N-able sees healthy ‘co-opetition’ among local MSPs

IT management software provider N-able is seeing a lot of healthy “co-opetition” among managed service providers throughout Australia, which is likely to benefit the industry as a whole.

This is according to Matthew Drake, vice president Asia Pacific at N-able, who said to ARN that  that there’s a lot of healthy ‘co-opetition’ among managed service providers (MSP), who not only “compete but also collaborate, especially across Australia”.

“For example, MSPs in Perth might work with those in Sydney to cover gaps in their market presence,” he said. “It’s up to them to manage potential conflicts, but overall, MSPs here know how to compete and collaborate effectively.

“The idea is that a rising tide lifts all boats and by upskilling and working together, the industry as a whole benefits.”

Drake said at the vendor’s Inform event in Sydney on 6 August that N-able sees enterprises with multiple MSPs working together, each bringing their expertise to the table.

“This collaborative approach is unlike what we see in other IT industries and it ultimately helps enterprises succeed in their IT and security operations,” he said. “Instead of stepping on each other’s toes, they’re growing the industry together.”

He also said the maturity level here is very high, both in terms of the adoption of the MSP model and the technologies being used.

“For instance, our local market has a higher adoption rate of our solutions compared to other markets,” Drake said. “Collaboration between MSPs is also stronger here due to the concentration of key markets like Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. This collaboration strengthens the market.”

Drake also said the company was also seeing many new partners emerging to purchase products.

Currently, N-able has 1800 channel partners that have purchased its products, but expects this to grow.

“Especially with the new solutions we’re introducing, like our MDR [managed detection and response services] product,” he said. “These innovations are attracting new partners to our ecosystem, so I anticipate growth over the next few years.”

Mike Adler, chief technology officer at N-able, told ARN that he doesn’t see much differentiation between the Australian MSP market with other regions.

“[It’s] similar to the US and UK — very mature with healthy collaboration. Australia often leads in innovative thinking, which drives the market forward,” he said.

There’s tremendous adoption and idea generation here, on par with other leading technology markets globally. Australia holds a thought leadership position in innovation. The ideas that come out of our partner meetings are truly innovative.”