When network hardware vendors issue device recalls, field notices, or security alerts, the implication can be massive for MSPs. Take the 2017 clock signal issue, for example. That huge recall of Intel microchips was a large-scale vulnerability for tons of devices—and meant MSPs had to figure out which devices were affected on which client sites.

In part two of our two-part series on MSP hyperspecialization, we share tips and examples of how MSPs can create their own extremely competitive niche. (Read part one on why hyperspecialization is such a high-margin opportunity.) So you get the business benefits of hyperspecializing your MSP to serve a particular business niche, and you understand the five criteria of niche expertise you need to do so. Awesome! You’re ready to jump aboard a high-margin opportunity. But… now what?

One of the things we at IT Glue wanted to accomplish with the production of our inaugural Global MSP Benchmark Report was to identify what a top-performing MSP looks like. There were certainly some surprises—such as the reality that size doesn’t matter—but a lot of what we found was fairly intuitive. In this rapidly growing industry, there are around 20% of MSPs that are seeing both high growth (10%+ per annum) and high margins (20%+ net margin).

It seems like every year, there’s a trendy new business model that managed services providers (MSPs) are told to adopt if you want to, well, survive. The most obvious example in 2018 is security. Cybercrime is a hot topic at channel conferences, and vendors are offering content in droves to help MSPs package and sell managed security services with the promise it’ll help you better protect your customers—and your business.

Winning new clients is one of the most satisfying feelings for any business owner. But scaling can present some operational challenges. For example, one King Kong-sized hurdle many MSP businesses face is how to increase—or even maintain—margins during growth. It’s hard to provide the same standard of customer service to a larger client base without adding more (expensive) technicians to your payroll. … if you’re not using automation to create efficiencies.

Switches are the most common network device deployed on MSP-managed networks, while routers are the least popular—and not by a small margin. The data in Auvik’s recently published report, Managing Network Vendor Diversity: The MSP Challenge, shows switches represent almost half (48%) of all network devices on MSP-managed sites, while routers account for only 6% of the total. Does this mean the death of the router is imminent? In short, no—and here’s why.

An MSP’s ability to do effective work depends on their technical expertise. However, their ability to ensure customer satisfaction is what really grows their business. This is because high levels of customer satisfaction retain current clients and win over future ones. Given this reality, MSPs need to be strategic about how they approach their work as every interaction is an opportunity to improve customer satisfaction.

Dynamic Network Solutions, located in the greater Washington D.C. area, prides itself in providing the highest quality customer service. The company works extensively with its customers to manage client needs and provide them with significant training to avoid unwanted security incidents and downtime. Dynamic Network Solutions has many points of touch with their clients in order to ensure great service and ensure networks and technologies are always running.

WATERLOO, ON / August 28, 2018 — The network hardware market is highly fragmented, with hundreds of equipment vendors vying for market share, says a new report from Auvik Networks. There’s intense competition in the network switch, router, firewall, and access point hardware markets, with upwards of 40 vendors competing in each category.

Whether you inherit an IT environment or build it from scratch, managing your clients’ network infrastructure can be a real headache. Keeping clients’ network devices functioning so they stay connected and productive requires complex manual tasks, expensive expertise, and tons of valuable time—that is, if you don’t use software to simplify and automate network management activities.