Empowering the MSP of the future

A guide to maximize your partnership and services-led revenue with OpenText

Table of contents​

GROWING WITH OPENTEXT

MSP market opportunity

The managed services market is growing and shifting. Traditional resale models are under pressure from reduced margins, tool sprawl, and rising expectations. Customer demand is now focused on outcomes like reduced risk, stronger resilience, and enhanced compliance.

Cybersecurity emerges as the primary growth driver for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). This is because it sits at the intersection of technology, business risk, and day‑to‑day operations. It is crucial as identity‑centric attacks, ransomware, data loss, and regulatory pressure become routine realities for small- and mid‑market organizations.

MSPs are uniquely positioned to secure these environments but only if they can move beyond fragmented tools to integrated security platforms that complement Microsoft investments. MSPs that succeed are those that package cybersecurity as a standardized, outcome‑focused service aligned to the full customer lifecycle. That is where durable margin, valuation, and customer loyalty are built.

This position is supported by market analysis and the Omdia (formerly Canalys)  report, which found that MSPs pairing Microsoft with complementary security platforms grow faster and achieve higher margins.

MSP market opportunity

The global MSP market is about $500B and growing 11–14% annually.

The threat landscape is relentless: Microsoft reports 100 trillion security signals are processed daily, including 4.5 million new malware blocks and 38 million identity risk detections.

Services maturity drives outsized returns: In the Partner Ecosystem Multiplier (PEM) study, mature partners earn up to $6.73 in services revenue for every $1 sold of OpenText Cybersecurity solutions.

Most value appears after the sale: 76.8% of the multiplier occurs after procurement, which is why Adopt and Manage services matter most.

The long game wins: 35.1% of total multiplier occurs in year three driven by managed services.

Why OpenText Cybersecurity is built for MSP growth

In a market crowded with point products, OpenText provides a cohesive cybersecurity platform designed for a single purpose: To drive your growth.

At its core is OpenText Secure Cloud, a unified, multi-tenant console that cuts through tool sprawl and operational drag. This centralized platform is where you can manage all your clients’ security needs, from threat prevention and email security to backup and compliance. Our platform is engineered to be the essential security and resilience layer that complements the Microsoft environments your clients use. This approach, combined with flexible monthly licensing that fits your business model, makes it easier to protect your margins and scale your services.

Threat detection and prevention

Solutions to identify and neutralize potential security threats.

Email security Tools to protect against

Tools to protect against phishing and other email-based attacks.

Data backup and recovery

Systems that ensure data integrity and swift recovery in case of incidents.

Continuity and compliance

Services that support business continuity and regulatory compliance.

Microsoft

Wrapping OpenText products around the foundation customers already own (identity, endpoint, productivity).

Bundles from OpenText

Pre-engineered for easy deployment, administration, and management at a competitive price point with low operating COGS for MSPs that allow you to scale on your own terms—no contracts, no minimums, and quick time to revenue.

How OpenText changes the game

Technology is only part of the equation. The other part is our customers, who tell us time and again that what truly sets us apart is the support we provide.
“We chose OpenText Cybersecurity because of their support. When we have a question, we get an answer quickly. No other vendor provides that level of responsiveness.”
› Canalys Study
“OpenText support is second to none. They’ve always felt like a true partner, not just another vendor relationship. They’re in it with us.”
› Canalys Study
This isn’t just about tech support; it’s a strategic advantage. When our partners cite support as a differentiator, they’re not referring only to ticket resolution, they’re describing an operational advantage that helps them win, deliver, and scale.

Partner-aligned account teams

OpenText partners work with tenured account
managers who understand not only product SKUs, but MSP business models.. This alignment helps partners design offers that protect margins and support long term growth.

Lifecycle expertise on demand

From presales architecture to incident recovery and optimization, OpenText acts as an extension of the MSP’s bench. This allows our partners to confidently pursue larger, more complex customer engagements.

Microsoft complementary guidance

OpenText helps MSPs strengthen—not replace— their customers’ Microsoft environments. This reduces friction in customer conversations and positions the MSP as a strategic advisor rather than a tool reseller.

Flexibility to reduce risk and accelerate scale

OpenText Cybersecurity is designed for MSP flexibility—no longterm contracts, no minimum purchase requirements, and month-to-month licensing aligned to recurring revenue.
BUILDING YOUR SECURITY PRACTICE WITH OPENTEXT

The Partner Maturity Model

The Omdia study commissioned by OpenText
confirms what the most successful MSPs already know: the old transactional model is broken. The study found that for every $1 a customer spends on OpenText solutions, a mature partner can earn nearly $7 in high-margin services revenue.

The catch? 77% of that opportunity happens
after the initial sale.

If your business is still focused on one-time projects and resale margins, you’re leaving the most profitable revenue on the table. Market leaders have shifted their focus from selling products to owning the entire customer lifecycle. They use a flywheel approach where each stage of the customer journey creates momentum for the next, driving retention, expansion, and higher-value recurring revenue.

The Omdia study commissioned by OpenText
confirms what the most successful MSPs already know: the old transactional model is broken. The study found that for every $1 a customer spends on OpenText solutions, a mature partner can earn nearly $7 in high-margin services revenue.

The catch? 77% of that opportunity happens
after the initial sale.

The growth flywheel: Own the full customer lifecycle

The most successful MSPs have shifted from selling products to owning the entire customer journey. Each stage creates momentum for the next—driving retention, expansion, and higher-value recurring revenue.

Advise

Shape strategy early – build
trust, drive larger deals

Manage

Shift to recurring revenue – boost valuation

Adopt

Ensure customers see value – lock in retention

Design

Influence core architecture – increase stickiness

Procure

Standardize bundles – protect margins

Build

Integrate deeply – differentiate your offer

77% of your total revenue opportunity occurs after the initial sale.

If you’re focused on one-time deals, you’re leaving the most profitable revenue on the table.

This is how they do it:

Advise (Drive larger deals)

Shape strategy early by defining business outcomes, which builds the trust needed to drive larger, more strategic deals.

Design (Improve stickiness)

Influence the core architecture to create a resilient solution stack that is deeply embedded in the client’s operations, satisfying their business priorities and cybersecurity needs.

Procure (Protect margins)

Standardize bundles in addition to creating custom deals. This protects margins, simplifies sales processes, and makes support more efficient.

Build (Differentiate the offer)

Move beyond default setups and integrate deeply into a client’s unique workflows. This creates clear differentiation and proves value beyond the license.

Adopt (Ensure retention & expansion)

Drive value by ensuring customers use the tools that are deployed. When they see clear results, it locks in retention and creates new expansion opportunities.

Manage (Boost valuation)

Shift from project-based revenue to a recurring model. This creates predictable cash flow and significantly increases the valuation of your MSP business.
Flywheel stageIf you’re strong hereWhy it matters

Advise

You shape strategy early

Drives larger deals and trust

Design

You influence architecture

Improves stickiness

Procure

You standardize bundles

Protects margin

Build

You integrate deeply

Differentiation

Adopt

Customers see value

Retention and expansion

Manage

Shift to recurring revenue

Predictability and valuation

The goal isn’t to simply win the deal. It’s to create a self-reinforcing cycle of value that makes you a core part of your customer’s success. OpenText’s Cybersecurity offers support across the entire flywheel through a single platform and a consistent operating model. Partners that expand coverage increase the value they provide to their customers while increasing revenue for each customer and reducing their dependence on one‑time projects.

How OpenText enables the MSP growth flywheel

OpenText Cybersecurity is designed to support every stage of the MSP growth flywheel through a unified platform that reduces operational complexity and helps partners scale services more efficiently.

At the center is OpenText Secure Cloud, a multi-tenant platform that unifies prevention, protection, recovery, and compliance into a single operating layer for MSPs.

Across the flywheel, OpenText enables growth in four key takeaways:

Standardization without rigidity

OpenText’s portfolio of email security, endpoint protection, backup and recovery, and continuity allows MSPs to define a non-negotiable core stack that can be reused across customers. This helps to protect margins while still supporting vertical and regulatory needs.

Lifecycle coverage that drives services revenue

OpenText solutions support adoption, management, and optimization, making it easier for MSPs to attach ongoing services that increase customer value and improve retention.

Built for Microsoft-centric environments

OpenText complements the Microsoft environments customers already use, adding security and resilience without requiring disruptive platform changes.

An operating model aligned to MSP economics

Flexible monthly licensing, no long term contracts, and no minimum commitments allow MSPs to scale at their own pace, reducing risk while standardizing bundles and services.