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What separates high-growth managed service providers (MSPs) from the rest of the pack? That’s the question JumpCloud explored in a recent webinar, The High-Growth MSP Playbook, hosted by industry experts like Chris Tate and Antoine Jebara. The findings challenge some long-held assumptions in the MSP space.
For years, the prevailing wisdom has been that complexity erodes margins and stifles growth. As a result, many MSPs have built their business models around standardization, simplification, and sticking to a tightly controlled tech stack.
But the most successful MSPs are taking a different approach. They are not avoiding complexity. They are leaning into it — and turning it into a driver of growth.
In this blog, we’ll share insights from the webinar and explore how high-performing MSPs are navigating IT complexity with confidence. You’ll walk away with strategies your MSP can leverage to stay competitive and scalable in a more diverse, demanding client environment.
⚡ The webinar’s insights are drawn from the 2025 MSP Performance Report, which highlights how top-performing MSPs are adapting to IT complexity.
High-Growth MSPs Are Thriving in Complexity
Nearly a quarter (22%) of MSPs we surveyed grew their revenue by more than 20% in the past year. Impressive, isn’t it? These high-growth providers are embracing modern IT complexity rather than resisting it.
Instead of narrowing their services, these MSPs are expanding to meet evolving client needs:
- 70% are supporting devices beyond Windows.
- 27% of devices under management by high-growth MSPs are running macOS.
- 75% are managing more Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications.
This shift reflects how client environments are changing. Organizations today are hybrid, cloud-first, and tech-diverse. And high-growth MSPs are aligning their operations to support this reality.
Rather than forcing standardization, they are building flexible, scalable frameworks to support clients across a wide range of devices, platforms, and applications.
Three Key Strategies Powering MSP Growth
Instead of resisting complexity, high-growth MSPs have built their operations around handling it efficiently. Here are three core practices that support their scale and success:
1. Policy Standardization
Whether it’s Windows, macOS, Linux, or mobile devices, successful MSPs are enforcing consistent policies across the board. A majority (82%) of high-growth MSPs enforce strict security policies on all client devices.
They are also proactively managing bring your own device (BYOD) policies. More than half (59%) of high-growth MSPs have a formal BYOD policy in place. These MSPs are not restricting client flexibility. Instead, they are building structured, repeatable processes that maintain control without limiting user choice.
2. Automation
Managing complexity at scale cannot be done manually. A good number (66%) of high-growth MSPs are automating both device and security management. This includes patch management, policy enforcement, compliance tracking, and more.
Automation reduces human error, frees up internal resources, and enables consistent service delivery across varied environments. MSPs that invest in automation are able to grow their client base without proportionally increasing their workload or overhead.
3. Shadow IT Governance
The SaaS explosion is real. Shadow IT and unmanaged applications are common in nearly every client environment. Almost all (95%) MSPs say they are concerned about this, but only 60% of high-growth MSPs have already taken action to manage it.
These MSPs are not ignoring the problem. Rather, they are implementing policies and using tools to gain visibility into SaaS usage, enforce governance, and secure access. This enables them to help clients maintain control over a growing ecosystem of tools, including AI-driven platforms.
How JumpCloud Helps You Operationalize These Strategies
JumpCloud is built to support the way modern MSPs work. It helps you simplify operations, scale services, and secure diverse environments, all while reducing overhead and manual effort. With JumpCloud, your MSP can effectively:
✅ Support every client, regardless of device type: Manage Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android from a single interface, so that you can deliver consistent service across any environment.
✅ Save time and reduce errors with automation: Automatically apply security policies, updates, and configurations to stay compliant and efficient without stretching your team thin.
✅ Curb SaaS sprawl and shadow IT: Easily uncover and manage shadow IT and unsanctioned apps, giving you better oversight and helping clients stay secure and audit-ready.
These capabilities help MSPs like yours scale faster, support more complex client environments, and position themselves for sustained growth.
Run the Show, Become a Top-Performing MSP
Your MSP’s long-term momentum depends on carving out time to work on the business, not just in it. Step away from the daily ticket grind, pinpoint the bottlenecks that hold growth back, and put strategic fixes in place that deliver lasting returns. Start by:
- Auditing your stack regularly: Identify redundant platforms and retire what no longer earns its keep.
- Consolidating and automating: Fewer consoles mean faster onboarding, simpler training, and better margins as you add clients.
- Creating repeatable processes: Document policies so that everyone on your team can deliver the same high-quality service.
- Planning for the rise of AI agents: Treat these digital workers like any other identity by giving them the right access, monitoring their activity, and revoking privileges when they are no longer needed.
For a deeper look at how peers are turning complexity into a growth engine, watch the full on-demand webinar today.
