How to Win More Business by Becoming a Microsoft MSP
Building a Center of Excellence (CoE) is a strategic approach for MSPs to maximize their success as a Microsoft Partner.
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) face both unprecedented challenges and remarkable opportunities, especially by embracing and building on a relationship with essential vendors like Microsoft.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly turning to cloud solutions, artificial intelligence, and robust cybersecurity to drive their operations, with over 90% adopting Microsoft 365 as their platform of choice.
This seismic shift presents a clear path for MSPs to thrive: becoming a Microsoft MSP. By aligning with the Microsoft ecosystem, MSPs can streamline operations, enhance profitability, and position themselves as trusted partners in their clients’ digital transformation journeys.
Inforcer Insights
In their expert article ‘How to Win More Business by Becoming a Microsoft MSP’, Inforcer discusses how MSPs can grow their business by adopting a Microsoft-first approach and becoming a Microsoft MSP.
Key points include:
- Market Shift: With over 90% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) using Microsoft 365, MSPs can align with customer preferences by standardizing on the Microsoft stack, leveraging tools like Intune, Defender, and Entra ID included in existing licenses.
- Benefits of Standardization: Standardizing on Microsoft 365 reduces reliance on third-party tools, lowers costs, and enhances profitability. It allows MSPs to scale services, streamline multi-tenant management, and meet rising customer demands for cloud and AI solutions.
- Security and Compliance: The article emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity, with Microsoft’s Secure Score helping MSPs audit and improve clients’ security postures. This aligns with compliance needs and supports sales by demonstrating value.
- Operational Efficiency: Tools like Inforcer simplify policy deployment and tenant management, reducing manual work and human error while enabling MSPs to deliver high-value, proactive services.
- Team Development: By focusing on Microsoft expertise, MSPs can upskill engineers, improve retention, and offer clear career progression, fostering a motivated workforce capable of handling complex projects.
- AI and Future Growth: The rise of AI, particularly Microsoft’s Copilot, presents opportunities for MSPs to offer AI-as-a-service, positioning them as strategic partners for SMBs navigating digital transformation.
By becoming a Microsoft MSP, providers can stay competitive, reduce costs, enhance security, and unlock new revenue streams while meeting customer expectations in a cloud-first, AI-driven market.
Building a COE – Center of Excellence
Nick Ross, CEO of Cloud Capsule, also offers valuable insights for Microsoft MSPs.
In the feature video he sits down with Nathan Taylor, SVP of the Microsoft Center of Excellence at Source Pass, to unpack how top partners drive outcomes—not just tools—across Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, Defender, Purview, and Copilot.
What you’ll learn:
- How a Microsoft Center of Excellence (CoE) operates inside an MSP.
- Why focusing on basics (MFA/CA, SPF/DKIM/DMARC, Intune + Defender + BitLocker) creates the fastest impact.
- A repeatable 45-minute assessment flow you can run with any tenant.
- Real-world gaps Nathan sees weekly (risky users, token theft, misconfigured Defender for O365).
- Licensing strategy ≠ cost line: Business Premium value; E3 + E5 Security add-on for mid-market.
- How to scale the motion beyond the hero engineer (runbooks, playbooks, QA gates).
Building a Center of Excellence (CoE) is a strategic approach for MSPs to maximize their success as a Microsoft MSP by centralizing expertise, standardizing processes, and driving innovation within the Microsoft ecosystem. A CoE serves as a hub for best practices, training, and service delivery, enabling MSPs to deliver consistent, high-value services to clients while optimizing operations and fostering growth.
