MSA

How it works

• Covers payment terms, confidentiality, liability and how to end the relationship.
• Individual jobs sit underneath it as statements of work.
• Check who owns your data, domain and passwords, and what must be handed over when you leave.

What can go wrong (example scenario)

A four-person marketing agency hired IT help on a handshake and a monthly invoice. When they parted ways, nobody could say who owned the domain registration, who held the admin passwords, or whether the provider had to hand over documentation. It took three months to untangle.

How WILDCARD handles it

Reviewing your agreements, including the ones with other vendors, is part of a vCIO business review.

• A dental office signs one MSA with its IT provider and adds backups, then phones, as separate orders.
• A law firm wants confidentiality and data-handling terms that match its own professional obligations.
• A non-profit's board asks for the termination and data-return clauses before approving a provider.

Example scenario: A small clinic changed IT providers. Because the MSA had a clause requiring return of all credentials and documentation within fourteen days of termination, the handover was clean. The new provider had admin access and a documented network on day one, and the clinic never lost a day of email.

A question owners ask

Do I really need an MSA for a small IT contract?

Yes, if the provider will hold your passwords, your data or your domain. The MSA is where you make sure those come back to you when the relationship ends.