Channel Futures Presents Most Influential MSPs of 2021

This list features the elite executives from our 2021 MSP 501 list who truly moved the needle this year.

Allison Francis

December 21, 2021

10 Slides
In the rush to digitally transform business lineofbusiness executives LOBs have seized the reins from the CIO in order to

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In the rush to digitally transform business, line-of-business executives (LOBs) have seized the reins from the CIO in order to steer technology purchases. But how much of this is true? And who, exactly, are these LOBs?  A recent Forrester study sought answers.Forrester found that the CIO still controls a chunk of new project spending – forecasted $182 billion in 2018, largely for IT platforms and infrastructure. The CIO also controls practically all spending on maintenance fees, outsourcing agreements, telecommunication services, staff, servers, storage, network equipment and PCs, which Forrester calls MOOSE for maintaining and operating the organization, systems and equipment.But LOBs are on the rise as tech spenders on new projects, Forrester says. Some control tech purchases from beginning to end. Others bring in the CIO after they’ve made the buying decision. Some collaborate closely from the get-go. Either way, there’s no question the LOB’s influence on tech is growing.Based in Silicon Valley, Tom Kaneshige writes the Zero One blog covering digital transformation, AI, marketing tech and the Internet of Things for line-of-business executives. You can reach him at [email protected].Thinkstock

What does it mean to be an influencer? No, we don’t mean those with thousands of Instagram followers who tout their daily skin care routine (although, exfoliating is important) to the masses. We are talking about the industry leaders and MSPs who demonstrated steady leadership and truly moved the needle this year.  

There are a great number of partners within our MSP 501 list (and in general) who deserve to be recognized and applauded for their efforts in leading their organizations through one of the most tumultuous periods of time in recent history. Many shops not only survived the worst of the pandemic, but thrived. Those businesses, and their leaders, deserve a huge nod. 

To narrow down our choices for this list, we looked at our 2021 executive of the year award applicants. This award is designed to highlight the extraordinary individuals who set their companies apart from the rest. For this list, we dove deep into the achievements of organizations’ top executives and what distinguishes them from others. 

These were the partners who demonstrated true influence and leadership in terms of marketing prowess, customer experience, financial success, operational efficiency and community service. 

Thus, we are proud to present our list of the most elite industry leaders and influential providers of 2021. 

Click through our slideshow above to view our top influential MSPs.

Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Allison Francis or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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About the Author

Allison Francis

Allison Francis

Allison Francis is a writer, public relations and marketing communications professional with experience working with clients in industries such as business technology, telecommunications, health care, education, the trade show and meetings industry, travel/tourism, hospitality, consumer packaged goods and food/beverage. She specializes in working with B2B technology companies involved in hyperconverged infrastructure, managed IT services, business process outsourcing, cloud management and customer experience technologies. Allison holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing from Drake University. An Iowa native, she resides in Denver, Colorado.

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