The "24/7" Myth: Why "Always-On" Monitoring Doesn't Mean "Always-Available" Support
Your server goes down at 2 AM. The MSP sees it instantly. But when do they actually fix it?
One of the most common misunderstandings in IT procurement is the definition of "24/7 Support." When an MSP sales representative says, "We monitor your systems 24/7/365," most business leaders hear, "If something breaks at 3 AM, you will fix it at 3 AM."
Unfortunately, these are two very different service tiers. 24/7 Monitoring simply means an automated software agent is watching your server. If it crashes, the software sends an email to a ticket queue. 24/7 Remediation means a human engineer is paid to be awake, watching that queue, and ready to log in immediately.
The "On-Call" Roulette
As noted in industry analysis, many MSPs that advertise 24/7 support actually rely on an "on-call" system for after-hours issues [1]. This often means a single technician is sleeping with a pager. If they sleep through the alert, or if they are already occupied with another client's emergency, your "immediate response" becomes a voicemail.
True 24/7 support requires a staffed Network Operations Center (NOC) with active shifts, not just a rotating pager duty. This infrastructure is expensive, which is why "Monitoring Only" plans are significantly cheaper. The danger lies in not knowing which one you bought until a crisis hits.
The Cost of the Gap
Referencing our Managed IT Pricing Models guide, the price difference between "Monitoring" and "Remediation" is often the difference between a $100/user plan and a $150/user plan.
However, the cost of downtime usually exceeds this premium. If your e-commerce server goes down at 2 AM on Black Friday, waiting until 8 AM for a technician to "see the ticket" could cost tens of thousands of dollars. In this scenario, the "cheaper" contract is actually the most expensive option.
The Litmus Test
Ask your potential MSP this specific question: "If a server alert fires at 3 AM, does a human look at it immediately, or does it sit in a queue until 8 AM unless I call the emergency line?" If the answer involves you having to call to trigger a response, you do not have 24/7 Remediation.