Free Newsletters for the Channel
Register for Your Free Newsletter Now
Report Finds MSPs and Small Businesses Lack Alignment
The findings show SMEs look to MSPs to manage added workloads.
Claudia Adrien
November 30, 2021
2 Min Read
Increasingly, the lines between operations, finance and IT are blurring. Just like MSPs are continuously being tasked to do more with the same resources, CIOs too are expected to work minor operational efficiency miracles every day. They need to increase productivity among the workforce, find more cost-effective ways to execute core processes and still be able to adopt and implement new applications like advanced analytics or customer-facing AI platforms. It’s a matter of robbing Peter to pay Paul, over and over again.
The pressure extends into the very IT infrastructure on which businesses run. Managed service provider Blue Line Technologies is trying to help its customers grapple with a very simple but sometimes-expensive issue: getting customers off Windows 7 before Microsoft ends its support of the OS in 2020.
“If [customers] have older computers, it is almost impossible for a small business of 20-25 users to absorb the costs of replacing 20+ computers all at once. We are helping them plan now by replacing two to three devices per quarter with a new Windows 10 machine,” says Jeff Sagraves, president of Blue Line. “It spreads out the costs and also shows the client that we are helping them plan for the future and not just reacting to outages.”Shutterstock
Digital transformation initiatives are a growth opportunity for managed service providers. However, a lack of alignment between what small businesses want and what providers believe they should offer is holding that growth back. This is according to a new report released by Techaisle. The IT market research and analyst organization focuses on small to medium-size enterprises (SME) and channel partners.
SMEs are in the middle of transformation initiatives which consume nearly half of an SME’s IT staff’s time. As a result, SMEs look to MSPs to manage this added workload. So they rely on them to build and manage the more performant networks necessary for these initiatives to succeed. The changes and challenges of 2020-2021 accelerated and expanded many SMEs’ digital transformation initiatives. It created opportunities for MSPs to become a partner in that effort.
Digital Transformation with SD-WAN
Anurag Agrawal is founder and chief global analyst at Techaisle.
Techaisle’s Anurag Agrawal
“Reliable connectivity is the foundation for today’s business success,” Agrawal said. “Network performance is a key area where SMEs can use help. MSPs can use SD-WAN to create a competitive advantage and grow their business.”
In the first half of 2021, Bigleaf Networks commissioned Techaisle to survey IT decision makers to better understand what these groups thought about network performance and SD-WAN. According to the report, SMEs believe SD-WAN is a critical technology for enabling digital transformation; however, a large majority of MSPs have yet to deliver SD-WAN solutions. Techaisle found that although 95% of the MSPs offer network monitoring and management, less than one-third offer SD-WAN solutions.
Andrew Bagnato is senior director, MSP sales and partner program at Bigleaf Networks.
“Network monitoring and management are ‘table stakes.’” Bagnato said. “The MSPs who will succeed in the SME market will be those who fill the gap between what they currently offer and what their customers are telling them they really need.”
Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Claudia Adrien or connect with her on LinkedIn. |
About the Author
You May Also Like
Mar 24 - Mar 27, 2025
Mar 24 - Mar 27, 2025
The Channel Partners Conference & Expo, co-located with MSP Summit, is the gathering place for the technology services community. Agents, VARs, MSPs, integrators and service providers will converge to share ideas and drive discussion on the topics shaping our industry.
REGISTER NOW