Key Managed Services event revisits Amsterdam

The European Managed Services & Hosting Summit 2019 comes at a time when the business is being subjected to many changes. The sector as a whole is growing and the rising demand for skills has caused a surge in the level of merger and acquisition activity as successful MSPs aim to pick up less fortunate rivals and other types of reseller outside their home regions.

Among the speakers now announced is Gartner Research Director Mark Paine who will deliver the opening keynote examining the changing nature and needs of customers. Under the title “Working with customers and their chaotic buying processes” he will present the Gartner view on how the changed customer buying process has become hard to monitor and follow and can be abruptly fore-shortened. “Who are the real customers anyway?” he will ask, using research into changing buying processes.

Jonathan Simnett, director Hampleton Partners, will examine the latest trends in European IT mergers & acquisitions, the factors driving demand and how to build value into an MSP, reseller or services business. Tech services and support need resources and a lot of more successful MSPs are taking the view that it is cheaper and easier to buy rather than build, to get them. This is increasing demand for limited resources and resulting in buyers bidding up prices. Other factors increasing demand include Big Data, Cloud and IoT which are continuing to drive consolidation in the market, as larger customers look to use what they offer.

Igor Pejic from BNP Paribas will discuss the rise of blockchain and its application to managed services, what it means for every industry and what it offers to MSPs. Blockchain is a different way to handle databases, and although it started in financial services, it will enhance supply chains and anywhere where proof of identity is required. “Managed services is a new area addressed by blockchain. There has been a lot of development and we are now seeing blockchain as a service which allows smaller companies to scale it to what their business needs. We will see a lot of industry-specific applications soon,” says Igor. A copy of Blockchain Babel, Igor Pejic's important new book on blockchain, which has been selected as a book of the month by the FT, is being given free to those attending the Managed Services Summit in Amsterdam.

The European Managed Services & Hosting Summit 2019 is a management-level event designed to help channel organisations identify opportunities arising from the increasing demand for managed and hosted services and to develop and strengthen partnerships aimed at supporting sales. Building on the success of previous managed services and hosting events in London and Amsterdam, the summit will feature a high-level conference programme exploring the impact of new business models and the changing role of information technology within modern businesses. These conference sessions will be augmented by both business and technology breakout tracks within which leading vendors and service providers will provide further insight into the opportunities for channel organisations looking to expand their managed services portfolios. Throughout the day there will also be many opportunities for both sponsors and delegates to meet fellow participants within the Summit exhibition and networking area.

The European Managed Services and Hosting Summit 2019 will take place at the Novotel Amsterdam City Hotel, on 23 May 2019. MSPs, resellers and integrators wishing to attend the convention and vendors, distributors or service providers interested in sponsorship opportunities can find further information at: www.mshsummit.com/amsterdam