This document discusses the changing role of managed service providers (MSPs). It notes that MSPs originally focused on technical skills but now must also focus on business skills as trusted advisors to clients. It also discusses how MSPs must adapt to new technologies like cloud services and mobility. The document advocates that MSPs take an open platform approach to integrate various solutions and better serve customers.

1. 1
THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE MSP
Dr. Alistair Forbes
General Manager, GFI MAX

2. 2
THE EVOLVING MSP LANDSCAPE

3. 3
The Old Certainties Are Gone

4. 4
The New Realities

5. 5
2014 and GFI MAX
Changing Role of the MSP
Value
Added
Reseller
1st Generation
Managed
Service
Provider
Network
Engineer/
Consultant
Managed
Service
Provider
2.0

6. 6
Changing Role of the MSP

7. 7
Changing Role of the MSP
MSP 1.0 skills
MSP 2.0 skills
Technical expertise
Service management
IT-focused
Business-focused
Network design, configuration,
installation
Service and vendor research and
selection
Business development
Business development
Operations excellence
Consulting and advisory skills
Product sourcing
Vendor management
Infrastructure skills
Application skills
Hardware integration
Service integration
Recommender and implementer
Trusted adviser, service aggregator

8. 8
Size isn’t everything …
•
•
•
Founded 1892
7,600 employees
Bankrupt 2012

9. 9
Speed matters …
•
•
•
Launched 2010
16 employees
Bought by Facebook
for $1B in 2012

10. 10
Agility – The fast eat the slow

11. 11
Agility – Low Icebergs

12. 12
Agility – Serve your customer not your systems

13. 13
Agility - Bringing it all together

14. 14
Resisting Artificial Commoditisation
Paul Kenny – Resistance is Futile - http://bit.ly/1c388YY

15. 15
The Role of the Business Owner
http://bit.ly/FergusonFormula

16. 16
CLOUD SERVICES

17. 17
Cloud Services – Survey Participants
Survey conducted by GFI MAX, August 2013, 701 responses

18. 18
Cloud Services – Customer Demand

19. 19
Cloud Services – Current Provision

20. 20
Cloud Services – Management Demand

21. 21
Cloud Services – Management Demand

22. 22
Cloud Services – Management Functionality

23. 23
Cloud Services – Relative adoption
Source – Computing Magazine (UK), April 2013 survey

24. 24
Cloud Services – Completeness of Solution
Source – Computing Magazine (UK), April 2013 survey

25. 25
Cloud Services – Storage options
Source – Computing Magazine (UK), April 2013 survey

26. 26
Cloud Services – Preferred provider
Source – Computing Magazine (UK), April 2013 survey

27. 27
Cloud Services – Relative adoption
Source – CompTIA 4th Annual Trends in Cloud Computing survey, Sep 2013

28. 28
Cloud Services – Revenue Opportunity
Source – CompTIA 4th Annual Trends in Cloud Computing survey, Sep 2013

29. 29
Cloud Services Management

30. 30
Cloud Services Management

31. 31
THINK MOBILE …

32. 32
Does not compute, Canute …
» Tablet shipments predicted to outstrip PC shipments by 2015 (IDC)
» Smartphone shipments >1.4 billion units in 2015

33. 33
People are still buying a lot of PCs

34. 34
Just not as many as they used to …

35. 35
And maybe they don’t need to …

36. 36
Approach to Mobile
» Most RMM mobile apps present a conventional view of the world,
cut down and scaled down for small screen device
» Primarily a view capability with limited opportunity to take action
» Makes no use of the unique capabilities of mobile devices
□ Gesture-based UI
□ Location-aware capabilities
□ Alternative input methods – voice/photo/video
» New approach required
□ Mobile-first
□ Mobile-optimized
□ Field-task oriented

37. 37
OPEN PLATFORM

38. 38
An Open Platform
» Current API and scripting mechanisms allows integration by third parties
and extension of the system
» GFI MAX will continue to integrate the technologies with the broadest
appeal to the majority of customers
» We can never deliver all of the solutions that will match the individual
requirements of every customer, everyone
has a different piece that would complete
the puzzle for them
» Launched community scripting platform
» Extending the API to allow deeper integration
by third parties of a broader range of solutions

39. Built-in integrations
GFI MAX Core
Scripting
API
Custom
applications
Data access/
reporting
Vendor integrations
Community
Self-generated
3rd party AV &
Backup
AutoTask
MDM
Backup
Patch Mgmt
Anti-Virus
RMM
39
Open at every touch point

40. 40
THANK YOU