In the face of growing uncertainty, a survey of 705 technology partners in North America and Western Europe finds more than three-quarters (87 percent) expect to grow revenues in 2025, with a subset of that group (18 percent) expecting more than 20 percent growth. Only 2 percent of respondents said they expected revenues to decline.
Cloud reliance grows as partners eye AI-driven future with confidence
Conducted by The Futurum Group, the survey also surfaces how dependent many partners are now on cloud-based solutions. Partners identify Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) as strategically important to 69 percent and 66 percent of respondents, respectively, with Google Cloud at 54 percent.
A full 97 percent report at least some proportion of their revenue being transacted via a cloud marketplace, with more than a third (34 percent) indicating that the revenue attributable to these platforms now accounts for more than 10 percent of their business.
Additionally, the survey suggests that partners are optimistic about their prospects involving artificial intelligence (AI). Nearly half (46 percent) said they are incredibly confident in their ability to remain successful in an AI world, even though only 20 percent said they have a strong reputation in the field.
Trade shifts spark new risks and opportunities for MSPs
While there is naturally a lot of concern over how much the spending planned for IT services will materialize in 2025 if an all-out trade war continues to escalate, demand for those services is often countercyclical. Organizations might postpone certain IT initiatives, but they also tend to rely more on external services whenever there is any type of internal hiring freeze. The key lies in ensuring the right level of investment goes into services that could see increased demand during an economic downturn.
Managed service providers (MSPs) should also carefully assess which of their clients might be adversely affected by tariffs, with an eye toward how that might create an additional opportunity versus the more obvious negative consequence. At the same time, there are likely to be clients with operations in the U.S. who might become more competitive in the long term as a result of tariffs.
Empathy and proactivity position MSPs for resilience
Of course, a global economic recession could still occur, though many hope to avoid it. In the meantime, MSPs have an opportunity to proactively engage with clients who share many of the same concerns. The simple fact is that many business and IT leaders are more willing than ever to work with MSPs who understand the economic issues that keep many of them up at night. A little empathy goes a long way because it helps establish a personal bond with a client.
IT service providers are, by nature, largely optimistic. Providing IT services requires faith and courage, as always. MSPs, in particular, that are willing to identify strategic opportunities have always emerged stronger from a downturn. There may be no guarantees, but MSPs can choose to act now rather than wait, taking steps today to build a more resilient business for tomorrow.
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