MSP OPERATIONS / BUYER RESEARCH
Help desk pricing - compare the same scope
Normalize help desk proposals by workload, pricing unit, service hours, minimums, onboarding and retained management.
Start with the unit, not a headline price
| Pricing basis | Quantity to define | Question that changes comparability |
|---|---|---|
| Per user or endpoint | Billable users or covered devices. | Are inactive users, servers and specialist devices treated differently? |
| Per ticket or alert | Included volume and what counts as one item. | How are duplicates, reopened work and overages charged? |
| Hourly or dedicated staff | Hours or staffed seats by shift. | Are management, absence cover and training included? |
| Retainer or package | Included work and minimum commitment. | What is excluded and how does the tier change? |
Public commercial evidence
| Provider | Published basis or entry statement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 MSP | quote required | Official sources, checked - Source 1 |
| 31West | quote based | Official sources, checked - Source 1 |
| ExtNOC | quote based | Official sources, checked - Source 1 |
| HEX64 | quote required | Official sources, checked - Source 1 |
| Infrassist | fixed monthly pricing tied to devices claimed; quote required | Official sources, checked - Source 1 |
| Mission Control NOC | month-to-month; no client minimum; no onboarding fee claimed |
These are published statements, not current offers. No complete normalized public rate is provided here. Request a dated proposal and read the service order before budgeting.
Normalize the quote
- Use identical users, endpoints, tickets, alerts, service hours and currencies.
- Record minimum monthly fees, onboarding, after-hours premiums, tool licenses, overages and exit assistance.
- Separate annual recurring cost from first-year transition cost. Record taxes and currency treatment explicitly.
- Include retained MSP management, escalation and duplicated tooling. Do not assume every internal cost disappears.
Download the pricing response sheet within the RFP and compare your cost scenarios.
Illustrative arithmetic, not a market price
A proposal can be modeled as the greater of the monthly minimum or the sum of base and usage charges, plus retained management. Enter your own quote values in the calculator. Blank fees remain incomplete; enter zero only when the charge is confirmed not applicable.