Or ‘resolved’ might mean ‘we restarted the service’, even if the fault persists. This is the ‘watermelon effect’


— green on the outside, but red on the inside. The numbers look perfect, but user frustration and lost productivity continue. Too many MSPs focus on SLA compliance rather than customer success.


WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR? The best MSPs aren’t those with the flashiest dashboards or the most colourful reports. The best MSPs are the ones who genuinely care about their customers’ outcomes, not tick boxes. However, many organisations still choose MSPs for the wrong reasons. They fixate on glossy service level agreements (SLAs) packed with rapid response times, uptime guarantees and efficiency metrics. But as any sports fan will ask — great stats, but did you win the game?


SHIFT FROM SLAS TO SLOS Analysts such as Gartner argue the future lies in service level outcomes (SLOs), not just SLAs. SLOs align provider performance with business goals — for example, ‘reduce downtime affecting customer transactions by 50%’ or ‘improve remote-work experience scores’. An MSP working to outcomes like these demonstrates partnership, not just vendor behaviour. A strong MSP should:


• Be flexible in agreed SLOs, not impose rigid SLAs


• Understand your business context and future direction


• Be proactive by preventing issues, not just reacting


• Communicate transparently about recurring problems


• Demonstrate cultural alignment in time zones, practices and style


• Show verifiable ESG and sustainability commitments • Adapt as your business evolves


WHY CULTURE AND ESG MATTER Cultural alignment is often overlooked. UK-based MSPs share regulatory frameworks, time zones and working culture, improving collaboration and trust. Local providers also make in-person reviews easier and support the economy. Sustainability and corporate


responsibility are no longer optional. Ask about ESG policies, climate impact and social initiatives. Beware of ‘greenwashing’ — credible MSPs provide transparent reporting and measurable targets.


THE BEST MSPS LOOK FORWARD The right MSP doesn’t just keep systems running — it helps modernise your IT. From cloud strategy to security posture to AI adoption, it acts as a trusted advisor, challenging you constructively and aligning technology decisions with your long-term goals.


Te right MSP doesn’t just keep systems running — it acts as a trusted advisor and aligns technology decisions with your long-term goals


In summary: SLAs are Buy cheap, buy twice — or cut open the watermelon,


dig beneath the skin of potential providers and empower yourself to choose better


necessary, but they’re not the destination. The MSP that merely meets them might look good on paper, but the one that focuses on outcomes, drives improvement, aligns with your culture and demonstrates genuine ESG


commitment will deliver lasting value.


When choosing an MSP,


don’t just ask, ‘how quickly can you respond?’ Ask instead, ‘how will you reduce downtime, improve user experience and help us innovate?’


An MSP that focuses on outcomes, drives improvement, aligns with your culture and demonstrates genuine ESG commitment will deliver lasting value


TAKEAWAY QUESTIONS: WHEN CHOOSING AN MSP, ASK YOURSELF:


• Where do you really need to get to over the next three years? • Is your current MSP proactively helping you reach your goals? • If not, is the cost of inaction worth the risk?


For further information


To explore how outcome-driven managed services could benefit your business, feel free to call us on 020 3855 0203, visit venture1consulting.com/managed-services or simply scan the QR code below to book a no-pressure complimentary chat.


MARK THURSTON


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