VAR, MSP, CSP, SP - Service Providers: What's in a Name?

I have personal experience working for all of the above, a VAR (Value Added Reseller), an SP (Solutions Provider), a CSP (Communications Service Provider) and an MSP (Managed Service Provider) but I only worked for one company. How you ask? Senior management changed the focus of the business and therefore the type of company we were perceived as.

Now you can stick cloud in front of any of the above and apparently you have a new flavour too. Although the lines between the different variants are blurring more and more there is a difference in ethos between them.

[caption id="attachment_24882" align="alignright" width="300"] Times have moved on, in the hardware we use at least[/caption]

Traditionally a VAR supplied hardware or software, often with some sort of wrap around to add value, but on the whole they were reselling, shifting boxes from one place to another. The value add either came via the wrap around services, that could have been extra delivery, installation or peripheral services, or via the expertise of the supplier when recommending what to buy in the first place. Or in some cases there was no value add at all.

An SP, in theory at least, should focus on selling things other than tin or licences. People, Intellectual property and time are their main focus. The wide variation of services they provide whether that is training, professional or managed services, consultancy, installation, and configuration differentiate them from the traditional VARs. The classic question of 'why?' should be asked more when a customer wants to order a new system or service to try and establish if they are going down the right path. Rather than just 'yes' and 'where/how would you like that delivered?'.

Then you have the MSPs. A broad church with some only providing specific styles of support services, such as direct end user or 3rd line, and often heavily focused in a specific market vertical. On the whole though you would assume they cover all of the above services provided by VARs and SPs but with addition of, potentially long term, support or contracts to manage and maintain those systems. They undertake a more proactive approach to customer systems, monitoring environments and preempting and preventing issues or potentially expansions before they are even noticed or required by the customer themselves.