Cross The Expectations Divide
Why MSPs Need To Embrace Change And Modernize Their Stack
Their Convenience, Your Chaos: The Expectations Divide
Your clients live in a world of seamless mobility. They access critical work data on their personal laptops, company tablets, and smartphones, jumping between apps with ease. They download tools they find useful, often without your knowledge, to ‘get the job done’. They prioritize convenience, and why shouldn’t they?
But you, the MSP, see a different reality. Managing the sheer diversity of devices, each with its own quirks and security flaws, feels like an impossible juggling act. Shadow IT haunts your clients’ IT landscapes, obscuring vital data and creating security blind spots.
And cyberattacks? They exploit the vulnerabilities hidden within this chaotic environment. You’re fighting to secure a perimeter that’s constantly shifting, against enemies that are always evolving. The comfortable old ways of managing devices are failing, and the price of inaction is steep: stifled growth, client churn, and devastating security breaches.
This disconnect – between the client’s expectation of frictionless access and your reality of limited visibility and escalating threats – is the most immediate challenge facing MSPs today. This eBook is your reality check, and it will shed light on resources and insight to help you cross the divide and thrive.
Your Clients’ Reality: How They See Their World
Your clients aren’t living in the past, and neither are their employees. The world of work has been fundamentally transformed; they want to work from anywhere, on any device, and they expect seamless access to their tools and data. They expect the same user experience whether they’re in the office, at home, or on the go. This limitless access works wonders for them and their employers, enhancing their efficiency and productivity.
“We want to use the apps that make us productive, and we know how to find them. It’s not about causing trouble; it’s about getting our work done effectively. IT provides us with most of the resources we need, and we fill in the rest.”
“We need to be able to work from anywhere, on any device – laptops, phones, tablets, you name it. It’s about flexibility and getting things done efficiently. We expect seamless access to our work, wherever we are.”
How You See Their World
While your clients are living the dream, you, as their MSP, see their world differently. Complexity is on the rise as visibility is hampered, making the day-to-day more challenging and potentially allowing ever-evolving security threats to gain a foothold in your clients’ environment.
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“Clients download and use whatever apps they want to be productive, leading to shadow IT and zero visibility. We don’t know what data is at risk or if those apps are secure. We’re losing control, and that’s a huge problem.”
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“It feels like the security landscape is changing faster than we can keep up. There’s a daily barrage of new threats – AI-powered attacks, phishing attempts that are incredibly sophisticated, zero-day exploits…it’s relentless. We’re constantly scrambling to update our security protocols, and it’s a real challenge to have the right tools and expertise to protect our clients.”
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“Our clients are mobile-first now, working from anywhere and expecting constant access. We’re dealing with a mix of company-owned and personal devices, which makes security and control a nightmare. It’s like securing a network that’s always moving.”
Your Reality: The Legacy Trap
You’re not just battling external pressures; your internal systems may be working against you too. Many MSPs are shackled to outdated approaches that are no longer fit for purpose. This isn’t just inefficient; it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
For too long, most MSPs have been working under either one of two equally flawed paradigms: monolithic vendors or a patchwork of siloed solutions. The trap is that no matter where you land on this spectrum, you’re often forced to spend too much time and energy juggling your stack and “making it work” instead of thinking strategically, tackling larger initiatives, and growing your business.
Monolithic Vendors
Restricts your clients to a single-vendor environment, which doesn’t support the diverse requirements of distributed workforces
Siloed Point Solutions
These solutions operate as individuals, leading to data silos, increased complexity, and a massive resource drain
Neither of these approaches provides the agility and efficiency your MSP needs to thrive.
Un-Stuck Your Stack
If your IT stack was designed before the challenges of modern IT management were around, it's only a matter of time before the pressures to "make it work" are simply too much to manage. Feeling stuck with your stack? There is a way out! Check out "Un-Stuck Your Stack" to get insights on how you can unstuck yourself and get ahead of what's coming.
Learn More
The Core Problem: A Fundamental Mismatch
At some point you’ll face a stark and unsettling reality: the tools and strategies that once served as the bedrock of your IT management will increasingly fail to deliver. This won’t be a matter of minor inefficiencies or slight adjustments; it’s a fundamental mismatch between the solutions you’re deploying and the complex, dynamic environment you’re operating within.
The Cost of Inefficiency
Inefficient IT isn’t just a headache; it’s a drain on resources and a threat to client relationships. Imagine precious budget dollars funneled into keeping outdated systems alive, while innovative solutions gather dust. The result? Your team frequently wrestles with tech that refuses to cooperate, losing countless hours to frustrating workarounds. It can make retaining talent and hiring challenging as you find yourself in need of highly specialized skills.
39% of IT teams report spending 26-50% of their entire budgets on licensing fees.
77% of admins expect their IT budget to increase over the next 12 months.
35% of organizations don’t use MSPs because they’re too expensive.
The result? Clients feel shortchanged, questioning the value they receive, especially if rising costs don’t translate to better service. This isn’t just about technical glitches; it’s about the bottom line and the trust you’ve worked hard to build.
Client Expectations & the Threat of Churn
Clients are no longer satisfied with basic IT support; they demand comprehensive solutions that ensure flexibility, robust security, and seamless experiences.
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Clients are looking for the whole package
They expect MSPs to deliver secure access to data and applications, enable seamless remote work, and provide user-friendly support systems.
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Clients want more modern solutions
As the tech scenario evolves, clients expect an expansive set of service offerings from MSPs, the top ones being cybersecurity, SaaS management, and device management.
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If you won’t, then someone else will!
Clients will gravitate towards MSPs that both meet their current needs and anticipate their future requirements.
What’s At Stake? The High-Risk Gamble
Failing to adapt to the new realities of device management isn’t just an inconvenience for you – it can be catastrophic. Those of you who cling to outdated approaches face a very real threat to your business.
An outdated IT management makes it difficult to retain existing clients and attract new ones. This affects your innovation and your ability to scale ahead. You’re stuck in a holding pattern, while your competitors race ahead.
In today’s fast-paced market, clients can switch providers with alarming speed. If you fail to adapt, you’ll find yourself losing business faster than you can replace it.
The threat of security breaches and compliance violations directly impacts you. Low visibility and poor tools expose both you and your clients to catastrophic risks, including severe legal and financial consequences and losing client’s trust.
Building The Bridge Forward
The traditional way of managing IT is at the core of this glaring client expectations gap. This is what you need to address head-on. The break-fix model isn’t an answer anymore; you must focus on modernizing your IT stack to bridge this divide and thrive in the long term. This means parting with solutions that lack visibility and agility to better support today’s dynamic workspace.
Taking on a more proactive approach requires you to look for, and implement, solutions that:
Modernizing your IT stack with these decisive actions allows you to satisfy changing client needs and secure long-term growth in a fast-paced tech world.
Ready to Cross The Divide? Let’s Explore!
The challenges facing MSPs are real, but so are the opportunities. By understanding your clients’ evolving needs and embracing modern solutions, you can not only overcome hurdles but also build a thriving MSP.
Which of these next steps best fits your needs right now?
Dive Deep into Identity-Centric Strategies
Grab our comprehensive ebook The Future of Device Management Is Identity-Centric for practical tips and real-world examples for modernizing your device management strategy.
Understand The Hype Around SaaS Management
Discover how you can differentiate your MSP and secure your clients by incorporating SaaS management into your list of services.
Stay Ahead of the Curve with SME IT Trends
Understand the latest challenges and opportunities impacting your clients and how you can rise to the challenge.
Don’t let device management complexities hold you back. Choose your path to a more efficient and secure future today!
All statistics cited in this eBook can be found across the 2025 SME IT Trends Report and the MSP Trends Special Report.