As more and more system houses act as managed service providers (MSPs), their services become increasingly comparable. You can differentiate yourself either by price, because you deliver standard services in a highly automated way, or by offering a special service as an MSP. In this case, however, it is important to choose the right software on which the special service is based.
The market for IT services is undergoing a transformation: system houses are becoming managed service providers (MSPs). According to an IDG study from 2020, half of all companies already rely on cooperation with MSPs, and another 30 percent plan to do the same in the future. However, the prevailing lack of resources is making the transition difficult for many IT service providers and system houses. This is precisely where the development of MSPs can come in and free up capacity.
If you look specifically at the IT security sector, the numerous advantages are particularly noticeable. This is why managed security services are the most popular among companies. According to the IDG study mentioned above, this is where demand is highest among all types of managed services. With the right IT security service, you can create permanent and automated monitoring for your customers. This means that even increasingly complex IT landscapes can be effectively protected.
The right choice of software is your key to a successful MSP transition. However, the mass of software available for managed service providers can seem overwhelming at first glance. In addition, not every solution is actually compatible for your managed service. For this reason, you should study the market in detail to find the perfect solution for your needs.
To ensure that you can effectively optimize your own business processes and open up new business areas in the long term, you should keep the following guiding questions in mind when selecting the software for your managed service.
1. who is behind the software?
Look at the country of origin of the software being offered. You need a solution that meets the requirements of your local market. Often, contracts are made according to legal requirements of the country of origin. Conversely, these may not meet your own market requirements at all. If you are considering a SaaS solution, you should make sure that it is hosted in German data centers or at least within the EU legal area.
Support should be just as important in your choice. They must be able to respond flexibly to your needs and be able to implement your feature requests quickly. This will strengthen the trustful cooperation between you and the software manufacturer. A good manufacturer has to focus on your development as a partner. Freely following the motto: “Together we advance the market”, he should continue to support you after the sale. In strategic consulting and product/IT training, you get to know the software in the best possible way and learn why your customers should choose the software and thus choose you.
2. who are my customers and what do they want?
Your target group wants the best support at the lowest possible price. Weigh what your customers are willing to invest. For example, the best IT security solution is of no use to you if it exceeds your clients’ budget.
Focus on software that can cover as many IT areas as possible, while providing consistent quality. This way, you can not only make your clients happy, but also expand your own competencies along the way.
When choosing the software, always take a look at the required setup time as well as the required training effort. There are good solutions with intuitive operation. Focus here on software that can be up and running in just a few hours. This will help you avoid spending an unnecessarily large amount of time on onboarding new customers.
3. is the software flexible?
Your customers have different demands on your scope of services. With customizable software, you can meet them at any time. It should be scalable and offer flexible and transparent billing models. In addition, it should have an automated billing system that manages your invoices for you. Pay particular attention to the given multi-client capability, so that you can manage all your customers together with one software and one user interface.
A good MSP tool helps in the acquisition of new customers and should enable you to quickly present your qualities. Ideal is a software that allows you to deliver a technically sound initial consultation without much effort. This way you can initially convince your customers of your performance.
Prospects as a non-standard MSP
Automated workflows relieve you of many routine tasks in the background day after day. With the right solution, you have an overview of all IT landscapes to be managed and their current events with one login. Thanks to the high degree of automation, you can take over the protection of your customers’ IT landscapes remotely. This makes it possible to intervene even before the customer is confronted with possible consequences. In this way, your work takes on a proactive character and spontaneous deployments after problems occur are a thing of the past.
Your path moves away from the traditional product business to monthly services. This makes your time planning more effective and your revenues more calculable due to the subscription model. Clear service descriptions and precise specification of responsibilities are now the foundations of your work. With these, you create long-term customer relationships based on trust and problem solving rather than conflicting interests between you and your customers. Because as an MSP, you don’t just earn money when things go wrong, but already when IT is running securely and reliably.
Take advantage of the full growth potential of the MSP market and dedicate your newfound time to expanding your competencies. This will enable you to inspire your customers in the long term.
