There’s never been a better time to set up or grow an MSP, Giacom Chief Strategy Officer Nathan Marke has asserted.
Talking to IT Channel Oxygen to mark the launch of Fast-Growth 50 2026, for which Giacom is the sponsor, Marke also revealed fresh market data on the $65bn UK SMB tech market.
“That gap is huge”
Fast-Growth 50 2026 highlights some of the fastest-growing MSPs, MSSPs, VARs and IT consultancies by headcount.
Collectively, the half-century of partners it features added 1,560 staff over a three-year period.
Despite the straitened spending backdrop, the gap between the capability of technology and the ability of SMBs to consume it has “never been as big,” Marke said.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a better time than now to be setting up or growing a channel business,” he said.
“That gap is huge if we think about all the amazing capability in AI and intelligence, and all the need for protecting businesses with cybersecurity services.
“That just means there is such a brilliant opportunity for creating really special, differentiated services businesses, and so many of the people in the top 50 list are exactly those businesses.”
“This market is divided into two”
Citing figures from Analysys Mason, Marke said SMB tech spend will hit around $65bn this year.
But within than, cloud services is growing at 10%, while legacy and utility technologies such as telco services, on-premises services and on-premises software is growing at just 2%, he said.
“This market is really divided into two, and this community of high-growth MSPs and services businesses are basing their business on that high-growth subscription market,” Marke said.
“They’re basing their business on packaging together cloud subscriptions, wrapping them in managed services, and automating that through their runtime and systems to be able to deliver very effectively out to small businesses the products and services they really want.”
Asked why Giacom chose to back Fast-Growth 50 for a third year, Marke said smaller channel partners are “the bedrock of the channel community”.
“By our count, there’s about 20,000 resellers, MSPs and consultancies serving the SMB market in the UK,” he said.
“So often the focus is on the very big players, not on the startups and innovators that are doing amazing things for the rump of SMBs.
“We’re passionate about really supporting that model.”
You can download Fast-Growth 50 2026 here (brief registration required).
This article was produced in association with Giacom and is classified as partner content. What is partner content? See more here.
