{"id":11784,"date":"2025-02-27T18:52:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mspglobal.com\/blog\/?p=11784"},"modified":"2025-03-12T17:23:31","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T16:23:31","slug":"what-is-an-msp-and-what-it-should-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mspglobal.com\/blog\/what-is-an-msp-and-what-it-should-be\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an MSP\u2014Better Yet, What SHOULD an MSP Be?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The line between service provider types is getting blurrier as scope-of-service expectations expand.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone googles \u201cWhat is an MSP?\u201d, they\u2019ll probably find something like \u201ca company that delivers and supports digital services for business customers,\u201d though those GenAI summaries in your search engine that you can\u2019t seem to turn off may spit out something a bit less comprehensible. But that\u2019s the gist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, even that succinct definition doesn\u2019t really capture either the crucial role an MSP plays in the modern global economy\u2014or the role of MSPs in an evolving internet. With the global market for managed services valued at $344 billion in 2024 and forecast to blow past $657 billion in 2030 it makes a lot of sense to get the clearest picture possible of what you as an MSP should really be doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the demand from your customers is no longer \u201cI need a website and maybe email.\u201d Now it\u2019s more like \u201cI need a website, email, eCommerce, cybersecurity that actually works, and a support structure of my own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so now \u201cWhat is an MSP?\u201d becomes a much more exciting question!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You Are Not Just a Help Desk\u2014You\u2019re More Like a Personal Trainer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you limit the definition of \u201cmanaged service provider\u201d to its support role, you leave out too much of the picture, and leave too many opportunities unaddressed. Rather than framing yourselves as a glorified help desk, empower your team by instead framing them as personal trainers, with your customers as athletes preparing for a major sporting event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Note: If you need music for your training montage, I suggest \u201c<\/em>Gonna Fly Now<\/em><\/a>\u201d or \u201c<\/em>You\u2019re the Best<\/em><\/a>\u201d. \u201c<\/em>No Mercy<\/em><\/a>\u201d isn\u2019t bad, either; but maybe too hardcore and too obscure.<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An athlete needs the right equipment, the right fuel, the right training environment, and the right coaching to bring everything together. So your role as an MSP is to deliver a full digital transformation package to a business\u2014usually small- or medium-sized\u2014so that they can survive in their given industry. \u201cGood enough\u201d is no longer good enough: the interconnected global economy means that each and every one of your customers needs to reach their peak potential. To help them achieve this, you must do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The secret to meeting this challenge is to not only understand the tools that can be delivered to your customers, but also how to combine them for maximum benefit and ease of use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successful relationships at this higher level demand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n