Security. Cloud. Digital transformation. Telephony. Good old-fashioned network/server management. Backup/disaster recovery. Pick one or all, but they’re certainly the hot-button talking points dealers have been engaging in with their end-user clients during assessments.
As we open this month’s State of the Industry focus on managed IT, we examine whether MSPs have evolved their assessments of client environments. Has the tone of client consultations evolved? Technology-wise, managed IT will always be a moving target, which will always wield great influence on the course of conversations about how prospects and clients can be most insulated, if not fully protected, to focus on their own line of business with peace of mind.
It’s fair to say that if the content of the conversation has not changed substantially, the immediacy for action is more keenly felt these days. Dan Strull, CEO of GoodSuite, has noted a substantial uptick in urgency among clients and prospects to address IT issues or potential challenges.
“The demand for quotes and the pressure to turn those around quickly have increased due to the business climate,” he said. “It is a slippery slope as you have to get the product and solution right. If you rush it, the risk increases and the stakes are much higher than the copier world.”
Assessing Risks
Dan Lamborn, corporate director of IT services for Edwards Business Systems, acknowledges that assessment methodologies in network and cybersecurity have evolved to compensate for hybrid and distributed workforces. Given the increased complexity of network environments, he feels there is a greater emphasis on risk assessments, vulnerability scanning and penetration testing to pinpoint and address potential security threats.
On the subject of client consultations, Lamborn has noted a topical shift toward a more proactive and collaborative approach. “Clients are now more aware of the importance of cybersecurity and are seeking guidance on how to effectively protect their networks and data,” he said. “Consultations now focus on developing tailored security strategies, implementing best practices, and educating clients on the trends and the latest threats in cybersecurity. The focus of our team is staying ahead of potential risks and ensuring that network and cybersecurity measures are robust and effective against threats that are constantly evolving.”
Increasingly, clients have drifted away from price-based decisions to best-protection considerations, according to Erik Crane, president and CEO of CPI Technologies in Springfield, Missouri. The high-visibility breaches of enterprise operations and some of the biggest household brands has shed light on the oft-repeated, yet oft-ignored notion that any business can be a target.
“Everyone is vulnerable and needs the best protection,” he said. “You may be able to go with a lower priced option in other areas of your organization but not when it comes to security.”
Cloud Migration
The subject of the cloud and migrating to it continues to rise from preference to necessity as businesses continue to permit distributed workforces. Jeff Loeb, president of Vitis Technologies—the managed IT arm for Cincinnati-based Prosource—the on-premise versus cloud discussion has assumed front-and-center status in nearly every assessment.
“We’re looking at whether it makes sense for the client to maintain on-prem solutions or whether we should look to move everything up in the cloud to give them more flexibility for that workforce,” he noted. “Our conversations are no longer about our help desk, monitoring, and all those bells and whistles. It’s about understanding the client’s business goals and how we can align technology to help them achieve those goals.”
Added Steve Sigmon, director of managed IT growth for Vitis, “Our clients recognize that the landscape is changing, and they realize they need to look to experts for strategic guidance on how to respond. It’s not what they know that is keeping them up at night—it’s what they don’t know. And that is where we come in with our process, providing education on solutions to address the concerns they know about, and those they don’t.”
No Assumptions
In some regards, the content of the assessment conversation is not as important as having your specialists/engineers conduct an eyes-on review of the client environment. Blake Renegar, director of managed network services for Kelly Office Solutions in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, cautions that if CEOs and CFOs are the ones initially engaged in the assessment conversation, it’s important to remember that they’re not IT specialists, and their knowledge of servers and the cloud could be limited.
“We’ve found that over the years, we need to put eyes on the current situation instead of taking the client’s word for it,” he noted. “They may say, ‘We’re cloud-based, because I can work from home’ when they actually remote connect into the server. They just don’t realize it. So you don’t want to make any assumptions; it’s better to see the environment in-person. You need to get on-site and put your hands on the product.”
