technologyreseller.co.uk Q&A 27 continued... With André Schindler, General Manager, EMEA, NinjaOne Q&A TR: To what extent is automation a key differentiator for managed service providers? AS: Automation is a critical part of IT optimisation and plays a major role in digital transformation, in a world where rapid scaling and deployment are essential. It also makes it possible to drive down operational costs by shifting human interaction away from mundane, repetitive tasks and towards opportunities for strategic growth. For MSPs, automation provides more time for specialisation, the proactive management of upcoming issues and preparation for future challenges. While IT automation is already widely used by IT departments and managed IT service providers, it is continuing to evolve as the lean operational mindset impels developers to create autonomous systems that require ever less human interaction – although even now automated systems require IT professionals to create and implement certain elements, like scripts, policies, templates and workflows. MSP tools include some level of GUIdriven automation that enables MSPs to automate specific tasks in specific predefined ways, such as automated patch management and automated AV scanning. So, all MSPs are automating to some extent. However, there is massive variability in MSPs’ ability to deliver automation at scale. Many MSPs face difficulties in building custom, complex automations: technicians may not have the skills to build robust, reliable scripts for deployment in customer environments; and moving beyond basic script deployment to complex, multi-step automation requires project management skills that may be lacking. TR: What activities should MSPs look to improve through automation? AS: In theory, automation can be applied to just about any IT task, but when getting started it's most effective to target manual tasks that are easily repeatable and timeintensive. Patch management, backup What are some of the key trends in the MSP market, from automation to consolidation, and what are the key qualities an MSP should demonstrate to potential customers? Read on to find out what André Schindler, General Manager, EMEA at NinjaOne, has to say on the subject. Next month we will publish more comments on the topic from Kaseya, Barracuda MSP, Nanosystems, GoTo and Connectwise. Technology Reseller (TR): What do you see as the key trends impacting the IT management services sector? André Schindler (AS): Despite fears about the growing recession tech spending is continuing to grow, and companies are setting aside a portion of their budget for MSPs – mature MSPs can be seen as a risk reduction tool during times of economic uncertainty. While some parts of an MSP contract are inelastic, a portion of the cost (project fees, licences etc.) is related to utilisation, allowing businesses to scale up and down as needed in response to changes in profitability or macroeconomic factors. MSPs are becoming an increasingly important part of businesses’ IT infrastructures. Most small and mediumsized businesses aren’t in a position to make investments that match the in-house support services that larger companies can maintain. Internal skills gaps and talent shortages driven by team member burnout, lack of available new hires and the high cost of training and re-training are also driving market need for MSPs. It is almost always less expensive to leverage MSP services than to hire for highly specialised IT skillsets in the SMB and lower mid-market space. Security talent in particular is often priced beyond the reach of SMBs and small mid-market companies. management, and software deployment are all prime candidates for automation that can be completely managed by most RMMs. TR: What are some of the limitations or drawbacks of automation? AS: There are always trade-offs when it comes to automation. Scripts and policies that automate IT tasks can be pretty inflexible – they’re built for a single purpose and are very good at doing that one thing; IT automation systems still need to be configured and maintained, which has a cost and skill requirement; and It’s very important that automation systems are configured properly from day one and that the dangers of errors, no matter how small, are thoughtfully balanced out against the benefits. Automation doesn’t eliminate human error. And since you really want to avoid bugs in an automated system, this is an important consideration to keep in mind. André Schindler
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