Jay McBain's Top Trends for MSPs the Remainder of 2023

The future is very bright for managed service providers (MSPs), according to Canalys.

Canalys analyst Jay McBain (pictured on stage above) presented his top trends and opportunities – and warnings – to MSPs at the recent NerdioCon 2023.

He noted that last year, businesses and governments globally spent $4.5 trillion on technology. Of that figure, services comprised two-thirds. The managed services market alone was worth $387 billion in 2022 — a figure greater than McBain was anticipating.

“A couple of years ago, I would have said this is a $200 billion market. It’s a solid, double-digit growing business. We’re in the right industry,” he told MSPs. “Software is eating the world; every other company in 27 industries is becoming a tech company. This is the right place to be this decade.”

Even the recent spate of tech layoffs could prove positive for the channel, he said.

“There are a quarter-million skilled people that are finding new opportunities either as entrepreneurs or joining the channel. So this recruiting problem that we’ve had for years trying to get top talent … is starting to realign,” he said.

The analyst presented some even more interesting findings to the MSPs in attendance. For example, there is no longer a single “throat to choke” when it comes to choosing a channel partner. Elsewhere, the rise of B2B marketplaces is unstoppable — and MSPs should jump on board. However, distribution is facing a wave of disruption from new market entrants, alongside those marketplaces.

See the slideshow above to discover everything you need to know as an MSP.