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T oday, organizations are struggling with the complexity of security, which is driving many toward managed security service providers (MSSPs). This is creating immense opportuni- ties for providers looking to add security services. In fact, according to recent projections by Verified Market Research, the MSSP market is expected to grow nearly 14 percent and surpass $65 billion by 2026. But migrat - ing to managed security services is more than just finding the right technologies. It requires vision, commit- ment and back-end infrastructure that supports it all. If your organization is considering a shift to offer managed security services, here are some key areas to focus on. Few service providers can successfully put together the people, process and technology needed to provide excellent managed security services. One element in making the successful migration is partnering with the right vendors. You should be asking questions such as, “Do they have the technology portfolio to consistently support your managed service?” “Are the products or services designed with the needs of an MSSP’s in mind?” Are they multitenancy, multi-tier, deliver easy and central- ize service provision and enhance manageability?” These types of considerations can either support or obstruct your value add, differentiation and, in short, profitability. Does the MSSP supplier fit your business model? For example, does the vendor offer subscription-based billing, pay as you go, service provisioning elasticity and more. While technology is key, the business models and commitment to MSSP-first should be heavily considered when selecting vendor partnerships. It’s also important to be extremely thoughtful and insistent about what managed security services you plan to deliver. The variety of “security needs” can be aston - ishing. It’s easy to get lost. It might seem obvious, but when starting, it’s critical for the partner to focus on an intentionally discrete set of managed security services. Yes, there’s lots of opportunity. But look at your current customer base to help determine what immediate oppor- tunities might exist. Furthermore, managed services require a hard look into cash flow management and sales commission adjustments to best meet the needs of the business. Taking the rollout of these services slowly By Mark Romano Overcoming the challenges of migrating to an MSSP CYBER PATROL A SAFER TRANSITION 26 CHANNEL V ISION | Fall 2021