With the MSPWorld Orlando conference just around the corner there are a lot of companies looking for new tools to help them make the most of their managed services practice. I have personally been fielding a lot of emails and phone calls lately from MSPs who are looking for new tools to either replace or augment their existing tool sets. It is not, however, just tools that are being sought by MSPs today but other MSPs.
Now, some of you may be wondering why on earth a MSP would want to seek out other MSPs. There is a growing number of MSPs who are trying to grow their services revenues while driving down costs by sharing them across a distributed community. I wrote a blog about this phenomenon a few months ago but it continues to grow in popularity amongst mature MSPs. As mature MSPs grow their practices, the pinch of trying to expand while keeping costs in line can be a challenge. Mature MSPs, who tend to be more secure in their own capabilities and therefore likely to not be threatened by other MSPs are creating small yet powerful communities that yield impressive service capabilities.
Datacenter capacities are being increased, help desks hours are being extended, and Network Operation Centers are being fully utilized. The important thing to note is that many of these communities are springing up among accredited MSPs. Obviously, these communities are seeking out secure, stable, and vetted MSPs who are likely to not be a risk to the larger group.
Whether you are just starting out or you have been in the industry for some time, I would really recommend looking into joining one of these communities. Don't like what you see out there…start your own. The benefits to your managed services practice might surprise you.
