29 020 7501 3333 [email protected] www.spitfire.co.uk/canyouhearme Te l ecoms and IP Eng i neer i ng So l ut i ons for Bus i ness s i nce 1988 Broadband is not designed for voice. Get clear VoIP calls with our range of quality of service solutions. French Bulldog [Canis lupus familiaris] technologyreseller.co.uk doing so negatively impacts productivity in some way. The old saying ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ can be a barrier to change. That said, just because an MSP is looking at implementing automation technology doesn’t mean they have to overhaul everything at once. A good place to start is with something simple, such as patch management or data backup, and once those have been automated successfully to go on from there. Another potential barrier is the idea that new and sophisticated automation technology will come with a high initial capital outlay, both in terms of the technology itself and the internal training required to utilise it. While automation usually reduces costs in the long term, some do still have upfront costs relating to deployment and configuration of the hardware, although many have now moved to a subscription-based model. It’s important to balance the amount of time and resources that will be saved over time against these upfront investments and any costs involved in maintenance and future upgrades. People might be concerned about a lack of flexibility in automation – sometime you can’t beat the human touch when things go awry, processes break down or ghosts appear in the machine; and lastly, there is the fear that automation is there to take over people’s jobs and lay-off staff. This isn’t the case, and actually, technology can supplement the roles humans play and help them become more productive. TR: Consolidation continues to be a big movement in the MSP market. Do you expect this to continue and what do you see as the pros and cons of this trend? AS: The demand for managed services has never been greater and more MSPs are entering the industry every day. Moreover, with remote working and increased connectivity, geography is no longer a barrier to collaboration or partnership, so I think consolidation and acquisition as a method of growth will continue to be a trend over the next year, fuelled by a desire for growth as well as talent shortages. Consolidation and acquisition will be necessary to find and acquire the talent needed to service clients. Some MSPs are choosing to consolidate and focus on one or two specific areas that they know they have a good base of talent in, while others are looking to expand through acquisition, especially those owned by private equity. The main way such firms grow exponentially in the MSP market is to expand horizontally into new product areas that increase wallet share. These ‘growth through acquisition’ plays negatively impact MSPs by stripping innovation and dedicated development resources from the market and by destroying competition. Acquired technology never ends up with a truly single-pane product that delivers on the promised value of a unified platform. Expansion through organic development creates opportunities for more automation, better visibility and a unified workflow that delivers radical improvements to MSP efficiency. It also leaves greenfield space for competition and innovation that gives MSPs more choice. Our goal at NinjaOne is to continue to develop proprietary solutions (we’re builders not buyers) based on market needs and customer requests. Some customers are looking for a ‘one-stop-shop’ with managed information security and IT services combined. And big may sometimes be better in terms of being able to provide a ‘full-service’ offering to those clients that want it. It can also bring benefits such as greater access to resources, wider skills and greater depth of skills in the workforce. Limited access to capital can cause MSPs to fall behind when it comes to offering the latest skills, technology and resources, and acquisition can give them access to far greater investment. On the flip side, smaller MSPs can offer greater agility, greater attention to detail and access for clients. They are also more able to serve niche markets and offer greater expertise in specific areas. There is room for both within the market, depending on a client’s needs, and the market will continue to grow in both areas.
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