Green pointed to the recently published Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) market study exploring the size and scale of the managed service provider (MSP) market in the UK. Green said this report confirmed something Larato has known for a long time, “that UK resellers and service providers are critical to this country’s success”.
That report found, in the most recent financial year, annual MSP-related revenue within the sector is estimated at £52.6 billion.
Green then highlighted research Larato has carried out which shows how MSPs can guide businesses through their options. She said, “98 per cent of business buyers want to buy more technology this year, and 60 per cent of these buyers are prioritising investments with expert help.”
According to Green, businesses want a relationship with their technology provider, with expert guidance on what technologies to buy and ongoing support when using those technologies.
She emphasised how channel companies and vendors can work together to open opportunities. “The big players like BT and Microsoft have amazing, fantastic products. But they can’t provide the advice and support that buyers, particularly small buyers, really need. There’s a sweet spot where everybody wins. When a business buys from a reseller, the business buys the right product for the right reason.
“That means the reseller grows, but also the product satisfaction for the vendor grows as well. The channel can release a lot of this commercial potential for vendors.”
The reseller and MSP community is ready to take hold of those opportunities and move into the future. Green said, “The Channel is in good shape. We’ve got just shy of 16,000 companies. We’ve got a nice spread of capabilities. We could do with a little bit more innovation coming through, but there’s all to play for.”