2016 was firmly the year of the cloud. Yet, it will get even better. Reports by MarketsandMarkets estimate the managed services market will grow from USD $145.33 billion in 2016 to USD $242.45 billion by 2021, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8% year-over-year. In the recent past, companies have started realizing the value of having a trusted MSP providing the flexibility to deliver custom requirements, match increased dependency on heterogenous networks, as well as maximize system availability and optimize performance.
Managed service providers (MSPs) and infrastructure management are significant factors in your business success. Enterprises are beginning to realize that end-to-end cloud solutions constitute more than just platforms, procedures, and technologies. An MSP also offers real value in strategic aid and industry expertise without the upkeep of an expensive in-house team.
ProV International Inc. is a global managed IT service provider with a rich portfolio of providing successful infrastructure and strategic support. MSPs like ProV can help you source a wider scope of talent, multi-country and multi-continent engagements, and maximize uptime of your computing assets while ensuring your 24x7x365 business continuity.
We do this by analyzing trends and preparing for the future, like any responsible MSP would do. With that in mind, here are the top 5 trends in managed services you’re likely to notice in 2017:
1) Hybrid Cloud Will Lead the Way
While many still debated the pros and cons of public vs. private cloud in 2016, 2017 is likely to see hybrid cloud increase in popularity. As more and more companies and software become cloud dependant, MSPs will shift their focus on the flexibility of hybrid cloud to match the varied needs of their clients.
2) Multi-Cloud Managed Services
Much like traditional managed IT service providers manage multi-OS (Windows/Mac/Linux) devices, we are likely to see multi-cloud management. Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) might lose some of their early entrant advantage in the market. They are likely to face competition from heavyweights like Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and IBM Cloud entering the arena as well.
3) Niche Managed IT Services
With increased competition for cloud supremacy, MSPs will look to carve out niche markets for themselves. Some MSPs may delve into DevOps managed services, while others might get into Hadoop managed services to target customers. We are already seeing signs of it as the Google Cloud Platform tries to carve out a specialization on Big Data Analytics.
4) Channel Partner MSPs
Clients are growing more demanding as companies struggle to find resources to provide 24x7x365 technical support and migration on top of access to the latest cloud software. Many MSPs will start to provide partner programs offering cloud support and migration for their resellers. MSPs often also have expert staff that can provide strategic value to your organization.
5) Data Security
With big data ruling the roost and more and more enterprises moving to the cloud via hosted email and online backup, companies are also looking for robust security measures to protect all this data. Smart MSPs are thus expanding into solutions that help their clients comply with government directives, Industry regulations, as well as SLA and ITIL compliance.
6) Bundled Solutions
Services and applications will keep moving to the cloud as commoditization of the cloud continues. However, this will decrease the chances of MSPs to upsell and reduce revenues. To negate the trend, MSPs have started offering bundled solutions stitching together technologies, services, and products as an enterprise-wide solution—making it a win-win for the end consumer.
Discerning future trends is always tricky. A trusted managed service provider, like ProV, by your side, will allow you to be free from heavy infrastructure investments, and still stay ahead of the curve. To learn more about how we help transform businesses into successes or contact us today.
