One of the most compelling aspects in regards to managed IT is its lack of a true definition when it comes to the various components that fall under its umbrella. The service continues to evolve and grow over time, and dealers who are serious about scaling their offering to address the constantly-growing field are keen on keeping pace with the demands of clients.
The $64,000 question thus becomes: what’s next? As part of April’s State of the Industry report on managed IT, we asked our dealer panel which subset(s) of the discipline they are targeting next.
You can count Definitive Technology Solutions of Bloomington, Minnesota, among those dealers staying attuned to the broad needs of end-users. Cloud solutions are a growing focus, and areas of compliance are taking on greater significance, according to Tom McHenry, vice president of managed services. One of the biggest talking points is cybersecurity maturity model configuration (CMMC) compliance.
“There’s revenue to be made down that path,” McHenry stated. “We’re working on a couple of solutions that speak to CMMC and advanced cybersecurity offerings throughout 2022.”
While the technology stack at Usherwood Office Technology is constantly evaluated, the greatest level of evolution has happened in the past three years alone. Usherwood’s offering is standard, lacking the upcharges for certain elements (a strategy some dealers employ), the dealer needs the stability of a static offering. As such, the added layers of security are non-negotiable, notes Lindsay Usherwood, the firm’s general counsel and corporate secretary.
“We feel our only choice is to provide this disciplined approach for our clients because we can see the dangers if we do not protect them,” she said. “In short, it makes both our job and the client’s jobs easier.”
Art of Compliance
Here, too, compliance needs are prompting the dealer to enhance its technology stack for those clients in high compliance-driven industries that seek more reporting and accountability for the traffic on their networks. Usherwood points out that as the solution develops and becomes scalable for smaller organizations, the dealer will provide the solution to that segment of its client base.
“Businesses who may not necessarily require the compliance aspect, but who desire the additional benefits that advanced managed detection and response offers,” may be an optimal fit, she said. “For now, this is an additional service that Usherwood delivers, on top of our managed IT services. We are constantly evaluating when this too, may become a non-negotiable for all our clients.”
Ron Hulett, project manager for U.S. Business Systems (USBS) of Elkhart, Indiana, notes that as his company continues to seek out enhancements and improvements to its stack, the focus is on creating unique offerings that will solidify its standing within client accounts and make it more difficult for competitors to find a strategic opening. USBS recently rolled out these unique offerings to a sample segment of its base where it makes the most sense, according to Hulett.
“The customers have been extremely receptive to the idea; it provides additional benefits for them while strengthening our position with them and strengthening our financial position in the process,” he said. “We’re not ready to make that strategy public knowledge yet as we want to be able to take full advantage of our efforts first. If we are successful at marketing this, we believe it is a game-changer and will completely change the organization as we gain more and more traction with our strategic plan, both financially and functionally.”
Partner Power
Having a solid, reliable partner platform has made business life much easier for The Swenson Group (TSG). In the case of the Livermore, California, dealer, its relationship with All Covered enables the company to take on the role of “problem solver,” which happens to be one of TSG’s core values, according to President Dean Swenson.
“As they continue to acquire best of breed MSPs and build our different vertical practices, TSG will look to leverage those additions in our marketplace,” Swenson added.
At Stargel Office Solutions-Star Managed Services, the company is currently assessing its internal network operations center (NOC) and cloud hosting as opposed to outsourcing the services to its partners. According to TJ DeBello, vice president of sales, the dealer took the first step in hiring a project manager and a dedicated dispatcher.
