In this edition of the Connecting IT Podcast, host Dan Tomaszewski, Senior Vice President of Channel and Community at Kaseya, conducts a riveting discussion with Kaseya’s Chief Customer Marketing Officer, Mike Puglia, and IT Glue General Manager, Nadir Merchant, about 2021 predictions. From security and compliance to mergers and acquisitions, Mike and Nadir highlight what MSPs should expect in the year ahead.
The group first does a recap of 2020, specifically around what worked, what didn’t and how the channel has changed. After looking back for a few minutes, Dan turns the conversation forward by asking the following question: “Do you think 2021 is going to be a better year for the channel than 2020?” The question is a good one — but doesn’t necessarily have a satisfying answer.
Mike Puglia responds, “There’s now light at the end of the tunnel with a lot of news recently about vaccines. I think the second half of 2021 will be really good, but the first half is still going to be very tight.”
Later in the conversation, the topic turns to how the changes we have seen in 2020 will permeate into 2021. Mike Puglia provided the following anecdote:
“I have a family member that owns a few physical therapy clinics. They leverage an MSP and they’re using a telemedicine app now that their MSP found for them. About 75 percent of their appointments now are over that app. He believes when we get back to whatever the normal is in 2021, they’re probably still going to see about 30 to 40 percent of their appointments over that app because they’ve gotten used to it.”
Nadir also expressed his thoughts around the growth of remote work in 2021: “There’s going to be a lot more companies that will be open to working from home. There’ll be companies that embrace hybrid and many that just say they don’t want to pay for an office anymore.”
2020 has been a rough year for all of us, both in shared struggles and those unique to our circumstances. Although 2020 saw MSPs adjust to the challenge of transitioning organizations to work from home almost overnight, the digital transformation seen in 2020 has solidified their importance for SMBs across the world. While 2021 will certainly hold new challenges, Mike and Nadir highlight how MSPs are poised to thrive in this new digital era.
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