JumpCloud released its Q2 2023 SME IT Trends Report. The poll of IT admins in the U.K., U.S., and France shows that 43% of U.K. respondents have concerns about how MSPs manage security, in line with 46% globally. However, this is 11% lower than U.S. respondents, where 54% reported concerns.
More than one-half (57%) of U.K. IT admins use MSPs to some extent within their IT program. However, this is 12% lower than the global average and 22% lower than U.S. respondents, where the usage of MSPs is at 79%.
This is interesting timing for a pair of managed services-related stories.
Arrow Electronics is adding managed services to its portfolio. The distributor added storage, cloud backup, network, and security with automated monitoring and cloud orchestration as new services available for providers.
And not entirely new, but new to me – and perhaps you – Microsoft has launched Business Assist for Microsoft 365. An optional add-on for $5 a month per user adds a small business advisor, access to Microsoft support, personalized migration support to Microsoft 365, and regular checkups. It explicitly lists “No tickets to track, no robots, no long waiting times.”. Phone, email, or in-product support.
I thought I’d couple two large organizations moving further into the space with the data around the demand. It’s easy to understand why both organizations are motivated to ensure they have an offering.
That Microsoft offering should give pause. Yes, I hear your screams about personalization and your ability to be local. No tickets to track as a feature. That sounds quite compelling, and if Microsoft can pull it off, why can’t you?