GFI Software survey reveals only two percent of managed services providers are providing mobile device support -- and say they’re doing it well
GFI Software™ today announced the results of a recent survey conducted by the GFI MAX business unit which explored the opportunities for managed services providers (MSPs) to increase revenue by managing customers’ company- and employee-owned mobile devices. The survey of 150 current GFI MAX MSP customers also highlights the current state of mobile device use and the expectations of growth that managed services providers have for the future. Key findings include:
Current State of Mobile Device Management
· Only 28% of MSPs surveyed indicated that they are currently monetizing mobile device support for their customers in some fashion, and just 12% of those surveyed charge a monthly fee for mobile device support, revealing a huge missed opportunity for recurring revenue among the MSP community.
· One-quarter (25%) of respondents said they have begun supporting mobile devices for their clients, but they do not currently charge specifically for that service.
· More than a third (35%) of MSPs surveyed indicated they are not currently organized to support mobile devices.
· A mere 2% of respondents said they are currently offering mobile support and are doing it well, pointing to massive room for growth in the services offered and recurring revenue.
· More than one-quarter (28%) of MSPs acknowledged they have not even considered selling mobile support, while another 26% said that, while they currently offer such support, they have not focused on it as a major offering.
Looking Ahead
· Looking ahead, the survey found that MSPs will need the ability to support a wide range of mobile platforms, as companies continue to allow employees to bring their own devices into the workplace.
o 38% of respondents predicted that MSPs will manage devices that are equally split between business-owned and employee-owned.
o A mere 14% of GFI MAX customers expect that MSPs will only manage business-owned devices.
· 58% of respondents indicated their customers currently ask them to connect and support iOS devices more than those running any other operating system. And while 33% of MSPs said Android devices are currently the most frequently managed, respondents indicated they expect these numbers to change dramatically in the future. 55% of MSPs expect Android devices to become the most frequently managed, while only 30% of respondents believe MSPs will be supporting iOS devices more than other platforms in the future.
· Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices account for 7% and 2% of supported devices, and respondents overwhelmingly believe devices with those operating systems are and will remain the least likely to be supported by MSPs.
· A-third of respondents identified quick and consistent setup of mobile devices as being the biggest need that MSP customers have around mobile management. Security features such as remote wipe and user support were the next most significant needs of current mobile customers, according to 29% and 27% of MSPs, respectively.
“Although the prevalence of mobile devices in general and the BYOD trend in particular are not new, many MSPs are still not leveraging the market demand for additional services that support mobile devices and the opportunity that arises from this,” said Dr. Alistair Forbes, General Manager of the GFI MAX business unit.
“MSPs have the opportunity to generate additional revenue by enabling and securing devices that their customers already use extensively. As the BYOD trend increasingly gains popularity, there will be additional opportunities to offer new services that can benefit MSP customers throughout the entire mobile lifecycle, such as airtime provisioning, SIM card control, and device disposal. We encourage MSPs to take advantage of this new opportunity to extend further their reach into their customers’ full portfolio of service needs, so they can begin to increase the amount of responsibility they have within their customers’ networks, developing deeper engagements and enhancing the customer experience. We concur with the survey findings that iOS and Android will be the dominant platforms but will also be watching closely the development of the new Windows and Blackberry platforms.”
Save the Date
GFI MAX will be holding its third annual customer conferences in September and October 2013 in the U.S., the UK, Germany and Australia. Attendees will have the chance to provide feedback on the MAX platform, exchange ideas with other IT leaders, and attend panel discussions and customer-led business sessions designed to help attendees get the most out of their MAX services. Please visit http://conferences.gfimax.com/for more information as it becomes available.
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About GFI MAX
GFI MAX helps IT Support Companies and MSPs grow monthly revenues from existing customers, attract new customers with affordable, high-value, easy-to-use services and deliver proactive, cost efficient services to grow an IT business profitably. GFI MAX provides a range of integrated software solutions built specifically for IT Support Companies and MSPs that are fast to implement, low effort to manage and fully brandable, so your customers see their value. The GFI MAX platform enables MSPs to provide managed antivirus, managed online backup, remote support, email security, automated monitoring, patch management, asset tracking, alerting and viewing and reporting all from a single dashboard.
About GFI
GFI Software™ develops quality IT solutions for small to mid-sized businesses with generally up to 1,000 users. GFI® offers two main technology solutions: GFI MAX™, which enables managed service providers (MSPs) to deliver superior services to their customers; and GFI Cloud™, which empowers companies with their own internal IT teams to manage and maintain their networks via the cloud. Serving an expanding customer base of more than 200,000 companies, GFI’s product line also includes collaboration, network security, anti-spam, patch management, faxing, mail archiving and web monitoring. GFI is a channel-focused company with thousands of partners throughout the world. The company has received numerous awards and industry accolades, and is a longtime Microsoft® Gold ISV Partner.