Run both providers in parallel until the new one is proven, then cut over client by client rather than all at once. The risk in a switch is not the technology, it is the gap between the old provider standing down and the new one having full visibility. Overlapping the two across the onboarding window removes the gap entirely, and your clients see nothing change.
What actually goes wrong in a switch
Three things. The old contract ends before the new provider has visibility, leaving a blind window. Historic detection data leaves with the old provider, so the new one starts without baseline. And nobody tells the client, who then hears about it from an invoice or an incident.
Running in parallel
Overlap the two for the length of the onboarding window, typically 30 to 45 days. You pay twice for that period on the clients being moved, which is the cost of removing the risk. Move one client first, prove the detections match, then move the rest in batches.
What your current contract says about exit
Check the notice period, whether renewal is automatic, whether early exit carries a fee, and what happens to your log and alert history. Export your historic data before serving notice, not after.
What the new provider needs from you
Access to the tooling being connected, an asset and client list, network detail where a sensor is needed, and a named person on your side to answer questions. Supplying that quickly is the single biggest factor in how long the switch takes.
A 45-day switch timeline
Days 1 to 5, export historic data and confirm exit terms. Days 5 to 20, onboard the first client with the new provider while the old one runs. Days 20 to 30, compare detections across both. Days 30 to 40, move the remaining clients in batches. Day 45, serve notice on the old provider.
What should we check before switching MDR provider?
Your notice period and exit fee, who owns the detection data and in what format it exports, whether you can run both providers in parallel, and how long the new provider's onboarding takes for your client base.
