AI and automation can help drive growth.
As managed services continue to grow in popularity, MSPs need to expand their offerings and capabilities to remain competitive in the changing business landscape. Artificial intelligence (AI), automation, infrastructure management, migration, and optimization will be key in a cloud-first world.
MSPs have seen major growth in 2022 thanks in large part to the innovative cloud technology that many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) rely on for efficiencies in the modern workplace. As cloud continues to prove its worth in budget and in practice, SMB leaders are scouting for cutting-edge technologies and for experts to best utilize that technology.
Research bears this out. Grand View Research wrote in a recent report: “Most companies are already renewing their contracts with managed cloud service providers in anticipation of cloud migration getting more common among enterprises, and in some cases, even gaining traction. Furthermore, businesses and organizations are putting a strong emphasis on adopting the latest technologies, such as machine learning and augmented reality, along with their existing IT infrastructure as part of the efforts to encourage digital transformation.”
The report also states: “Adoption of the latest technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud management, and others is eventually helping organizations meet various functional business requirements while driving business process optimization.”
Below are some of the emerging technologies and strategies that MSPs can consider leveraging in 2023. They vary in purpose and scope, but they all provide the possibility for business development, risk reduction, and growth in this new year.
AI and Automation
Managed services depend on efficient delivery and routine processes to keep SMBs running smoothly. AI and automation can augment existing integrations to streamline operations such as billing, to save MSPs and their clients time and money while reducing risks. AI and automation can also play a key part in defending your business and that of your clients from the risks of a cybersecurity attack or potential breach.
AI has already been paramount in building automated security systems and automatic threat detection, among others, and in 2023, we’ll see smarter systems that can predict new attacks and notify admins in real time. AI and automation also can help MSPs maintain sophisticated control over the data they are responsible for collecting, analyzing, managing, and securing for their clients.
Automation and PSA integration are already baked into the Pax8 ecosystem of service and the business acumen of many successful MSPs. Look for the need for automated efficiencies to become standard practice in 2023.
Infrastructure Management, Migration, and Optimization
As SMBs and enterprises become increasingly aware of the need to compete with digital services and experiences for their clients, there are growth opportunities for MSPs in providing migration, configuration, optimization, cybersecurity, and overall business transformation projects. Even still, some businesses might never exist fully in the cloud, and MSPs looking to offer advanced services can manage the hybrid data structures many SMBs will require in 2023 and beyond.
By building hybrid models, MSPs can see where there may be opportunities to move more to a variety of clouds and, most importantly, to use the cloud itself to monitor and manage the premise infrastructure they are responsible for. By implementing remote management, MSPs can conserve money by avoiding or eliminating the need to dispatch a technician for a service call, for example, and can start to compete in a more modern field service industry.
2023 will almost certainly throw curveballs at MSPs, SMBs, and the wider IT channel that will require agility and adaptability. Now more than ever, successful MSPs will be those who can navigate change while holding true to their core service goals.
