MSP Economics Report Shows Shift from Storage to AI and Cyber Resilience
What happened
A report by Exaba, based on a survey of 219 full-time IT services professionals in the United States, found that many Managed Service Providers are losing storage margin because they rely on infrastructure they do not own. While backup and data protection remain a major revenue stream, they rank near the bottom of expected growth drivers for these firms. Strategic AI consulting and agentic automation deployments lead the expected growth drivers at 40.6 per cent.
From itbrief.co.nz
Why it matters
The findings describe a margin paradox where data protection accounts for a large share of turnover at many MSPs, yet is not viewed as a primary growth driver. Sixty-two per cent of respondents treat backup and disaster recovery as part of a broader cyber resilience package, indicating a strategic shift in service offerings across the industry.
From itbrief.co.nz
Who's involved
- SOCCompany that conducted the survey on IT professionals
- Day & ZimmermannParent company of SOC
- CrowdStrikeAmerican cybersecurity technology company mentioned in industry trends
- Palo Alto NetworksCyber-security company mentioned in industry trends
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- CrowdStrikeSpeculative
CrowdStrike might see increased demand for specialized security services as MSPs prioritize integrated cyber resilience.
- Palo Alto NetworksSpeculative
Palo Alto Networks could see increased demand for platforms as MSPs shift away from storage toward AI and cyber resilience.
Keep exploring
The entities involved
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SOC
Czech company
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