Managed services are entering a new era defined not just by uptime and ticket resolution, but by business outcomes, predictive insight, and transformation.

Once focused on infrastructure support and service desk SLAs, modern MSPs are increasingly expected to serve as strategic enablers. Today’s customers want more than systems that run—they want environments that scale, flex, and continuously improve. They want a partner, not just a provider.

“The role of the MSP has fundamentally changed,” says Ricki Gavazis, Head of Cloud & Infrastructure Services at Canon Business Services ANZ. “It’s no longer just about monitoring infrastructure and reacting to alerts. Today, it’s about delivering proactive, value-added services that support continuous improvement and strategic outcomes.”

So, what does that next era look like—and what should CIOs, COOs and CTOs expect from their MSPs in the years ahead?

Here are six critical shifts shaping the future of managed services—and why they matter.

The future of managed services is proactive by design. Powered by automation, AI, and real-time analytics, MSPs are moving from reactive incident response to predictive operations that anticipate needs and prevent disruptions before they occur.

This shift is already underway at CBS, with AI-led initiatives underpinning the next wave of service capability.

“We’re evolving our managed services to move beyond reactive support—towards predictive, proactive operations,” says Ricki. “When shaping our strategy, we ask: if I were the customer today, in a rapidly advancing tech landscape, what would I expect from my MSP? The answer is clear—smarter, faster, outcome-driven services that anticipate business needs.”

The focus is on early warning signals, automated remediation, and data-driven service tuning. Instead of reacting to tickets, the MSP of the future uses telemetry and machine learning to eliminate incidents altogether.

It’s a shift that enables greater business continuity, reduces the burden on in-house teams, and delivers a better user experience across the board.

Cyber resilience is now table stakes. With threat vectors expanding and regulatory pressure rising, security can’t be treated as a bolt-on. It must be embedded across every layer of service delivery—by default.

“Security is no longer optional—it’s an expectation,” says Ricki. “Customers now assume every service will have security embedded by default. It’s not a differentiator—it’s a baseline requirement MSPs must deliver from day one.”

That means endpoint protection, identity governance, network controls, compliance monitoring and incident response all need to be seamlessly integrated—regardless of the service tier.

For MSPs aligned with Microsoft’s ecosystem, like CBS, this opens the door to advanced capabilities using tools such as Microsoft Sentinel, Defender for Cloud, and Purview.

It’s not just about building defences—it’s about building trust.

Service-level agreements (SLAs) still matter—but they’re no longer a differentiator. In today’s environment, customers expect “up and running” as standard. What they really want are partners who can deliver business outcomes that align with their strategic goals.

“Service-level agreements and contractual obligations are expected—they come standard,” says Ricki. “What customers are really looking for now is the value beyond that—strategic insight, continuous improvement, and measurable impact that aligns with their business goals.”

This evolution demands a new kind of partnership—one measured by impact, not just performance. For example: How does the service enable product teams to go to market faster? How does it improve customer retention? How does it contribute to revenue?

Leading MSPs are actively redesigning service models around these questions—embedding innovation, agility, and long-term value into their delivery DNA.

Modern IT ecosystems are a complex mesh of cloud platforms, SaaS tools, APIs, legacy systems, and data layers. The future of managed services lies in making these components work together seamlessly, enabled by orchestration, not just integration.

“Today’s IT environments are built on diverse platforms and tools. Interoperability is critical,” says Ricki. “Seamless integration across systems enables automation, unlocks efficiencies, and lays the foundation for predictive, data-driven operations.”

At CBS, orchestration extends through Microsoft-native tools like Azure Lighthouse and Logic Apps, allowing automation to trigger intelligently across systems while surfacing the right insights to the right stakeholders.

Ultimately, it’s about building a digital environment that operates as a unified whole—rather than a patchwork of reactive components.

Rigid platforms are out. Flexible, composable environments are in.

Where businesses operate across AWS, Azure, private cloud, and third-party SaaS, managed service providers must become platform-agnostic enablers. The goal isn’t to trap customers in a preferred stack. It’s to support their evolving needs wherever they go.

“A modern MSP must be able to support a wide range of technologies—not just the ones in their preferred stack,” says Ricki. “It’s not about what the provider is comfortable with—it’s about what the customer needs to succeed.”

Raj Khetia, CBS’s General Manager, Managed Services, agrees: “It’s about being scalable, flexible, and customer-first—not forcing a one-size-fits-all solution that suits just the MSP and not the customer.”

He adds: “It’s also about MSPs willing to go on the journey with the customer without restricting, preventing or prohibiting them from advancing or maturing just because the MSP isn’t comfortable with that direction.”

This customer-led mindset is where CBS differentiates—by aligning its architecture strategy to the customer’s roadmap, not the other way around.

As service models evolve, so do customer expectations. Self-service portals, real-time metrics, and automation-backed insight are no longer luxuries—they’re requirements.

“It comes down to visibility and insight,” says Ricki. “Real-time access empowers organisations to act quickly—using accurate data to inform smarter decisions.”

Raj expands further: “Customers now expect a level of self-service and real-time visibility across their environments. While most MSPs still rely on static, retrospective reporting, the more advanced providers are enabling real-time access, dynamic dashboards, and meaningful insights.”

He continues: “What we’re moving toward is an additional layer using AI and virtual agents to analyse that data in real time and deliver actionable intelligence. It’s not just about showing information—it’s about helping customers understand what it means and what to do next.”

At CBS, that next layer is already in development, using AI and automation to visualise, interpret, and recommend.

The real message behind all these shifts? The managed service provider of the future isn’t a help desk. It’s not even an IT service provider. It’s a strategic enabler—embedded in its clients’ growth, security, and innovation journeys.

CBS is already evolving its managed services model to reflect this shift—leveraging AI, Microsoft platform alignment, and customer-first strategy to help clients scale smarter, operate securely, and unlock real, measurable business outcomes.

“We need to view technology through the customer’s lens, not just from the provider’s perspective,” says Raj. “The focus should be on what the experience means for them—the value it delivers, the problems it solves, and how it enables their business to move forward.”

This is not just the future of managed services. It’s the future of partnership.

Canon Business Services ANZ delivers end-to-end managed services across Azure, cloud security, modern applications, and data intelligence—underpinned by six Microsoft Solution Partner designations and a strong focus on proactive, outcome-led delivery.

Whether you’re rethinking your cloud strategy or looking for a partner to drive transformation, talk to CBS. We bring the scale, agility, and insight to help your business lead with confidence—now and into the future.