The MSP business has always been ultra-competitive. For an end user the decision as to which service provider to use typically comes down to a few factors which include price, services and support. To increase their competitive capabilities related to price and services, many MSP’s have found that switching their core network monitoring platform to a cloud based SaaS model has dramatically improved their position in the market.

Lower Cost

One of the biggest benefits of using a cloud based system instead of a traditional on premise application is the sheer amount of cost savings achieved with a SaaS model. MSP’s no longer have to shell out a large initial up-front capital expenditure for their monitoring platform.  Instead they can choose to pay only for what they need and when they need it.  As their customer base grows, they can add new capacity on a month to month basis.  This cost advantage can be passed on to customers which leads to more new customers thereby increasing both the top and bottom lines of the MSP’s business.

Increased Services

Cloud based SaaS monitoring systems have the added advantage of being able to more quickly roll out new service offerings and support for new devices.  Technology moves quickly and when something new comes along, it’s important that it can be brought into the managed estate as seamlessly as possible.  Cloud product typically have a much shorter development and rollout cycle as compared to on premise “heavy” applications.  Greater speed to market gives a huge advantage to any MSP for a given service.

Easier Installations and Maintenance

Cloud based solutions are also easier to install and maintain as compared to traditional systems.  Because the cloud solution vendor is responsible for software upgrades, maintenance etc. the MSP no longer has to waste internal resources “managing the management system” this means that those resources can be free’d up to work with customers delivering front line solutions and increasing customer satisfaction which leads to greater customer retention and incremental revenue growth.

The bottom line is that MSP’s are always looking for ways to make their business more efficient and profitable.  Moving their monitoring platform to a cloud based SaaS solution is one of the easiest and most effective ways to both reduce costs and increase services - therefore delivering a competitive advantage versus the market.