As economic uncertainty continues globally, many companies are slowing down or stopping investments and waiting to make significant changes. However, standing still is as risky as moving forward. Channel partners must recognize this time for what it is—a new business opportunity. To remain competitive in the digital age, managed service providers (MSPs) must be willing to adapt to the times and embrace new opportunities, even in the face of uncertainty. Taking bold steps and embracing change can position your MSP business for long-term success in an increasingly dynamic market.
To that end, consider offering new services that appeal to even those customers who are concerned about spending. Here are three data protection services that can help you attract and retain customers today.
1. Data Security
Data security solutions are a significant market opportunity. As cyberattacks and data breaches continue to threaten businesses, companies of all sizes are looking for ways to protect their sensitive data and ensure that it remains secure.
Be sure to have a firm grasp of the various data security solutions out there and be able to recommend the best one for each customer. As an example, SMBs are dealing with massive data growth, yet they want to spend less time managing their backup and storage infrastructure and more time focused on priorities that will deliver business value, such as deploying new applications.
To help them deal with explosive data growth, recommend a cost-effective, scale-out storage solution that will adapt to their needs. Such a solution will allow SMBs to pay only for what they need. They can start with a single node with a few terabytes of capacity, then seamlessly scale to multiple petabytes with zero configuration or application changes.
Choose storage vendor partners with key security attributes like immutable storage to ensure your customers' data is secure. Immutability is a type of data storage in which, once data is written, it cannot be modified or deleted. Immutable storage is helpful because it enables organizations to always have access to an intact, current copy of their data. It can be vital in case of a systems outage or cyberattack, when accessing the data stored on the affected system may be difficult or impossible.
2. SaaS Backup
With the business world shifting toward the cloud and embracing software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, the need for robust, secure backup solutions is even more critical. Cloud providers do their part to safeguard customer data, but ultimately, it's up to customers to ensure their information is adequately backed up, protected, and recoverable. Cloud providers can't control everything. User error, hardware failure, natural disasters, and malicious attacks are all events that can lead to data loss—and they're all outside the control of cloud providers.
This is an opportunity to offer SaaS backup services that can help your customers protect their critical data and ensure they can quickly and easily recover the data during an outage or disaster. Offering SaaS backup:
- Allows you to differentiate your business from competitors by delivering a unique and valuable service.
- Provides a steady and recurring revenue stream, as businesses typically pay a subscription fee for SaaS backup services.
- Gives you the ability to build stronger relationships with your customers by helping them address a critical pain point and protect their data.
