The 7-Layer Cloud Opportunity For MSPs

The average cloud deal today, whether it’s SaaS or infrastructure, is seven layers deep, said McBain. The average security deal today, if the customer is trying to get to zero trust or SASE, is seven layers.

But today’s new embedded integrated buyer is different, and it’s not as SKU-able as the past, he added.

“The No. 1 buying criteria now is integration. Forget about price, service, support, all the things I really care about. If this thing doesn’t come in and work with everything else, I don’t want to buy it.”

This idea of layers, that everything they pull in – hardware, software, services – has to work well with others as a first criteria when they buy, he said. McBain pointed out that MSPs are experts in this. However, the cloud opportunity has gone to system integrators and others to do these implementations and integrations.

“We’ve been a little bit stuck on the client-server elements of it, the IT elements, and not on the broader elements of integrations. But this is way we should be talking and selling as cloud integrators.”