The Managed Services Provider aka Modern MSP and Business-Outcome Solutions

In a recent blog I wrote about the types of IT Solutions Providers from the traditional VAR to MSP (Managed Services Provider).  I also mentioned that SBT Partners is a Modern MSP now offering cloud. In this blog I’d like to discuss some of the main beneficiaries of cloud and what these personas are looking to achieve.

The Line of Business Manager (ie. CFO, CMO, etc.) is increasingly becoming more of the cloud buyer than the IT Manager and is looking for the cloud to provide them “business-outcome” solutions. To quote Milind Govekar, managing vice president at Gartner “Many lines of business buy external cloud services without the initial involvement of, or oversight from, IT leaders” Along with another Gartner quote “analysts are predicting that by the year 2015, 35% of enterprise IT expenditures for most organizations will be managed outside the IT department’s budget”

So what is a Line of Business Manager and what are they looking for when buying cloud? Trying very hard not to over-generalize the Line of Business Managers, these personas…

1.  Have titles such as CFO, CMO, CRO, COO, VP Finance, VP Mktg, VP Sales, VP Ops, VP HR
2.  Are trying to meet their business goals including increasing productivity, controlling costs and staying ahead of the competition.
3.  Are increasingly hearing about and learning how cloud can help them meet their goals and are starting to proactively get more cloud educated.
4.  Value any support they can get to help them achieve their top line and bottom line business goals
5.  Investigate cloud via the web, their staff and peers and social outlets
6.  Are looking for someone they can trust, and has business acumen with proven business results

The cloud is bringing an enormous selection of services to the Line of Business Manager. It’s up to the Modern MSP to understand their business needs and goals, match those needs and goals with relevant cloud “bundled solutions” and deliver “business outcomes”. Actually, I can end right here and state that providing business-outcomes to virtually every employee at our clients is what most excites us at SBT Partners!