A survey of 250 UK managed service providers (MSPs) undertaken by Sapio research for POPX has revealed the challenges that MSPs are encountering as they integrate AI and automation into their operations.
The survey found that concerns about data privacy and compliance are the most pressing issues, with 43% of respondents identifying these as major barriers to adopting more AI and automation. This is followed by the high costs associated with implementation and licensing, cited by 35%. Additionally, a lack of internal expertise or training is a concern for 31% of respondents.
Integration with existing systems also poses a challenge, with 30% of MSPs finding it difficult to seamlessly incorporate AI technologies into their current infrastructure.
Andy Venables, CEO, POPX, comments:
“While MSPs are forging ahead with AI and seeing real-time benefits, too many see systems integration, high costs and lack of expertise as barriers to further adoption. If MSPs are to stay ahead of the innovation curve and deliver the productivity gains their customers expect, they need to act now.”
Despite these challenges, the survey shows that AI adoption is already widespread among MSPs, with 80% using AI-powered chatbots for client support and AI-driven threat detection and cybersecurity. Another 76% use AI workflow automation, 68% use it for predictive analytics and 59% for automated ticket routing and escalation.
