The COVID-19 pandemic created a clear before-and-after line for MSPs. In the early part of 2020, some businesses were embracing a transition to unified communications as a service (UCaaS) – but many were only beginning to learn what UCaaS was. They were suddenly confronted with the value of cloud communications – even if MSPs had been telling them about it for years – when entire workforces made the shift to working from home.
Once the pandemic hit, businesses weren’t just interested in UCaaS – it became a necessity. The need for cloud-based communications has become clear to MSP customers. Here’s how you can work the circumstances of 2021 to your advantage.
Before: The Reshaping of Business in 2020
When businesses were forced into remote work environments, there were many elements of the office that were easy to bring home – laptops and mobile devices could easily access email, and workers with internet connectivity could make a smooth transition. Premise-based phone solutions, however, no longer work when you move off the premises.
MSP customers also came to realize they had to backup more than just their data. What about phone service? Was there a plan B for remote workers with respect to voice? These businesses required cloud-based phone systems like UCaaS – and fast. And customers began to appreciate the conversations MSPs started in the past about cloud voice, because all they’d been told about its usefulness ended up coming true.
Throughout 2020, businesses were signing on for new cloud voice service – adding it to their existing bundles, adding lines to their existing plans – and MSPs were selling more UCaaS than ever before.
After: The Long-Term Need for UCaaS
With the business environment changing, overall MSP sales slowed down at the beginning of the pandemic with one exception: cloud voice. The trend toward increased UCaaS sales that began in 2020 will continue in 2021 and beyond.
UCaaS became a standard for businesses trying to remain relevant in the face of remote work. Many MSP customers are still fully remote, but even those that have made the transition back to the office need to meet employee demand for more flexible work arrangements. This means the spike in UCaaS implementations wasn’t an isolated event in 2020 – it’s a long-term need that MSPs can fulfill and profit from.
MSPs: Work the Circumstances of 2020 to Your Advantage in 2021
In the past year, your customers have had to listen to you and come to terms with the new technology requirements that were thrust upon them. You were there for them in their moment of need – now is the time to capitalize on their realization that cloud technology is the way to go. For your customers, working out of the home and making it look like working at the office is essential and will continue to be moving forward. D3UC’s white-labeled UCaaS solution will help you earn profits of 50-100% just by providing a cloud communications platform to your customers that they already need. To get started or try out our solution yourself for free for 90 days, contact us today.
