Program Rules

Eligibility

To be eligible for recognition, a provider must:

• Be headquartered in Michigan.
• Maintain its primary business operations in Michigan.
• Provide ongoing managed IT services under recurring client relationships.
• Provide proactive technology management or support rather than exclusively one-time project or break/fix services.
• Serve businesses, nonprofit organizations, healthcare organizations, professional practices, government organizations, or similar entities.
• Operate independently rather than solely as a Michigan office or branch of a national or out-of-state regional managed services organization.
• Not be the program administrator or an affiliated organization of the administrator.

Eligibility determinations are made by the program administrator using the published criteria.

Organizations generally not eligible

• National managed service providers
• Out-of-state regional managed service providers
• Michigan branches of national IT companies
• IT franchises headquartered outside Michigan
• Break/fix computer repair businesses without ongoing managed-service relationships
• IT staffing firms
• Software development firms
• Telecom or cabling companies that do not provide ongoing managed IT services
• Consulting firms providing only occasional or project-based IT services
• The program administrator and its affiliates

Recognition categories

Fully Managed

The provider has primary responsibility for most or all of the client's ongoing IT environment and technology operations.

Co-Managed

The provider works alongside internal IT personnel or an internal IT department, with technology responsibilities shared between the provider and client.

A provider may qualify for recognition in both categories if independently nominated by qualifying clients in both types of relationships.

Who may nominate

Nominations must come from current clients of the nominated provider. The person submitting the nomination should have sufficient familiarity with the relationship to reasonably recommend the provider.

Nominations may not be submitted by the MSP itself, owners or employees of the nominated MSP, vendors acting on behalf of the MSP, affiliates of the nominated MSP, or other MSPs without a qualifying client relationship.

The program administrator may contact a nominating organization to verify a nomination.

Recognition criteria

The program administrator may reject duplicate, unverifiable, fraudulent, or otherwise ineligible nominations.

No pay-to-play

There is no fee to submit a nomination, receive a nomination, be evaluated, be selected as an honoree, or be listed as a Michigan's Best MSPs honoree.

Purchasing advertising, products, sponsorships, plaques, promotional materials, or any other goods or services does not affect selection.

Client privacy

The identities of nominating businesses and organizations are not publicly disclosed without permission. Nomination information may be used for verification, eligibility review, program administration, and prevention of duplicate or fraudulent submissions.

Program administrator

Michigan's Best MSPs is administered by Falcon Network Services of Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Falcon Network Services and affiliated organizations are not eligible for nomination or recognition under the Michigan's Best MSPs program. The program administrator retains final responsibility for eligibility determinations, nomination verification, and application of these rules.