With the traditional MSP model coming under more pressure, smart MSPs are wasting no time moving into new, high-growth, margin-rich areas.
Three leading MSPs will share their secrets on how they are evolving their businesses in response to this challenge at next week's CRN Channel Conference, MSP.
This includes Rob Bardwell, the managing director of Welsh MSP Pinacl, a company which has put the Internet of Things (IoT) at the centre of its strategy. Bardwell, whose firm is currently rolling out an IoT network across Newport, will talk about how MSPs can exploit opportunities in this emerging market, which analyst IDC forecasts will be worth a cool $1.4tn by 2021.
Taking place next Thursday at 1 America Square in central London, the conference will also feature MSP case studies from new EACS CEO Kevin Timms and Ancoris CEO David McLeman.
As a former IT director at Ford Motor Company, Timms - who harbours plans to build a £50m MSP outfit - will bring a unique CIO-turned-MSP CEO's slant on what clients are really seeking from MSPs today.
McLeman recently talked CRN through cloud specialist Ancoris' push to embrace higher-margin areas such as APIs, in partnership with Google. He will offer delegates tips on how to add value beyond the standard managed and cloud services that are begin to suffer from the vagaries of commoditisation.
The two panel discussions of the day, both moderated by John Pepper, managing director of CRN MSP of the year Managed 24/7, will be on the evolution of MSPs, and sales and marketing excellence.
They will feature an all-star cast, including Centerprise founder Rafi Razzak. Sonny Sehgal, director & co-founder, Transputec, Craig Aston, commercial director, Celerity, Rufus Grig, chief technology & strategy officer, Maintel, Lorrin White, managing director, Bamboo Technology Group, Carl Henriksen, founder & CEO, OryxAlign, Chris Dunning, founder, TechQuarters & the 365 Cloud Academy, and Roger Harry, CEO, Circle IT, complete the ensemble of panellists.
No conference about managed services would be complete without a session on GDPR, which IDC recently pegged as a $3.7bn annual security sales opportunity for the channel. Robert Bond, a partner at Bristows LLP, will take to the stage to give a legal view of the new law that comes into play next May.
Additionally, executives from Webroot, CA, ConnectWise, Sungard Availibility Services and Autotask will be giving the vendor view on how the MSP landscape is changing on the day.
To find out more about the event, which is completely free for resellers and MSPs to attend, click here.
We hope to see you there.