It is time for the professional MSP community to stop fixating on information technology and start addressing the business and other “non IT” needs of customers. This business model transition is both valuable to clients, and it is also essential for the ongoing success and survival of the managed services profession.
The last ten years have seen the steady advancement of security and privacy as two main themes orbiting nearly every customer on the planet. Uptime, availability, keeping IT management costs in line, these are still core reasons why organizations outsource to MSPs; these motivators will likely never go away.
But, the dual objectives of security and privacy have crept into the mainstream discussion around information technology and how it is managed. Laws are being enacted around the world to deal with data privacy and security.
MSPs Have Lost The Exclusivity to Discuss Privacy and Security
There have always been MSPs who focused on managing security for customers. Going back to the origins of the managed services profession, we saw many early examples of MSPs who had security as a specialty focus of their practice.
What has changed is that today everyone is talking about privacy and security. It is no longer exclusively a topic of discussion within the IT channel or the technology community. Lawmakers, politicians, the business community, even everyday citizens are hearing about, aware of, and discussing how to protect their information.
It’s Time for MSPs to Go Beyond IT
MSPs have to evolve and reinvent themselves constantly. Today, this idea remains particularly true. As we approach 2019, the MSP professional community needs to reevaluate their existing business models and plot a viable path towards the future.
While there are many paths leading to success, MSPs have to embrace the notion of interacting with customers on a “non-IT” level. This is what we mean when we say going beyond IT.
Starting in 2019, MSPAlliance will be helping its members to Go Beyond IT.
