A managed service provider (MSP) ensures that an organization's IT assets are operated and maintained. Some examples of these assets are:

• IT infrastructure (servers, network gear)
• Enterprise applications (e-commerce, databases)
• End user computing (workstations, management infrastructure)
• Security operations (SIEM, vulnerability scanning)

In the case of a cloud service, an MSP will ensure that services like these are maintained if they exist in a cloud environment, as well as provide services to manage the cloud infrastructure itself. If an organization lacks the experience or personnel to manage a cloud service, an MSP can be contracted to manage the cloud environment for the organization.