Findings shows that MSPs are not well attuned to the purchase drivers of SMB clients
Digital transformation initiatives are a growth opportunity for managed service providers, but a lack of alignment between what small businesses want and what providers believe they should offer is holding that growth back according to a new report released by Techaisle, an IT market research and analyst organization which focuses on small to medium sized enterprises and channel partners.
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Many small and medium size enterprises (SME) are in the midst of digital transformation initiatives which consume nearly half of an SME’s IT staff’s time. As a result, SMEs are looking to MSPs to manage this added workload and relying on them to build and manage the more performant networks necessary for these initiatives to succeed. The changes and challenges of 2020-2021 accelerated and expanded many SMEs’ digital transformation initiatives and created opportunities for MSPs to become a partner in that effort.
“Reliable connectivity is the foundation for today’s business success,” said Anurag Agrawal, founder and chief global analyst at Techaisle. “Network performance is a key area where SMEs can use help. MSPs can use SD-WAN to create a competitive advantage and grow their business.”
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In the first half of 2021, Bigleaf Networks commissioned Techaisle to survey IT decision makers to better understand what these groups thought about network performance and SD-WAN. According to the report, SMEs believe SD-WAN is a critical technology for enabling digital transformation, however, a large majority of MSPs have yet to deliver SD-WAN solutions. Techaisle found that although 95% of the MSPs offer network monitoring and management, less than one-third offer SD-WAN solutions.
“Network monitoring and management are ‘table stakes’,” said Andrew Bagnato, senior director, MSP sales and partner program at Bigleaf Networks. “The MSPs who will succeed in the SME market will be those who fill the gap between what they currently offer and what their customers are telling them they really need.”
