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IT teams in Europe spend less time fixing broken systems and more time coordinating work across vendors, regions, and tools.
Cloud platforms, support desks, security controls, and employee devices often sit under separate ownership, creating delays and handoffs that slow execution as companies scale internationally.
EU-based Managed Service Providers run these core IT operations, including all the essentials, allowing companies to scale across regions without adding internal headcount.
This article reviews the top MSP providers in the EU, covering their core services and operating scope.
It also explains how Firstbase supports this model by managing hardware procurement and device logistics, reducing silos across IT operations.
Firstbase has 99% customer satisfaction rate per 1,000 employees. See how it works for your team by trying the self‑guided demo today.
EU’s top managed service providers with services and capabilities detailed:
Note: We’ve chosen the MSPs in the EU based on geographic coverage and compliance, service breadth, response and uptime SLAs, cost predictability, and lifecycle and logistics capabilities.
Bechtle AG is one of Europe’s largest B2B IT service providers and systems integrators. It combines hardware/software distribution with end-to-end managed IT, cloud, and workplace services across multiple European countries.
The group operates specialist managed-services units and data centres in Germany and delivers multi-vendor outsourcing and workplace management at scale.
Bechtle AG’s exposure to public-sector budgets adds risk, as public procurement cycles and budget approvals may delay or politicize managed services engagements.
Bechtle operates locally in 14 European countries through its own subsidiaries and service houses. This network provides customers with regional proximity and a broad European managed‑services presence.
Bechtle’s lifecycle services manage hardware from procurement to disposal, while Firstbase can add a digital layer for customs handling and centralized tracking.
Bechtle offers full lifecycle management and global hardware logistics, but it may create challenges for distributed teams that need consistent EU-wide delivery.
Claranet Group is a privately‑owned global managed service provider and technology services company headquartered in London, England.
Founded in 1996 as an internet service provider, it has evolved into a broad IT managed services organization supporting more than 10,000 business customers across multiple regions.
Its core offerings cover cloud, network, security, applications, data, and AI, and related managed services.
Public reviews indicate inconsistent support and responsiveness, highlighting opportunities to improve service engagement and issue resolution.
Claranet operates as a global managed services provider across 11 countries, including the UK, Portugal, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Brazil, India, and the United States.
Claranet supports hardware logistics for its managed services: installing, maintaining, and returning equipment with rapid delivery, but does not offer full procurement and global logistics like Firstbase.
Claranet provides managed cloud, network, security, and application services with a strong European and global presence. However, it gives less emphasis on full hardware logistics and employee device orchestration.
Eviden is the Atos business unit focused on next‑generation digital transformation, specializing in cloud, data, AI, advanced computing, and cybersecurity technologies.
Representing a significant portion of Atos’s technology leadership, Eviden brings together thousands of specialists, including those with patented technologies and deep industry experience, to help organizations drive digital change at scale.
Eviden’s parent company, Atos, faces financial and strategic challenges that influence Eviden’s market positioning, potentially reducing buyer confidence and affecting engagement with its managed services.
Eviden (Atos’s digital business unit) has 57,000 specialists operating across more than 53 countries.
Eviden covers the consulting, deployment, operations, security, and continuous optimization phases for digital, cloud, and infrastructure environments. But it does not cover the hardware logistics, making it ideal to combine with Firstbase.
Eviden is ideal for large enterprises needing scalable cloud and security services. Still, limited hardware logistics and endpoint lifecycle support make it less suitable for distributed teams without a platform like Firstbase.
Kyndryl is a global IT infrastructure services provider. It helps large organizations design, manage, and modernize their critical technology environments.
It specializes in running complex hybrid cloud, networking, security, and resiliency operations for enterprises that depend on always-on IT systems.
Kyndryl also works closely with major cloud, security, and networking partners. It eventually strengthens its managed services by adding modern connectivity, Zero Trust security, and strong data protection capabilities.
Kyndryl’s extensive features and pricing may not be a good fit for smaller organizations or non-technical users, who may find the platform excessive or difficult to adopt.
Kyndryl’s global coverage covers 60+ countries, with integrated delivery models (global/regional/local).
Kyndryl delivers deep enterprise managed services across cloud, security, networking, and operations. Firstbase can introduce a hardware logistics and lifecycle management layer that simplifies procurement and asset management for distributed workforces.
Kyndryl provides strong enterprise‑level managed IT services, yet does not offer a full device logistics solution; an area where Firstbase adds value.
DXC Technology is a global Fortune 500 IT services and managed solutions provider that helps large enterprises modernize and manage cloud, infrastructure, analytics, application, and security services.
Its managed services portfolio covers hybrid cloud, mainframe modernization, data centre, and cybersecurity operations. It’s backed by deep industry expertise and strategic alliances with major technology vendors, including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and others.
DXC’s broad range of managed services includes commoditized offerings with limited differentiation, which can make it harder to stand out versus specialized cloud‑native competitors.
DXC Technology operates in 70+ countries, with more than 125,000 employees serving enterprise and public‑sector clients worldwide.
DXC provides end‑to‑end lifecycle support for application platforms, from advisory to ongoing managed services. But does not handle hardware logistics, making integration with Firstbase essential.
DXC delivers comprehensive managed services across applications, infrastructure, and cloud platforms. However, its lack of native hardware logistics and device lifecycle management makes it less suitable for distributed teams.
Computacenter plc is a British multinational IT infrastructure services and managed solutions provider. It helps organizations source, transform, and manage their technology estates.
It combines technology sourcing, integration, deployment, and ongoing support to enable enterprise digital transformation, operational resilience, and workplace productivity.
Computacenter’s size and structure can slow the adoption of upcoming technologies. This may limit responsiveness to customer needs and delivery of modern managed services compared with more agile competitors.
Computacenter delivers on‑site services in nearly 60 countries and supplies hardware and software in more than 100 countries.
Computacenter’s managed device lifecycle offerings include procurement and deployment. Still, it is not a standalone, full-hardware logistics platform that covers global customs clearance and employee‑centric endpoint workflows. This makes it necessary to complement with Firstbase.
Effective for workplace support and network operations, but variability in hardware services and limited workflow capabilities make it less ideal for remote-first, multi-country teams.
EU managed service providers cover cloud operations, networks, security, and support. Still, they dont often tell you the physical supply chain and compliance costs that you will incur when deploying hardware across the region.
Import taxes and VAT variability. When hardware is shipped into the EU from outside the bloc, import VAT is charged at the border and varies by member state (generally between roughly 17% and 27% of the shipment’s value).
Increasing customs complexity and fees. The EU is tightening import controls, including new measures that introduce customs duties on lower‑value e‑commerce shipments. From mid‑2026, a flat customs duty of around €3 per item may apply to lower‑value parcels imported into the EU, adding predictable but often overlooked line‑item costs.
Documentation and compliance risk. Importing hardware into multiple EU regions requires correct customs declarations, Harmonized System (HS) codes, and VAT-related decisions, like whether to use the Import One‑Stop Shop (IOSS) registration to collect VAT at the point of sale. If these filings are incorrect or missing, goods can be delayed at the border, making you pay extra.
E‑waste and disposal compliance. The EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations have been updated as of January 2025 to require prior informed consent and stricter controls on importing and exporting e‑waste. These environmental compliance needs can carry administrative and potential penalty costs if not managed properly.
With the hidden costs and compliance complexities in EU hardware operations, pairing your MSP with Firstbase delivers measurable benefits.
Firstbase complements MSPs by managing the entire hardware lifecycle, covering procurement, setup, delivery, employee onboarding, device returns, and certified ITAD, ensuring that the operations remain integrated and free of silos.
Leveraging Firstbase gives you:
Firstbase has made managing remote employee equipment incredibly easy. The platform is intuitive, reliable, and has significantly reduced the time we spend onboarding new hires each week. It’s such a relief to offload the heavy lifting to a partner we trust.
Our Customer Onboarding and Success Manager, Paige, has been fantastic to work with. She guided us through implementation step by step and ensured a smooth, successful rollout. She’s always quick to coordinate with the right teams at Firstbase to provide updates on logistics, integrations, pricing, and technical support, making the entire experience painless.
We’ve also had the opportunity to engage with the product team, share feature requests, and review their roadmap. The recent release of advanced filters has been a great enhancement for our workflows, and we’re confident the platform will continue to evolve in ways that support our needs.
- Kevin Y. Senior IT Systems Engineer.
Week 1: Align and audit your IT and asset data
IT shares the device inventory and employee roster. Firstbase standardizes the data, flags unassigned devices, and prepares for procurement, deployment, and lifecycle management. HR and Finance verify locations, cost centers, and EU-specific import or delivery requirements for smooth onboarding.
Week 2: Set up EU device logistics
Firstbase plans delivery routes, chooses bonded warehouses, and establishes customs procedures across all active EU regions. Carrier preferences and delivery SLAs are aligned, including expedited shipment options. The team also configures procurement models (purchase, lease, or BYOD) and standardizes setup templates for devices.
Week 3: Run a single-region pilot
Firstbase conducts a controlled onboarding or device refresh in one EU location, managing device prep, kitting, deployment, and delivery within the agreed SLA. IT checks configurations and MDM setups, HR ensures Day‑1 readiness, and Finance reviews landed costs and per-seat expenses.
Week 4: Implement automated offboarding and ITAD
Firstbase activates offboarding workflows, scheduling device pickups, verifying addresses, and completing certified IT asset disposition (ITAD). Real-time reporting delivers transparent per-seat cost tracking and updates lifecycle records for full visibility.
Within 30 days, Firstbase integrates procurement, deployment, retrieval, and ITAD with your MSP operations across the EU.
Europe’s IT space is increasingly intricate, with MSPs supporting cloud, security, and infrastructure at scale.
Yet managing the physical device lifecycle across multiple countries can be challenging. Firstbase addresses this by overseeing procurement, shipment, onboarding, returns, and compliant disposal throughout the EU.
By automating these processes, teams can easily scale device deployment, maintain clear visibility into assets, and focus on strategic initiatives rather than manual logistics.
Optimize your hardware operations and complement your MSP with Firstbase. Schedule a 30-minute demo to see how your EU operations can run more efficiently.
