ITSM · MSP Selection & Contract Review
Don't Sign
Until Someone's
Read the Small Print.
MSP contracts are written to protect the provider. We have decades of experience spotting the exclusions, ambiguities, and grey areas that turn into expensive surprises — and we help you navigate them before you sign.
Get Independent AdviceThe Problem
MSP contracts are written
to protect the MSP.
Most MSP proposals look comprehensive at a glance. But the detail — the exclusions, the caveats, the definitions of "reasonable endeavours" — is where the real picture emerges.
By the time most organisations discover the gaps, they're already locked in. A service credit worth 5% of a monthly fee doesn't come close to covering the cost of an outage. An ambiguous scope clause means the work you assumed was included is now a billable project.
We've seen these patterns across decades of IT contract management. We know where to look — and what to push back on.
Vague scope definitions — "reasonable support" means whatever they decide it means
SLAs without teeth — credits so small they're not worth claiming, and breach definitions buried in schedules
Undefined security responsibilities — who's accountable for patching, MFA, and incident response?
Painful exit terms — data return timelines not specified, knowledge locked away, 6-month notice periods
Hidden charging triggers — "moves, adds, changes" and project work excluded from the base fee
Liability caps that limit your recourse to a fraction of what a serious incident would actually cost
What We Do
Two ways we help you get this right
Whether you're choosing a new MSP or reviewing an existing contract, we give you independent, experienced advice.
MSP Selection Support
We help you define what you actually need before you go to market — so proposals are evaluated against your real requirements, not the MSP's preferred narrative.
Contract Review & Risk Reduction
We review MSP contracts in detail — identifying what's clear, what's ambiguous, and what needs to change before you sign or renew.
What We Check
Every clause that matters
These are the areas we review in every MSP contract — and where we most commonly find issues.
Scope of Services
What exactly is included? What's expressly excluded? Where are the grey areas that will become disputes?
SLAs & Response Times
Are targets realistic? How is "incident" defined? What happens when SLAs are missed — and is the remedy meaningful?
Security Responsibilities
Who owns patching, MFA enforcement, access reviews, and incident response? Is it explicit or assumed?
Charging & Extras
What triggers additional charges? Are moves, adds, changes, and projects included — or chargeable by default?
Exit & Transition
What's the notice period? What happens to your data, tooling, and documentation when you leave?
Liability & Indemnity
What's their maximum liability? Does it bear any relation to the actual cost of a serious incident or breach?
Reporting & Visibility
What reporting is provided? At what frequency? Is there a minimum standard for transparency and performance data?
Sub-contractors & Third Parties
Who else touches your systems? Under what terms? Are security and data handling obligations passed down?
What Good Looks Like
With us vs without us
The difference independent contract review makes — before you sign.
| Area | Without Independent Review | With Cloud IT Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Service Scope | Assumed from the proposal summary — exclusions discovered later | Scope mapped line by line. Gaps identified and negotiated before signing |
| SLA Enforcement | Credits too small to matter. Breach definitions vague enough to avoid | SLA definitions reviewed. Remedies assessed for practical value. Wording tightened |
| Security Responsibilities | Split assumed — often wrong. Gaps only found after an incident | Explicit ownership mapped across patching, access, monitoring, and IR |
| Exit Terms | Difficult exit discovered when you try to leave. Data locked, transition expensive | Exit terms understood upfront. Data return, notice, and transition documented |
| Additional Charges | Surprise invoices for work assumed to be included | Charging triggers identified. Scope of base fee clearly defined |
| Provider Selection | Chosen on price or relationship. Requirements not clearly defined | Requirements documented. Proposals scored objectively. Right provider chosen |
* Based on common patterns observed across years of IT contract management and MSP reviews
Why Independent
No vendor relationships.
No preferred suppliers.
We're not a reseller, a broker, or an MSP ourselves. We don't earn referral fees or have commercial relationships with providers we might recommend.
That means our advice is genuinely independent. We're on your side — helping you choose the right provider and understand what you're signing, not steering you towards a particular outcome.
Our goal isn't to slow the process down or make it more complicated. It's to make sure you go in with clear eyes — and avoid the issues that stem from unclear expectations and poorly defined contracts.
Vendor Neutral
We don't recommend providers we have a commercial relationship with. Our advice is based solely on what fits your requirements.
Decades of Experience
We've reviewed contracts across industries and provider types. We know where the risks hide and what good looks like.
Plain English
Technical and legal wording translated into decisions you can actually make — no ambiguity, no unnecessary jargon.
Practical & Fast
We don't slow the process down. We provide focused, actionable advice that protects you without dragging things out.
How We Work
From brief to confident decision
A straightforward process — whether you're selecting a new MSP or reviewing an existing contract.
Understand Your Situation
We start by understanding your environment, your current supplier relationships, and what you're trying to achieve — so our advice is relevant and proportionate.
- Current IT setup, team, and supplier landscape
- What's working, what isn't, and what you need to change
- Timeline, budget, and decision-making process
Define Your Requirements (Selection)
If you're selecting a new MSP, we help you build a clear requirements document — covering scope, SLAs, security responsibilities, tooling, reporting, and escalation. This becomes the basis for evaluating proposals.
- Service scope and exclusions defined upfront
- Security responsibilities mapped explicitly
- Evaluation scorecard and weighting agreed
Review the Contract
We review the full contract and schedules — identifying gaps, ambiguities, unfair terms, and areas that need clarification or renegotiation before you commit.
- Clause-by-clause review against your requirements
- Risk summary in plain English — not a legal opinion
- Priority list of changes to negotiate
Support Negotiation & Decision
We support you through negotiation — helping you push back effectively, understand what's reasonable to ask for, and make a final decision with confidence.
- Negotiation brief — what to ask for and why
- Assessment of revised terms
- Final recommendation based on the full picture
Got a contract you want us to look at?
Whether you're evaluating proposals, about to sign, or wondering if your current MSP contract is actually protecting you — get in touch and we'll give you an independent view.