MSP 501 Profile: Select Technology Systems Calls for MSP Evolution

Company Name: Select Technology Systems Ltd

Company MSP 501 Rank: 395

Owner and Managing Director: Nigel Potter

Headquartered: Paddock Wood, Kent, UK 

Primary Services:

• Managed Services
• Outsourced Help Desk
• Consultancy
• Training

Twitter: @Select_Tech

Select Technology Systems’ owner and managing director, Nigel Potter, got his start in the business back in 1994, and has seen the industry evolve and change countless times. Along the way, he has gained some valuable insight when it comes to how MSPs should adapt.

Select Technology Systems’ Nigel Potter

“In order for MSPs to survive, we need to continually evolve how we do things,” says Potter. “Technology will always be changing and adapting, but I believe that the need for “tech” people will diminish. It isn’t just about the technology that is implemented, it is more focused on the business outcomes of those technology solutions. A new breed of people who understand this business process will lead the way within the MSP industry, and will be able to help organisations adopt and consume technology to help make them better, effective and efficient.”     

A great example of this, according to Potter, is Office 365. The technology itself is becoming easier to manage and more reliable. Leveraging the features to benefit business in the most effective way takes a blend of  leading-edge product skills and business understanding.

“We will see the introduction of productivity managed services which will be about helping clients do just this rather than just fix broken technology,” says Potter.

Read on to get Potter’s takes on IT security, growing a business from scratch, and how MSPs can pave the way moving forward.

Channel Futures: Where do you see your biggest growth areas in the next 12-24 months?   

Nigel Potter: With the ever-increasing security threats facing business, IT security is, without doubt, the No. 1 technology concern of any responsible organisation. As an MSP, this represents an excellent opportunity for us, and is one which we are focusing on over the next 12 months. The challenge for MSPs will be to redefine themselves as MSSPs without diluting their profit margins through bundling security into the existing managed services. Our strategy is to optimise our security offering, ensuring that essential areas of security are delivered as part of our managed service plan, but we will also build a more comprehensive security package for those businesses that require a standalone solution. 

In addition to having a security focus, we also recognise the huge opportunity that the internet of things offers MSPs. Being based in Kent – the Garden of England – we have many key clients in the agricultural sector where the adoption of technology and AI is making a huge difference to productivity and efficiency. We plan work in partnership with these clients on IoT solutions which drive efficiency gains, specifically using sensors to detect optimum harvest times. 

CF: What was the single biggest technology or business decision that drove your company’s growth last year? How did it do so?  

NP: Partnering with TruMethods was a great move for us and has enabled us to …