{"id":3921,"date":"2020-10-19T16:23:05","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T21:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/?p=3921"},"modified":"2020-10-28T16:39:53","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T21:39:53","slug":"looking-for-long-term-success-find-an-msp-that-offers-strategic-it-consulting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/looking-for-long-term-success-find-an-msp-that-offers-strategic-it-consulting\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking for Long-Term Success? Find an MSP That Offers Strategic IT Consulting"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog post titled \u201cWill Your Managed Service Provider Survive COVID-19?<\/a>\u201d in which I discussed the likelihood that smaller MSPs might close their doors as a result of the economic downturn spurred by the pandemic. The situation hasn\u2019t improved since then: 75.2 percent of the companies included in the U.S. Census Bureau\u2019s Small Business Pulse Survey<\/a> for Sept. 20-26 report the coronavirus pandemic has had either a large or moderate negative effect on them.<\/p>\n

In addition to their economic instability, my previous post also pointed out that small MSPs might not have the staff and tools needed to safeguard your network<\/a> against rapidly evolving cybersecurity threats, including the surge of coronavirus-inspired scams<\/a>. In addition to IT security, there\u2019s another area in which many MSPs might lack vital resources: Strategic IT consulting.<\/p>\n

Why a Strategic Approach Matters for MSPs and Their Clients<\/h2>\n

If your current service provider doesn\u2019t offer strategic IT consulting services, you should consider finding an MSP that does for numerous reasons. First of all, the switch to remote work arrangements for many businesses has made it clear that digital transformation<\/a> and embracing new types of tech like cloud phone systems (a.k.a., Unified Communications as a Service platforms<\/a>) is absolutely necessary for survival, let alone success.<\/p>\n

For instance, our team of senior IT consultants had already assisted many of our clients in setting up solutions like UCaaS and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS)<\/a> before the pandemic. As a result, these businesses didn\u2019t have to scramble to ensure their teams could still communicate and collaborate effectively from home.<\/p>\n

For an example of this, take a look at this case study<\/a> detailing how we helped a Chicago-based client identify and implement an omnichannel cloud-based contact center solution with remote work capabilities that ended up being a huge advantage when COVID-19 hit.<\/p>\n

Overall, partnering with a service provider that has a long-term strategic vision and can assist your company with road mapping can make a huge difference in terms of your ability to adapt to a changing marketplace as well as weather crises like the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Key Advantages of Strategic IT Consulting Services<\/h2>\n

In addition to helping them stay competitive in an increasingly digital world, our strategic IT consulting services benefit the businesses we serve in many other ways. Here are just a few of the perks of working with an MSP that offers consulting:<\/p>\n