Report: Managed Services Doing Well Despite Recession

Companies delivering technology solutions through a managed services model have weathered the current economic recession better than companies focused on more traditional product and support sales, new research from CompTIA reveals. Though profits from both groups have been negatively affected by the economy in the past year, managed services providers have been better able to […]

May 25, 2009
Channel Insider content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Companies delivering technology solutions through a managed services model have weathered the current economic recession better than companies focused on more traditional product and support sales, new research from CompTIA reveals.

Though profits from both groups have been negatively affected by the economy in the past year, managed services providers have been better able to generate cash flow, avoid wild quarter-to-quarter fluctuations in income and generally out-performed traditional technology resellers. The top managed services providers surveyed tended to hold their profits longer even as the economy headed down; and began their recovery sooner, the survey revealed.

"Managed services represent the best opportunity in some years for technology solution providers to create significant shareholder value," said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO, CompTIA. "Since early adopter technology solution providers started delivering managed services to small and mid-sized business market in the 1998-2000 timeframe, SMB managed services have grown rapidly on the merits of its win/win business benefits for both the solution provider and the customer. The managed services model offers customers a predictable budget and a level of service, along with recurring strategic and tactical IT advice."

That represents a major shift in business models from the traditional solution provider model of time and materials "best effort" support and product/project sales, often experienced as more unpredictable and difficult to scale both operationally and financially, Thibodeaux said.

>> Click here to read the full report

Recommended for you...

Video: Q2 2025 Channel Insights and Trends with the Channel Insider Editorial Team

A fast-paced editorial recap of Q2 2025 in the IT channel covering leadership shakeups at Kaseya, layoffs at Intel, federal obstacles pausing major acquisitions, AI adoption slowdowns, quantum security threats, evolving partner programs, and global economic tensions.

Katie Bavoso
Jul 17, 2025
XTIUM CEO and EMEA Leader on Global Business Opportunities

Global MSP XTIUM formally expands into EMEA with HQ in the Netherlands, unifying services for regional growth and global IT support.

Video: Inside MSP Owners Group: Juan Fernandez’s Vision for MSP 5.0, Rollups, and Employee Ownership

Juan Fernandez shares why he started the newly formed MSP Owners Group and what makes his rollup MSP different from others.

Katie Bavoso
Jul 2, 2025
Video: How Servix Solved Brado’s Remote Logistics IT Challenges with Scale Computing Edge Clusters

Discover how Servix and Brado tackled remote IT infrastructure challenges using Scale Computing edge solutions.

Katie Bavoso
Jul 1, 2025
Channel Insider Logo

Channel Insider combines news and technology recommendations to keep channel partners, value-added resellers, IT solution providers, MSPs, and SaaS providers informed on the changing IT landscape. These resources provide product comparisons, in-depth analysis of vendors, and interviews with subject matter experts to provide vendors with critical information for their operations.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.