Managed identity and zero trust: what MSPs should prioritise

TL;DR: MSPs are being pushed away from commoditised patching and help desk work toward higher-value services such as Zero Trust, managed identity, and unified endpoint management, according to JumpCloud. The pricing pressure is real, but the strategic shift is less about adding tools than about owning the access and security outcomes clients will pay to retain.

NHIMG editorial — based on content published by JumpCloud: guidance on high-margin MSP services for identity and Zero Trust

Questions worth separating out

Q: How can MSPs move from commodity support to higher-margin identity services?

A: MSPs should build recurring services around access governance, SSO administration, MFA policy, and privileged access oversight.

Q: Why does managed identity create more value than basic help desk work?

A: Managed identity creates value because it affects how every user and workload gets access, not just how quickly incidents are closed.

Q: When does Zero Trust become a profitable MSP service?

A: Zero Trust becomes profitable when it is delivered as an operating model with identity policy, privilege control, and ongoing verification.

Practitioner guidance

• Define which identity services are truly recurring Separate low-value support from services that require ongoing governance, such as SSO administration, MFA policy maintenance, and privileged access reviews.
• Tie Zero Trust delivery to access evidence Build service packages around verified identity signals, policy enforcement, and continuous access review instead of generic perimeter language.
• Govern endpoint administration with privilege controls Align UEM operations with privileged access management so device control, local admin rights, and support exceptions are not handled as separate processes.

What's in the full article

JumpCloud's full article covers the commercial packaging and MSP positioning detail this post intentionally leaves for the source:

• How JumpCloud frames managed identity, Zero Trust, and UEM as recurring MSP offerings
• The specific ways the article links service diversification to margin improvement and client retention
• Operational positioning guidance for MSPs trying to move away from basic patching and help desk work

👉 Read JumpCloud's guidance on high-margin MSP services for identity and Zero Trust →

Managed identity and zero trust: what MSPs should prioritise?

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