While IT monitoring is a service typically offered by MSPs, it’s not something all businesses are familiar with, especially if their technicians lack experience or don’t have the proper tools to monitor networks and endpoints proactively. Due to the pandemic, more businesses are paying attention to how their IT infrastructures are being monitored — and that’s good news for MSPs.
Based on an international survey commissioned by Centreon, a global provider of IT monitoring solutions, a report titled “State of IT Monitoring 2020 Survey Report” confirms the importance of IT monitoring in corporate governance. Eighty-nine percent of the survey’s respondents said that IT monitoring is a high or top priority for their company.
Believe it or not, businesses are investing additional capital in IT monitoring solutions to ensure they’re able to adapt to a world where remote work is the new normal. Fifty-four percent of the survey’s respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic had forced them to increase their IT monitoring budget. One of the reasons is they’re now more aware of how remote workers can pose new security risks to their systems and networks, as securing IT infrastructure is also a top budget priority for businesses across the board (it’s the number one priority for IT budgets, according to the survey). The opportunity today for MSPs to tackle IT monitoring challenges is significant.
There are still plenty of businesses operating without the proper IT monitoring solution (which means internal IT teams are defenseless). Thirty-nine percent of IT infrastructure on average isn’t monitored, according to the report. While that may not have been a concern for many organizations before the coronavirus crisis, it’s now on the radar for business executives, many of whom have noticed the rise in cyber threats during the COVID-19 pandemic. For help, they’re turning to MSPs.
Aware of their limitations, many businesses, especially during the pandemic, have been outsourcing various needs, including IT. While many companies have already invested money in MSPs for monitoring IT infrastructure amid the COVID-19, 40 percent have plans to increase their MSPs usage for the same purpose, according to Centreon’s report. Being able to properly monitor IT infrastructure is critical for any MSP looking to thrive in today’s new normal.
Before taking on new clients, assess your monitoring solution to determine if it can help you combat today’s most prominent cybersecurity threats, including ransomware. For example, your solution should allow you to develop scripts, add automated policies, and monitor networks in real-time. There are also solutions or services designed to enhance your RMM by strengthening its capabilities or ensuring it’s being used in the most effective way possible.
Businesses are now turning to MSPs for solutions in a world where remote work has become commonplace, and cybersecurity criminals are now more sophisticated than ever before. Now’s the time to reassess how you’re monitoring clients’ IT infrastructures.
