MSP Day coming at a time when trust is being earned

Along with everyone else, managed service providers (MSPs) are having to adapt to a new normal and work with customers through the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown.

Next month will give them the chance to pause and reflect on the role they play, with the third annual MSP Day on 21 May.

Research from the Evolving landscape of the MSP business report, which was shared at 2019’s event, found that managed services was seen by the channel as the most significant revenue opportunity, dwarfing other potential sources of growth. Customers struggling with a lack of in-house skills was the main catalyst for turning to an MSP for support.

The number of respondents reporting that a third of their revenues came from managed services climbed to 66% in 2019, compared to 52% in 2018.

The survey also indicated there were some challenges battling customer misconceptions, whether it be around price or the subscription model, that also needed to be dealt with, with trust needing to be increased with users.  

It is against this backdrop that those helping to organise MSP Day are counting down to the big event in May.

“These are difficult times and there is a lot of unknowns and sadness, and a lot of things beyond our control. But in a business sense, MSPs have been busy helping customers keep safe and secure,” said Jason Howells, director of international MSP at Barracuda.

“The role that MSPs are playing right now...brings them to the forefront,” he added. “There is an opportunity to check that people are as safe and secure as they could be in the current environment. So that will build trust and put the MSP in an even stronger position going forward.”

MSP Day is going to be slightly different this year, with it going global and extending relationships with the community, including CompTIA.

The practicalities are going to be affected by coronavirus, but Howells said it is a good time to pause and think about the work managed service providers were doing.

“It is a recognition of what MSPs are doing for their customers,” he added. “It is a chance to pause and take time to recognise the great work that MSPs are doing. Many of them are small businesses and they are also trying to work through this.”

One of the highlights of MSP Day will be the third instalment of the state of the landscape research, which this year is providing a global picture. There are also a series of virtual events happening throughout the day, starting in Australia before going through Germany, UK and finally to the east and west coasts of the US.

Howells said the ambition was to eventually hold a large physical event to encourage further collaboration across the MSP community.

It is still not too late to get involved with this year’s MSP Day and to sign up to receive materials and the research in May, along with the chance to register for the virtual events.