The Evolving Landscape of the MSP Business Report 2022

For many businesses a key challenge is knowing what strategy to implement in order to enable the company to grow. This is indeed the case for managed service providers (MSPs) as well, with such a wide range of potential services that they could offer, it can sometimes be a difficult decision choosing which avenues to pursue.

But, at this point in time, it would appear that the decision has partially been made for them. Cloud-based offerings – regardless of whether they are used in isolation or as part of a hybrid set-up – are the flavor of month and could continue to be for many years to come. when the pandemic struck, customers were forced into leaning on cloud-based services to ensure that they could remain operational, and it seems that the benefits of cloud technology will continue to be tapped into in the aftermath of the pandemic as well.

MSPs are clearly aware of this with many reporting that cloud-based infrastructure (IaaS) and cloud-based applications (SaaS) will be among the biggest opportunities for their organization to increase revenues during 2022, while a range of security services were not far behind.

However, after surveying 500 respondents from MSP organizations around the globe, it is clear that they must also be mindful of their own internal struggles while trying to resolve the IT challenges faced by their customers, or their very position as an expert could be undermined.

This is perhaps most pertinent when considering cybersecurity, which, as the report shows, is a key struggle that MSPs are grappling with. But, considering that security is very much a “good guy vs. bad guy” game, it is important for MSPs to remember that they are not alone in this. Help is available. MSPs can partner with organizations like Barracuda, and in particular our MSP-dedicated business unit, to benefit from our security expertise and support. Together, that’s how we beat the bad guys.

Another area that must be considered as MSPs look to grow, is the wellbeing of their employees. The report highlights that there is plenty of room for improvement in this area, with many MSP workforces under notable levels of stress.

This is a situation that must be brought under control, or it is very easy to see how the growth ambitions of MSPs and the levels of service that their customers receive will begin to decline. Employees are the bedrock of any successful organization, and as such they must be supported in every possible way to ensure that they can thrive and be at their best for the good of the company and its clients.

Neal Bradbury, SVP Barracuda MSP