2021 is sure to bring a number of challenges for your MSP—here are some of the best tools on the market today that can help your company overcome these challenges. Managed services providers (MSPs) and other businesses that deal with sensitive data on behalf of their customers and their own organization face a range of challenges.

Unlike the previous year, more managed service providers (MSPs) are embracing digitalization in 2021. Many organizations have adopted a remote-first mentality and are investing in technologies that are strategically aligned with this new way of life. Despite the 3.2 percent decline in IT spending in 2020, Gartner projects that spending will surge and reach $3.9 trillion worldwide in 2021. More IT organizations are investing in enterprise software as remote work becomes essential.

Data loss can cause big problems for managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers. With an MSP backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solution in place, MSPs can guard against data loss following a cyber attack, hardware failure, or any other IT incident.

Monitoring is a major part of a Managed Service Provider or MSP. After all, it emerged as remote management and monitoring (RMM) of servers. However, today MSP’s scope is well-defined and distinguished from standard RMMs. Nevertheless, monitoring is still a key service that these companies provide to their clients. Managed service providers take care of all the IT infrastructure of their clients.

Managed service providers (MSPs) need the right tools to get the job done quickly and securely. MSP tools dictate control over everything from virtual machine (VM) management and database administration to application and server monitoring. They can also help MSPs oversee IT infrastructure. MSP tools are valuable, but not all tools are created equal.

Today’s organizations face ransomware, malware, and other cyber attacks, and managed service providers (MSPs) need an incident response plan (or “IRP”) to mitigate against these threats. In a recent survey of 200 MSPs, 74% of respondents said they have suffered a cyber attack, and 83% noted their small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers experienced one as well. Yet, with an incident response plan (IRP), MSPs can protect themselves and their customers against cyber attacks.

Managed service providers (MSPs) require automation, so they can deliver fast, efficient IT services that meet customer expectations. But, MSP automation can be difficult — and the longer it takes an MSP to automate IT service management (ITSM), the further it falls behind its competitors. Today’s MSPs face several challenges relative to automation, including: 1. Complex Scripting Language IT technicians may need to learn a complex scripting language to leverage an ITSM platform.

Every second counts when it comes to Managed Service Provider (MSP) security — the longer it takes an MSP to complete security incident response, the greater the ramifications of the incident on the service provider and its stakeholders. When faced with a cyber attack, it’s crucial to understand the potential consequences of the security incident. It also is paramount for an MSP to establish a plan, so it can quickly and effectively respond to cyber attacks and other security incidents.