ZEBRA SYSTEMS: IT services market is shifting towards MSP and MSSP services

Zebra Systems, a distributor of value-added IT security and data protection solutions, today presented the noticeable trend of the shift in the IT services market from classic hardware software sales to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) in recent years. This shift provides organizations with comprehensive management of their IT needs and security requirements, allowing them to focus on their core business.

MSPs provide organizations with a single point of contact and service that takes care of all their IT needs, including network management, security, updates, backup, and data recovery. MSSPs, on the other hand, are more focused on security, either as part of an MSP’s services or on their own.

“The advantage of MSP and MSSP services is the contractual treatment of systems uptime and the elimination of unexpected expenses in case of an incident,” said Zdeněk Bínek, Chief Executive Director of Zebra Systems. “Our partners are increasingly using MSP solutions, which allows them to monitor and protect multiple systems from a single dashboard.”

But there are still some doubts about this. According to research by N-able, a leading provider of MSP platforms to MSP providers, only 40 % of workstations are backed up every 48 hours. Just 10 % of MSPs offer DNS filtering and only one-third of MSPs are using two-factor authentication.

Today, MSSP services include network infrastructure management, endpoint, and IT infrastructure security, backup and disaster recovery, management and security of cloud applications and services, user account management, print device management, and mobile device management and monitoring.

“A good monitoring and management system (RMM) is a core part of any service provider’s arsenal, allowing them to monitor the current status of all systems and control critical parameters in a fully automated way, and receive instant alerts,” said Nebojša Stankić, Zebra Systems Regional Manager for Southeast Europe.

From IT security tools, endpoint security is a critical factor for MSPs and MSSPs, with a move away from traditional antivirus to EDR or XDR (Endpoint/Extended Detection and Response) solutions for deeper analytics capabilities. “EDR provides protection for endpoints, whether they are workstations, servers, or laptops, and typically uses detection based on multiple methods, including machine learning and AI,” added Stankić.

Data backup and recovery is another key part of IT protection, with MSP solutions like N-able Cove Data Protection or Acronis Cyber Protect. The same with network security – GFI Software recently launched  Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) enabling MSP providers to provide firewall protection through the SaaS license model in Kerio Control.

Zebra Systems believes that MSPs and MSSPs are the future of IT services and are committed to providing the highest level of service to organizations of all sizes.