Mike Vizard

All posts by Mike Vizard

Mike Vizard has covered IT for more than 25 years, and has edited or contributed to a number of tech publications including InfoWorld, eWeek, CRN, Baseline, ComputerWorld, TMCNet, and Digital Review. He currently blogs for IT Business Edge and contributes to CIOinsight, The Channel Insider, Programmableweb and Slashdot. Mike blogs about emerging cloud technology for Smarter MSP.

Survey highlights need for additional cloud security expertise

Survey highlights need for additional cloud security expertise

There’s an old maxim that says you can’t manage what you can’t see. That has never been truer than when it comes to cloud computing environments. That lack of visibility, however, also creates opportunities for managed service providers (MSPs) to...

/ March 15, 2024
economic challenges
Navigating economic challenges requires flexibility

Navigating economic challenges requires flexibility

How organizations prefer to acquire IT products and services naturally varies widely from one organization to another. However, savvy managed service providers (MSPs) will need to pivot as macroeconomic conditions continue to change. For example, when interest rates are high,...

/ March 4, 2024
cybersecurity
MSPs have an opportunity to change the cybersecurity game

MSPs have an opportunity to change the cybersecurity game

For as long as anyone can remember, cybersecurity has been a game of whac-a-mole where resources are hopefully marshaled in time to thwart a threat either before damage is inflicted or, at the very least, as quickly as possible once...

/ February 26, 2024
Ongoing skills shortage drives demand for managed services

Ongoing skills shortage drives demand for managed services

Savvy managed service providers (MSPs) realize that any type of ongoing IT skills shortage creates opportunities for them. According to a recent online survey of IT managers conducted by the recruitment firm Robert Half, there are primary areas where IT...

/ February 20, 2024
cloud
Report reveals cloud optimization opportunity for MSPs

Report reveals cloud optimization opportunity for MSPs

Despite rising concerns about the cost of cloud computing, a new report finds more than half of organizations do not make use of Saving Plans or Reserved Instances. These plans, available on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, make it...

/ February 12, 2024
Cybersecurity economics to increasingly favor MSPs

Cybersecurity economics to increasingly favor MSPs

As the economics of cybersecurity continue to evolve, the number of organizations that can effectively manage cybersecurity on their own will continue to decrease. A survey of 1,917 IT security practitioners conducted by Ponemon Institute finds only 43 percent claimed...

/ February 6, 2024
generative AI
How generative AI will transform IT service and support

How generative AI will transform IT service and support

We are still in the early days, but it’s apparent that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is about to have a major impact on how IT service and support is delivered. Just about every IT vendor is already racing to expose...

/ January 30, 2024
Kubernetes adoption reaching critical mass for MSPs

Kubernetes adoption reaching critical mass for MSPs

A survey of 333 IT operations and application development stakeholders directly responsible for Kubernetes in production environments suggests Kubernetes adoption has hit a critical mass point. This means managed service providers (MSPs) will be increasingly relied on to assist with...

/ January 23, 2024
Opportunities arise for MSPs despite skills shortages

Opportunities arise for MSPs despite skills shortages

A survey of 2,740 IT decision-makers conducted by Skillsoft, finds only 16 percent plan to rely more on third parties for support despite ongoing skills shortages. Instead, a full 45 percent plan to invest in more training for their existing...

/ January 18, 2024
MSP Insights: What to expect in 2024

MSP Insights: What to expect in 2024

It’s no secret that the fortunes of managed service providers (MSPs) are closely tied to the overall state of the economy, but with an uneven economic outlook for 2024, forecasting the year is more challenging than usual. While uncertainty remains,...

/ January 10, 2024