MSPs eye hybrid IT gains in cloud & security services

Managed service providers (MSPs) are targeting new streams of recurring revenue from hybrid IT estates, with cloud management and security services emerging as the leading commercial opportunities, according to research from Westcon-Comstor.

The study examined how MSPs and specialist partners are adapting their offerings as customers run a mix of on-premises systems, public cloud services and private cloud platforms. It points to sustained demand for operational services rather than one-off implementation work, as enterprise IT environments become more distributed and harder to manage consistently.

Cloud migration and ongoing cloud management ranked as the biggest hybrid IT revenue opportunity, cited by 23% of respondents globally. Security and threat management followed at 22%, reflecting continued investment in protecting data and workloads across multiple environments.

Partners also reported growing demand for data-related services, including analytics, governance-led work and automation. Respondents linked these areas to customer priorities around control and operational efficiency in hybrid environments.

Where complexity sits

The survey also highlighted the operational challenges behind the commercial opportunity. Ensuring seamless data flow between platforms was the most cited difficulty, flagged by 31% of respondents. Maintaining consistent security across environments ranked next at 28%, followed by governance and compliance requirements at 24%.

The findings suggest customers are asking partners to take responsibility for issues that cut across infrastructure, cloud platforms and security tools. Data movement, identity controls and policy enforcement often span multiple vendors and management layers, creating scope for repeatable managed services. However, delivery risk rises if operations are not standardised.

Westcon-Comstor said partners that turn these cross-environment requirements into governed service packages can build more predictable revenue. It added that this approach can protect margins better than project-based work that depends on new deployments.

Role shift

The research also suggests a shift in how MSPs define their value in hybrid settings. Acting as a trusted advisor for hybrid technology strategy was identified as the most critical function by 31% of respondents. End-to-end management of hybrid systems followed at 28%, pointing to a greater emphasis on long-term operational relationships.

Collaboration is also central to how partners plan to meet customer requirements. More than half of respondents (55%) said they partner with other MSPs or specialist providers to extend their own services. The results indicate that few providers cover every skill across cloud operations, security operations, integration and governance-particularly when customers use multiple cloud and security platforms.

Channel focus

The study forms part of Westcon-Comstor's Future Ready programme. The distributor has been expanding support for MSPs through enablement programmes developed with cybersecurity and networking vendors across EMEA and APAC, with an emphasis on services-led channel growth.

The survey covered 500 senior decision-makers and technical leaders at MSPs and specialist cloud partners delivering hybrid enterprise services. Respondents were based in five markets: the UK, Spain, the UAE, Australia and Singapore.

Coleman Parkes, an independent market research firm, conducted the research using an online survey. The sample included 100 participants in each market, providing a consistent view across geographies while reflecting the priorities of partners already delivering hybrid services.

Hybrid IT has become the default model for many organisations, combining prior investments in on-premises systems with growing public cloud usage. Private cloud remains a common choice for regulated workloads and for firms that want dedicated infrastructure with cloud-style management. This blend makes ongoing management and security policy enforcement more complex than in single-environment estates, increasing the need for external operational support.

Patrick Aronson, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Asia-Pacific at Westcon-Comstor, said partners still have room to grow if they can turn hybrid delivery into repeatable services.

"Our research clearly shows that the opportunity for MSPs lies in cloud management, security and data governance - with most of the growth still there for the taking," Aronson said. "The partners who capture it will be the ones who own the glue layer spanning automation, security and integration, doing the work that turns hybrid complexity into something a customer can rely on month after month. That's the commercial bet Westcon-Comstor is making with Future Ready. We're giving our partners the capabilities, tools and vendor relationships to get there before their competitors do. That's what distribution is for in 2026."

Westcon-Comstor said it will continue rolling out partner programmes tied to cloud, security and networking vendors as MSPs invest in operational delivery models that match the complexity of hybrid customer environments.