Managed Service Providers (MSPs)—aka the trusted, outsourced technology companies that make small business successful—have been driving the adoption of technology for decades.
The technology world is shifting to cloud computing on a broad scale, and it’s worth exploring the technology they have implemented over the years as they now take on the cloud computing realm.
With the launch of the IBM PC in 1981, VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet computer program, opened a world of opportunity for CFOs and accountants. Between 1984 and 1986, financial and operations departments in small businesses were the first to take advantage of PCs. In 1988, computers became more mainstream among employees. The IBM PS/2 and 286/386 Revolution brought computers beyond the C level to more employees. WordPerfect and Lotus 123 enabled word processing and label printing.
Fast forward to 1995—Windows 95 launched. Many existing PCs needed more RAM, and new PCs featured the new Intel Pentium chips. A year later in 1996, the rise of the multimedia PC was underway. CD-ROMs, sound cards and speakers were added to desktops. Palm Pilots and digital assistants (PDA) were welcomed in 1997. In the late 1990s, email moves down employee ranks and BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) launched. The iPhone revolutionized the mobile market—and it was introduced in 2006. In the late 2000s, laptops made serious gains on desktops. Last year, Microsoft ended the licensing SKU for Microsoft Small Business Server. MSPs began wondering just how “partner centric” Microsoft really was.
Today, CFOs declare the end of physical hardware spending, banks no longer approve loans for on-premise data centers and insurance companies demand cloud-based disaster recovery plans. MSPs are rising to the challenge and bringing the cloud to small businesses everywhere. Cloud computing is a new era in the technology landscape, and with each new area come new opportunities to create and thrive. To learn more about the role of MSPs in the cloud revolution, check out the infographic below presented by ProfitBricks.
By: Brian Wallace
