MSPs, VARs and ITSPs are feeling good about the sector—but the latest MSP GLOBAL State of MSP Report identifies a key obstacle (and therefore opportunity) to growth.
Read on to explore this topic, or download the full report now.
Partnerships are vital for MSP success
The message that collaboration is vital to growth came through loud and clear from the hundreds of MSP leaders we surveyed for the Summer 2025 report.
There was strong agreement that “It is important for MSPs to build trust between each other for the industry to thrive”, however the data highlights a fascinating mismatch between ambition and opportunity.
Survey data shows a 4.21 (out of 5) belief that trust is important—but closer examination of the results shows that many MSPs are failing to put this belief into practice. So why is this?
When asked to identify the main obstacle to collaboration, more than half of MSP leaders stated that a lack of trust or competitive tension was holding them back.
Other concerns include unclear revenue sharing (21%), lack of contacts (9%) and legal concerns (7%). Just 12% did not see barriers to collaboration.
Collaboration is being blocked
Notably, only a quarter of respondents (26%) said that their company is currently regularly collaborating with other MSPs. More than seven in 10 report having some collaboration experience, indicating that partnerships are happening, but not yet at scale.
MSPs aren’t collaboration-naïve; they’re collaboration-frustrated by logistics like cost sharing that erode trust when not handled well.
Takeaway for MSP leaders
Meeting customer needs is crucial to the success of every MSP. Those who can work comfortably together will be best positioned to provide the services and experience that clients demand.
The question for MSPs is not ‘why collaborate’ but ‘how can we collaborate better’. At MSP GLOBAL, we hope to be part of that answer!
Download the full report for more industry insight and analysis, including strategic priorities and the most popular service areas.
October 22-23, 2025 – 
PortAventura Theme Park (Barcelona), Spain