Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are the backbone of our business at Vodia. We work with our outstanding MSPs to make sure they provide their customers with the industry’s most innovative B2B phone system, a system we are constantly improving to maintain our position as the industry’s most innovative cloud PBX. We have long-believed we are the perfect choice for MSPs, thanks to both our impeccable cloud communication system and the personal relationships we build with our partners.

Beyond our software, we are always looking for the best growth ideas we can offer our partners. We’re a telecommunications company, and we’re always listening. Here are some recent suggestions we think might be useful to MSPs looking to grow and thrive in an increasingly frenetic marketplace, particularly one wherein customer expectations continue to rise and competition is exponentially increasing. Customer acquisition is often difficult, and customer retention remains an ongoing challenge. 

As the market evolves, one quarter’s nascent technology is the next’s mature “go-to.” Right now, looking toward year-end 2024, IT industry buzz is all about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), automation and IT security.

AI and Its Task-Oriented Sibling, Machine Learning

When deployed in a business environment, both enterprise and SMB, AI uses technologies supported by Machine Learning (ML) and deep learning for data analysis and retrieval, forecasting and predictions, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and object categorization, among many other functions. Machine learning is an AI subset that helps computers improve and learn without explicit programs. All ML is AI, but not all AI is ML. 

More and more companies worldwide are building their businesses with AI (and ML). According to Statista, a global business intelligence and data platform, the market for artificial intelligence grew beyond $184 billion in 2024, a considerable jump of nearly $50 billion from 2023; the market is expected to exceed $826 billion by 2030. 

What can AI and ML do for your MSP? Here’s a (very) short list: 

• Manage rote-level tasks so support techs can address higher-level functions
• Mine data from Professional Services Automation (PSA) platforms to improve customer service
• Predict possible technical malfunctions and identify them before they occur
• Strengthen IT security

The best way to get started? You should of course keep up to date with the evolving use of AI and ML and evaluate how they can best serve your customers and then align individual use cases with your customers’ vertical markets. This will guide you as to which initial investments, and how they’re deployed, will accelerate your customers’ ROI. 

Get Automated

Automation is the deployment of technology to effect operational outcomes without the need for human input. Long a core component of manufacturing (e.g., robotics in auto plants), automation is now a key component of business operations worldwide, with enterprises and SMBs reaping the benefits of Business Process Automation (BPS), Artificial Intelligence for Operations (AIOps) and enterprise automation. Myriad industries are currently leveraging automation, including defense, finance, healthcare and utilities. Companies across the board are automating as many functions as possible to streamline operations.   

MSPs should consider automation as a solution for their customers and for their own organizations. A well-managed MSP automation initiative accelerates the time required to resolve key business issues, giving your team the time to address higher-level concerns by freeing them from lower-level tasks (alert management, ticket management, etc.). Automation is also your best first step for issues such as endpoint connectivity, security and software update glitches. 

Automation is a tremendous value proposition for you and for your customers, but how do you take the first step? Start by examining how and where automation makes sense in the verticals relevant to your customers’ operations (while simultaneously creating an automation roadmap for your MSP). Next, work with one of your long-term, valued customers to implement a working model for proof of concept. After the deployment reaches critical mass, you’ll have what you need to add automation to the quiver of services your company offers.  

Feeling Secure

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global cybersecurity market was valued at $172.24 billion in 2023. The market is expected to increase from $193.73 billion in 2024 to $562.72 billion by 2032, with the U.S. market expected to reach an estimated value of $166.73 billion in 2032, largely on account of the increasing number of e-commerce platforms. 

Your MSP is already familiar with addressing your customers’ IT security requirements, and you already have a sharp eye on the ongoing and rapid evolution of IT security technology and the future needs you will need to address with your customers. Security is the foundation of any and every deployment. Without it, your customers are vulnerable to hackers, data breaches and shutdowns…they look to you to make their operations “bulletproof.” 

A great way to make sure security is your organization’s chief priority is to designate a security lead, someone who will closely follow the aforementioned evolution of IT security (as well as the evolution of attacks, exploits, hacks, etc.). Your security lead should help your MSP put together a plan - for your company and for your customers - comprising business support, cyber security insurance and whatever other IT security technology contributes to the most robust solutions possible. Finally, keep track of the IT security standards with which you need to align these solutions - examples include the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Payment Card Industry (PCI), among a few others. 

Vodia for MSPs

Putting together a growth strategy for your MSP? Your best move is to start with Vodia. We are the industry’s most feature-rich, secure and cost-effective cloud phone system. Whether you’re providing your customers with support for their AI strategies, an automation initiative or increased cyber security, Vodia gives you the industry’s best unified communications backbone. Flexible, scalable and robust, we’ll be with you, and with your customers, every step of the way. We are here to help you grow your business. Get in touch with us to find out how we can do it, sales@vodia.com, +1 (617) 861-3490.

About Vodia

Vodia Networks, Inc. is a pioneering provider of B2B Cloud Communications Solutions catering to enterprises, contact centers and service providers. Vodia's PBX software boasts an extensive suite of business telephony features for on-premise and cloud-based systems and operates seamlessly across Windows, Linux or Mac platforms. Fully compliant with SIP industry standards, the Vodia phone system integrates effortlessly with a wide range of SIP-based devices and trunking providers, granting ultimate freedom in telephony. Vodia’s multi-tenancy platforms are compatible with an unprecedented number of technologies, including desk phones, softphones and APIs, for myriad third-party software and CRM systems. Our mission is to empower our partners and end-users with the world's best cloud PBX and personalized support to ensure their success at every turn. Visit Vodia on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.