By Charles Weaver

My opinion and analysis of the week’s news and events in a succinct summary format. Feel free to comment.

Have MSPs Lost the Public Trust?

No! This is a very complicated and important topic, and one that we ought to examine more frequently within the managed services profession. In this episode we examine the question of why the public trust in MSPs is even in doubt.

Questions like these are often raised with ulterior motives (I.e., to sell something to an MSP). I have no problem asking the question, as long as we do so with without a sales motive. MSPs are undoubtedly in a position of trusted advisor, even 2 years into a global pandemic. As I mention in the episode, it is not a question of whether MSPs maintain their trusted advisor status, it is whether they are continually earning that trust rather than being given it blindly and without effort.

MSPs do not deserve to be trusted just because they are MSPs. MSPs ought to be trusted if they have earned that trust by their clients.

Four Reasons to Use an MSP…from Forbes

An article in Forbes articulating reasons why companies ought to consider using an MSP. I like reading these pieces, especially when they end up in mainstream media outlets such as Forbes, because they offer a glimpse into how the non-channel world views our profession.

After a difficult year with supply chain attacks dominating the news, it is nice to see these types of articles promote the obvious (and still relevant) reasons why MSPs are so vital to organizations of all sizes.

Not all Cyber Attacks Involve Malware

A follow up analysis of an article we ran in last week’s MSPNews newsletter, this podcast delves further into the CrowdStrike study of 20221 cyber-attacks and breaches. In this episode of MSPZone, we explore why focusing solely or predominantly on email threats may not be the best approach for a cybersecurity framework.

We discuss not only the report findings but also examine how some companies today are pushing an email first cyber strategy. Take a listen and come to your own conclusions.

Global Managed Services Market to Reach $311 Billion by 2027

I am often skeptical of these broadly articulated managed services studies. First, the companies surveyed are almost always either telco based or large enterprise. While we have no problems with larger MSP organizations, they do not make up the numerical majority of the global MSP community.

Second, this particular study both mentions our friends over at Datto (who focus mostly on MSPs at the SMB level) and then reference their “named” MSPs (presumably the ones who participated in the study) who are almost exclusively large enterprise providers.

It demonstrates a lack of awareness of the managed services market that makes me somewhat skeptical. Read the study for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

Great Resignation Means Good News for MSPs?

A fascinating article addressing the “great resignation” and its impact on the MSP market. While the global pandemic has been wreaking havoc on our labor markets, there is some good news (possibly) for MSPs.

This article examines how the massive restructuring of our workforce might benefit MSPs who are picking up more business as organizations lose talent. While we have been following for many years the technical talent shortage within managed services, this article makes a very good argument for why MSPs are great answers to these labor shortages.