Managed Service Provider (MSP)
An MSP is a company that remotely manages a customer's IT infrastructure and end-user systems, typically on a subscription basis. MSPs are important channel partners for SaaS vendors serving the SMB market.
A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is an organization that delivers ongoing management and support of a customer's technology infrastructure, including networks, servers, applications, and security, typically under a recurring subscription agreement. MSPs serve as an outsourced IT department for small and medium-sized businesses that lack in-house technical resources.
For SaaS vendors, MSPs represent a high-value channel partner segment because they have trusted advisor status with their clients and influence purchasing decisions across the entire technology stack. An MSP recommendation carries significant weight because the client trusts the MSP to select, implement, and maintain their tools.
MSP partnerships typically involve reseller agreements where the MSP bundles the vendor's product into their managed service offering, often with a margin on the subscription price. Some programs offer referral commissions instead of or in addition to resale margins.
PartnerPulse enables you to manage MSP partnerships with flexible commission structures that support resale margins, referral fees, and recurring commissions, while the partner portal gives MSPs visibility into their client portfolios and earnings.
Manage MSP partners in PartnerPulse
PartnerPulse provides everything you need to build, manage, and scale your partner program.
Manage MSP partners in PartnerPulseRelated Terms
Channel Partner
A channel partner is a company or individual that sells, implements, or promotes another company's products as part of an indirect sales strategy. Channel partners include resellers, distributors, managed service providers, and system integrators.
Reseller
A reseller purchases or licenses a vendor's product and sells it to end customers, often bundling it with additional services. Resellers take on sales, billing, and sometimes support responsibilities in exchange for a margin on the sale.
Indirect Sales
Indirect sales is a distribution model where products are sold through third-party partners rather than the company's own sales team. It includes channel sales, reseller networks, affiliate programs, and referral partnerships.
Recurring Commission
A recurring commission pays partners on an ongoing basis for as long as the referred customer remains a paying subscriber. It aligns partner incentives with customer retention and is common in SaaS partner programs.