Managed Services is a way to improve select IT operations by transferring responsibility to a firm   specializing in those operations.

Typically, the customer remains accountable for the functionality and performance of the managed service and does not relinquish the overall management responsibility of the system.

Improvements in overall system efficiency are possible since the service provider is experienced in the services being managed. Additionally, specialized software may be available to the Managed Services provider that would be too expensive for the customer.