There is a difference, so be careful...

Do your do diligence upfront before it is too late! There are many different providers in the market and it is very difficult to determine what some do, what is and is NOT supported, and to what level. Below is a comparison of the different types of service providers and the type of support they provide. When looking at providers the depth of support can vary tremendously, so be careful. For example, the words "fully managed" are used often, but in the industry it only refers to the operating system (OS) and down. Most providers stop supporting customers at the OS, becuase it takes a very experienced technician to troubleshoot issues in the OS and above in the application layers.

When talking to providers, here are some simple and import questions to ask:

1. What is NOT supported?
2. If we need advanced support what do you get and what does it cost?
3. How long does it take to get advanced support?
4. Most importantly, you should ask a lot of "what if" questions regarding your specific needs.