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.

This model is already delivering results for OpenText partners:

ARS Technology used OpenText Cybersecurity as the foundation for standardized security services, driving 20% year-over-year growth by expanding managed offerings and increasing customer lifetime value.

Seriun leveraged OpenText’s integrated platform and lifecycle coverage to move beyond one- time projects and build a scalable, services-led security practice.

Aligning to the growth flywheel

Moving up the value chain doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a deliberate process of building new capabilities that transform your business from a simple reseller into a strategic partner. Growth requires knowing where you are today and, more importantly, what your next best move is.

We’ve identified profiles below to help you unlock the strategy for increasing your services revenue and
business valuation.

The transactional partner

Who you are

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.

Your next best moves

  • Standardize your stack: Stop building custom solutions. Define one or two core bundles pairing Microsoft 365 with OpenText’s security tools to create a repeatable, profitable offering.
  • Attach one managed service: Pick a single, high-demand service like email security or endpoint management and attach it to everybundle. This is your first and most critical step into predictable, recurring revenue.

The emerging MSP

Who you are

You’ve moved beyond break/fix and have pockets of recurring revenue from basic managed services (manage). However, inconsistent delivery processes and a lack of post-project engagement mean you’re still leaving most of the customer lifetime value on the table.

Your next best moves

  • Master your processes: Invest in the tools
    and training required to make your service delivery efficient, repeatable, and profitable. This is the non-negotiable foundation for scaling.

 

  • Activate adopt services: Launch a simple
    customer success program. Introduce
    Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and user training to prove value, which dramatically increases retention and uncovers expansion opportunities.

The service-led MSP

Who you are

High-margin services are the engine of your business. Your strong technical teams deliver complex projects (design and build) and command healthy 30 to 40 percent gross margins on managed services. You’re a trusted technical partner who executes flawlessly.

Your next best moves

  • Monetize your advice: Stop giving away strategic consulting. Package and sell your expertise as standalone security assessments, compliance workshops, and technology roadmaps to get paid for your most valuable work.
  • Deepen your vertical focus: Become an undisputed expert in a specific industry like finance or healthcare. This allows you to solve high-value business problems, command premium pricing, and build a powerful competitive advantage.

The strategic advisor

Who you are

You’ve moved beyond break/fix and have pockets of recurring revenue from basic managed services (manage). However, inconsistent delivery processes and a lack of post-project engagement mean you’re still leaving most of the customer lifetime value on the table.

Your next best moves

  • Scale your expertise: Invest in the tools and training required to make your service delivery efficient, repeatable, and profitable. This is the non-negotiable foundation for scaling.
  • Optimize for valuation: With your proven model, focus relentlessly on operational efficiency to drive net margins to 25 percent or higher, maximizing the financial valuation of your business.

Maturity stage

How you see yourself

Primary revenue focus

Your next best move

Transactional partner

Mostly resale; limited afterthought

Procure

Standardize one or two core managed bundles.

Emerging MSP

Reactive services with inconsistent delivery

Procure, build

Master your processes for repeatable delivery.

Service-led MSP

Recurring services are the core of the business

Manage, design

Add paid advisory and adopt services.

Strategic advisor

You own the full customer lifecycle

Advise, manage

Scale expertise and optimize for profitability.

Building and scaling your security practice

Successful MSPs don’t try to do everything at once. They standardize early to build a profitable foundation, then deliberately expand into higher-value services. This phased approach ensures you can scale your security practice without sacrificing margins or service quality.

Use this checklist to guide your next moves based on your current maturity level.

FOR THE TRANSACTIONAL PARTNER:

Build your foundation

Your goal is to create a repeatable, profitable security offering that can be sold efficiently.

Your next best moves

Define your core stack

Stop selling a-la-carte products. Choose your non-negotiable security stack built on OpenText and Microsoft. Start with endpoint protection, email security, and backup.

Create your first managed bundle

Package your core stack with remote monitoring and essential maintenance. Sell it as a single, recurring subscription, not a one-time project.

Set a hard margin target

Price your bundle to achieve at least a 40 percent gross margin. This is the economic foundation for everything that follows. Do not compete on price.

Visualizing the stack
Many successful partners start with a simple structure:

Foundation

Microsoft 365 plus OpenText core security (email, endpoint protection, backup)

Managed services

Monitoring, recovery testing, patching, and response

Lifecycle services

Adoption, training, QBRs, compliance support

Advisory

Risk assessments, vCISO services, and industry specific consulting

This approach creates a repeatable, profitable model that grows with customer needs.
FOR THE SERVICES-LED MSP:
Layer high-value services
Your goal is to move beyond technical management and start solving strategic business problems.

Add a compliance offering

Package services around a specific regulatory framework like HIPAA, CMMC, or GDPR. This shifts the conversation from cost to critical business risk.

Introduce paid vCISO services

Stop giving away strategy. Formalize your advisory services and begin charging for technology roadmaps, budget planning, and risk assessments.

Specialize in a vertical

Become the go-to security expert for a specific industry (e.g., legal, healthcare, finance). This focus allows you to build deep expertise and command premium pricing. Then expand to additional verticals that have common areas of compliance.

FOR THE STRATEGIC ADVISOR:
Go upmarket and optimize
Your goal is to maximize your valuation by becoming an indispensable partner for larger, more complex clients.

Price on business outcomes

Stop selling tools and start selling measurable risk reduction. Your proposals should focus on the financial and operational impact of your services.

Build a proactive security team

Move beyond reactive alerting to offer advanced services like proactive threat hunting, vulnerability management, and incident response planning

Develop a Center of Excellence

Create a dedicated team to lead your most advanced security or compliance offerings, turning them into a key driver for winning enterprise-level business.

Summary

TAKEAWAYS

The real money is in services

The biggest opportunity for growth isn’t in the initial sale. For every $1 of OpenText sold, mature partners can capture nearly $7 in high-margin services revenue, with 77 percent of that coming after the initial transaction.

Maturity drives valuation

Your business’s value is directly tied to your ability to deliver services across the entire customer lifecycle. Moving from transactional reseller to strategic advisor that owns the outcome is a proven path to a higher valuation.

Standardization Is the foundation for scale

You cannot scale a profitable security practice on custom, one-off projects. The most successful MSPs standardize on a core stack and repeatable service bundles to protect margins and ensure efficient delivery.

The flywheel is your roadmap

The goal is to create a self-reinforcing cycle where you advise, design, P=procure, build, adopt, and manage. This model transforms one-time customers into long-term partners, driving retention and expansion.

Closing

The path to sustainable growth is clear: shift from transactional reseller to a mature, services-led MSP.

Partnering with OpenText isn’t about adding another tool to your stack—it’s about adopting a growth
engine for your business. Our unified Secure Cloud platform provides the technology and structure to
make the shift to a services-led model practical.

It enables you to wrap high-value security around your customers’ existing Microsoft 365 investment, creating a sticky, high-margin service that is incredibly difficult for competitors to displace. This is the
proven path to reducing operational friction, increasing client value, and building a resilient, high-valuation
MSP practice.

Your next step

The fastest way to turn this playbook into results:
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About OpenText
OpenText™ is a global leader in secure information management for AI, helping organizations protect,
govern, and activate their data with confidence. Our technologies turn data into information with context
to form the knowledge base for AI. Learn more at www.opentext.com.