29 Top Managed Service Providers in the UK

At Highlight we’ve had the privilege of working alongside some fantastic service providers, each of whom are doing incredibly exciting things. Of course, we all know about big-name MSPs like BT, Colt, and Virgin, whose achievements speak for themselves, but the companies that really stand out to us are the smaller businesses making large waves.

We wanted to take a moment to highlight the MSPs that get us most excited. There are so many great prospects that we’ve had to narrow this list down to just twenty-nine, primarily UK-based providers, each of whom are more than deserving of their place at the top. Some of the MSPs on this list use our software, others don’t — but all of them have demonstrated what we believe to be exceptional service over the last year, all on a personal level that you’re only likely to find from smaller and medium-sized firms able to offer that bespoke touch.

Ranking this list would be impossible, so instead this is in alphabetical order. But, without further ado, here are our top managed service providers of 2021.

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AdEPT Technology Group

AdEPT aims to bring IT, telecoms, and connectivity together to provide comprehensive, uncomplicated business solutions. And, their 12,000+ customers across the UK are a testament to the fact that they’re achieving exactly that. Specifically, AdEPT’s 300+ strong team aims to simplify technology and unite people by providing the perfect strategic partnerships every single time.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Chess ICT

Winner of over 60 awards, and with past clients including the NHS and roughly 20,000 others, Chess ICT is one the UK’s leading independent providers. With their hardware support and managed services, in particular, businesses have previously saved as much as £39k annually. More recently, they’ve also taken the path of webinars to provide key knowledge on upcoming issues such as web accessibility compliance and more.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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CityFibre

Hailed as the UK’s largest alternative digital infrastructure provider, CityFibre is at the forefront of future-proofing the UK, with wholesale fibre network infrastructure and entire gigabit cities in locations including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Milton Keynes. Independent from other infrastructure providers, CityFibre especially pride themselves in providing resilient, agile networks with a 4500km+ fibre footprint that businesses need for survival now and moving forward.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Claranet

Claranet’s end-to-end services focus on cloud transformation, cybersecurity, and managed communications services that aim to modernise critical applications, data, and infrastructure. With 1,500+ technical experts on-hand, 2020 marked Calranet’s expansion into the US and South America, an accolade that’s only strengthened by the international recognition their network and Cloud expertise received between 2006-2014.

 

Deploy Highlight: Yes 

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Complete IT

CIT’s 140+ technical experts provide a tailored approach to outsourced IT, backed by the highest levels of expertise and accreditation, including Channel Futures’ MSP 501 2020 award. Rather than seeing IT as a solution that needs fixing, CIT has spent the past 25-years finding ways to help organisations understand their technical challenges and goals, a focus that has proven especially useful for helping their 700+ SMEs adapt to remote focuses.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Convergence Group

With their utility-style approach to business connectivity, Convergence Group offers cutting edge, pay-per-month solutions, including the UK’s foremost connectivity-as-a-service offering, Tiviti. Their focus on changing the connectivity game has certainly come to the fore of late, where the fast, reliable, and simple service that they offer is a touchstone for successful remote transitions.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Expereo

Expereo offers constant connections and on-the-move internet to customers in 190+ countries, putting them at the forefront of the always-on business focus. In fact, their unmatched global reach makes them the world’s largest internet network and cloud connectivity solutions provider. This, alongside the fact that they’re partnered with 30% of Fortune 500 companies, makes Experero a very exciting connectivity prospect indeed.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Exponential-e

Exponential-e’s round-the-clock support has earned them an industry-leading NPS of 74, an accolade they hold onto with Layer 2 VPLS technology, superfast SD-WAN, and a tailored approach to a cloud for every customer. Specifically, Exponential-e pride themselves in exceeding expectations in innovation, something they achieve with their fusion of technologies including carrier-class fibre networks and smart wires for enterprises of all sizes.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Focus Group

Since first entering the market as a ‘calls and lines’ company, Focus Group has gone on to help over 15,000 businesses. Whether for small, medium, or enterprise businesses, Focus Group certainly has the solution, with everything from voice, mobile, and data, right through to energy solutions including business gas and electricity. More recently, their focus has shifted to helping teams adapt remotely, with services including 4G mifi devices and cloud phone setups.

 

Deploy Highlight: Yes

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Gamma

With a client list including The Open University, Gamma is the UK’s #1 provider for hosted voice and SIP. Notably, their business-only, cloud-based unified comms solution, Horizon Collaborate, has earned them much-deserved attention for the ease it’s bringing to remote teams and their customers.

 

Deploy Highlight: Yes

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NASSTAR

Winner of SC Awards Europe’sBest Managed Security Service of 2020, NASSTAR is the UK’s leading converged ICT provider, a title due in no small part to their two decades of experience. As one of very few providers who offer end-to-end fully-managed portfolios, GCI’s 225+ technical experts have been at the forefront of ensuring the impressive, and fundamental, benefit of 99.99% Cloud platform uptime for customers this past year.

 

Deploy Highlight: Yes

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GTT

With the fastest transatlantic optical service in the industry and a global tier 1 network that spans over 600 PoPs, GTT’s focus on connecting people with simplicity, speed, and agility certainly sets them apart. Available anywhere, their ISP services provide the global reach that modern companies have only dreamt of until now, all with 14+ Tbps of backbone capacity and 100% native dual stacks.

 

Deploy Highlight: Yes

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IOMart

With a focus on helping businesses make change happen, IOMart provides complete cloud solutions across the UK and further afield. With globally supported services that include disaster recovery, security, and a private cloud for the delivery of dedicated business requirements, businesses certainly needn’t look any further for infrastructures that can withstand even modern day challenges.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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ITS Technology Group

With their futureproof full fibre and hybrid networks, ITS are at the forefront of ongoing communications. Most notably, their tailored gigabit connectivity solutions have helped clients to make the remote switch with no downtime in sight. ITS also focus on clever design, such as reusing physical assets like local authority masts, enabling them to provide fast, tailored solutions in even otherwise overlooked locations.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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KCOM (Kingston Communications)

With proud roots in East Yorkshire, KCOM are dedicated to helping businesses face digital transformation head-on. An impressive backlog of clients including Sports Direct and Somerset Care are a testament to their services, though their focus on connectivity, hassle-free cloud solutions, and high-quality collaborations speak for themselves.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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M247

Leading connectivity and cloud services partner, M247, aim to transform businesses using multi-cloud and multi-connectivity services for innovative growth. Their 247 Cloud, in particular, helps customers to connect with more places, reach more customers, and hire more employees, all from a single-point-of-contact.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Maintel

Cloud-based Maintel’s three ‘Pillars of Digital Transformation’ cover all aspects of communication, such as digital workplaces, customer experience, and secure connectivity. Specifically in 2021, their agile approach provides the flexible services that teams need for survival, alongside the capability you’d expect from a much larger systems integrator.

 

Deploy Highlight: Yes

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Node4

Node4 are on a mission to deliver critical IT processes around the clock, providing all-important speed of service for customers that range from the healthcare sector right through to insurance and beyond. Their IT solutions offer comprehensive, transparent, and simplified technology offerings for easy implementation that frees companies to focus on the aspects of business that they do best.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Onecom

As the UK’s largest independent telecoms provider, Onecom is a fantastic, personalised alternative to big telephony players. Most notably, Onecom’s 4-pillar strategy of — customer, people, partnership, independent, has allowed them to provide tailor-made client-led services that have earnt them awards such as 2019’s Mobile News award for the best customer service.

 

Deploy Highlight: Yes

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Pulsant

As the UK’s leading colocation and cloud infrastructure provider, Pulsant has become invaluable to businesses looking to simplify remote processes this past year. With cloud infrastructure offered from 10 regional data centres in areas including Newcastle, Reading, and South London, they provide full coverage for full business operations at all times.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Redcentric

With a focus on agility, availability, and assurance, Redcentric are at the forefront of helping businesses adapt to remote working right now, with solutions including assured networks, secure remote access, and remote solutions with essentials such as IP telephony.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Six Degrees

With their simple concept of going beyond cloud, Six Degrees provide cloud computing services that act as a springboard for businesses, even in this uncertain climate. Their holistic assessment approach, paired with services such as their hyperscale public cloud for Microsoft Azure deployment, mean continual alignment with the go-forward strategies that businesses need right now.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Spitfire

Given that they’ve been in the business of telecoms and IP engineering solutions since 1988 and were one of the first Telecoms companies to be involved in Wholesale Line Rental, it’s not surprising that Spitfire have become crucial to over 6,000 customers. Efficient communications are Spitfire’s priority, and it’s a goal they help businesses achieve by finding the most effective options, be those voice telecoms, engineering solutions, or more.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Telstra

Experts in everything from personal to business communications, Telstra is Australia’s largest technology company — but their UK presence and commitment to innovation earn them a spot on our list. Their month-to-month subscription services provide guaranteed expertise in every tech-based business need, including cyber security and marketing, all for easy-to-achieve monthly costs. Personalised solutions and 24/7 support prove especially invaluable, alongside enterprise 5G and cutting-edge cloud capabilities with Telstra’s Cloud Sight.

 

Deploy Highlight: Yes

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Timico

Despite just fifteen years on the market, Timico offers the UK’s best independent converged managed services platform. They design, implement, transform, and transport infrastructures using unified comms, cloud hosting, and a whole lot more. Specifically this past year, Timico’s focus on investing in the future of IT has shown them for the forward-thinking company that they are, with focuses including school activities and IT career events that stand to change the face of services as we know them.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Vodat

As a leading supplier of private managed networks for the UK retail, hospitality, and leisure markets, Vodat are at the forefront of technically and commercially innovative solutions. What really sets them apart right now, however, is their focus on developing ‘always on’ connections between stores, central offices, and distribution centres. This is a goal that they achieve with data solutions including MPLS (WAN) alongside simplified payment solutions such as EFT.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Virtual1

Virtual1 offers the UK’s most advanced wholesale-only network, covering 180+ towns and cities across the UK, and developed with customisation, automation, and streamlining at the forefront for smooth business connections at all times. Their award-winning customer service portal, 1Portal, takes those benefits even further, with a suite of APIs that provide real network insights teams can use for improved CX at all times.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Wavenet

As multi-award winners and world leaders with their NPS scores and TrustPilot reviews, Wavenet have spent the last two decades securing firm footing in telecoms and technology. Their 100+ trained support staff and engineers currently provide crucial communications capabilities to over 8,000 SME and enterprise customers, with services that include TeamsLink, for Microsoft Teams collaborations, and cloud contact centre solutions.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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Zen Internet

Voted the UK’s best broadband by Which and PC Pro customers, Zen offers ultra-fast broadband of up to 900Mbps to guarantee home working success and generally smooth internet connections all around. Specifically, their homeworker broadband aims to help businesses cope with the remote switch by ensuring reliable and dedicated business connections at all times.

 

Deploy Highlight: No

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What makes a good service provider?

There are some fantastic service providers on the UK market, each of whom are helping businesses adapt to the tech-based changes that came along with 2020. But all of this talent begs the question, what exactly makes a good service provider? And could your MSP make it into our list and get us to an even 30 companies? Let us know !

At Highlight, we think the differentiation comes in putting customers at the forefront, and especially providing agile, well-communicated solutions that aren’t unravelled by the sudden changes we’ve all seen in the workplace recently — all critical MSP industry trends that are shaping the future beyond 2021.

This is a goal that each of these MSPs achieves in various ways, and it’s something we help our clients do by driving better customer communications from our single-pane-of-glass, non-technical interface. We go beyond monitoring to deliver commercial insights and gather valuable intelligence from customer data, meaning that you can not only provide the solutions your clients need, but also communicate those ideas at the click of a button.

Fundamentally, service providers that are able to deliver outcomes rather than an interchangeable box-of-bits are able to rise above IT commoditisation and deliver differentiated outcomes to customers. As a service provider, if you want to learn more about how to create differentiated outcomes, check out our free ebook — Transforming the Value of Networks. For customers, select any provider on this list, get in touch, and see where the journey takes you.