As the trend toward Cloud computing continues in 2017, MSPs, Telecom Agents and Cloud Service Providers will profit from public, private and hybrid cloud deployments and migrations. The upward trend in numbers of connected devices from Internet of Things will drive opportunities for encryption, connectivity and data. Complexity from new and existing cyber threats drives demand for security services, making 2017 appear promising for MSPs,  Telecom Agents, CSPs and other IT Channel Partners.

Continued Momentum for Cloud Computing

According to CompTIA’s research, Cloud computing is expected to be a primary factor in IT growth, with revenue increasing by about 17% per year in the public cloud. Private cloud migration will grow as well, among industries that are highly regulated, such as healthcare and the banking industry. Many companies which have adopted cloud computing will be fine-tuning their architecture, making cloud computing an integral part of how they do business. Also, the segment using a hybrid cloud solution is likely to grow, with Software as a Service (SaaS) used more than packaged software. Infrastructure as a service is also expected to grow in 2017 and beyond.

Adoption of Software as a Service will also create opportunities to help customers with their Wide Area Networking needs. Customers with Remote Office/Branch Office (ROBO) requirements may consider deploying Software Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN) to provide economical access to popular SaaS applications.

The Growth Of IoT (the Internet of Things)

According to Gartner, the upward trend of devices connected to the Internet is expected to continue to over 11 billion devices by 2018. The Internet of Things (IoT) has applications in the business community; for example, stores can have cameras connected to the Internet, which track what parts of the store the customers visit most. Then they can tailor their shelf space to boost revenue. In the healthcare field, computing can be done on site at a hospital, or data can now be transmitted from a medical device to a data center. This demand creates opportunities for high-performance networking, security, data protection, and integration services for channel partners throughout the business world.

New and Ongoing Security Threats

In addition to new opportunities relating to security challenges from Internet of Things, the Cyber security challenge continues to increase in complexity in 2017. Malware, phishing scams, and ransomware are already part of the digital landscape. Over the last year, DDoS attacks were the third-leading type of attack on businesses. As these threats multiply, a company needs to have a bulletproof infrastructure—hardware, software, networks and services—to protect against attacks. These opportunities go beyond encryption, perimeter security and SPAM filtering. Educating the end user on how to identify a security threat is key.

The role of the technology advisor has gone far beyond traditional break/fix, hardware, software, and networking sales.  As most businesses rely heavily on technology, the risks are high and so are the margins for those MSP, Telco and IT Server providers who seize the opportunity.