For years, our approach to selling managed network services to our customers was to treat the network as a utility—essential, reliable, and always operational.
But there was a gap, one that cost us revenue and left our customers exposed to unnecessary risks: Internet connectivity.
Like most MSPs, we initially left internet procurement and management in the hands of our customers. After all, why complicate our service with something outside our control?
But here’s what we realized:
- Every time their internet went down, they called us.
- Every time they struggled with an ISP, they blamed us.
- And every time they were forced to handle contracts, outages, and renewals on their own, it weakened our value as their trusted IT partner.
So, we made a change. We integrated Managed Internet Service (MIS) into our offering.
The result?
More revenue, happier customers, stronger relationships, and a competitive advantage that kept ISPs from creeping into our space.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. We faced hurdles—procuring service, managing contracts, aligning renewals, and streamlining support. Overcoming these challenges wasn’t just necessary; it was profitable.
After five years of selling Managed Internet Service, here’s what we learned—and why every MSP looking to grow revenue should pay attention.
What is Managed Internet Service
Our definition of a managed internet service (MIS) included internet connectivity (cable, fiber, cellular or in some cases DSL) along with continual monitoring of that connectivity.
In the event of a disruption of the connectivity, MIS also included our direct handling of the outage. This included:
- Contacting the ISP
- Diagnosing the outage with the ISP
- Notifying and alerting the customer to the event
- Providing ongoing status updates as we worked with the ISP to resolve the outage
We treated the MIS the same way we treated the managed networks services that we were providing to our customer.
The internet was just another product in the mix, and it needed the same uptime and support as the LAN and WLAN needed.
Challenges Selling Managed Internet
From the outset, we knew the internet connection was an important component in the mix but there were multiple challenges with selling it.
Challenge #1: Procuring ISP Service
One of the first hurdles we faced was securing internet service on behalf of our customers. We had two options:
- Become an ISP agent ourselves
- Partner with an aggregator that could streamline the procurement process.
Both approaches introduced complexities we hadn’t encountered before, requiring additional resources, vendor relationships, and operational adjustments.
Many MSPs avoid this challenge altogether, opting to let customers handle their own ISP selection. But this hands-off approach creates long-term headaches—when the internet goes down, MSPs still bear the brunt of customer frustration.
The key to overcoming this roadblock? A solution that simplifies ISP procurement, seamlessly integrating it into your managed service offering without adding excessive workload or operational friction.
Challenge #2: Providing Reliable Support
Managing an internet connection means owning the responsibility of uptime.
To do this effectively, MSPs need robust monitoring tools that can detect issues, pinpoint outages, and trigger real-time alerts for swift resolution.
While many tools exist, they don’t all integrate seamlessly. MSPs either need to piece together multiple solutions or find a partner that offers an all-in-one platform for proactive monitoring and alerting.
In our case, working with the right partner gave us the visibility and automation we needed to ensure seamless connectivity for our customers.
Challenge #3: Streamlining the Quoting Process
A major bottleneck we encountered was the delay in getting pricing from ISPs, aggregators, or partners. These inefficiencies slowed down our sales cycle, creating friction between quoting and closing deals.
To address this, we needed a configure, price, quote (CPQ) tool that could instantly pull available ISP services based on a customer’s location, offering pre-configured packages that could be added to quotes in seconds.
Without this, the CPQ process remained sluggish, impacting revenue growth.
Challenge #4: Managing ISP Subscriptions & Renewals
Subscription management quickly became another pain point.
Ensuring invoices were paid on time to prevent service disruptions required constant oversight. Additionally, ISP contracts often ran on 12- or 36-month terms, misaligning with our 48- or 60-month managed service contracts.
This mismatch meant we had to:
- Track expirations
- Renegotiate renewals
- Guarantee zero downtime during transitions.
Without the right tools, staying ahead of ISP contract expirations was a logistical nightmare. The solution? Automated alerts and renewal tracking to ensure seamless service continuity.
Challenge #Five: Simplifying Contract Management
Creating and managing ISP service contracts was another challenge.
Manually drafting agreements, copying and pasting data between systems, and ensuring every contract aligned with service terms was both time-consuming and error-prone.
To streamline this, we leveraged document management tools with templates that could auto-populate fields directly from our CPQ software. This eliminated inefficiencies, reduced errors, and significantly sped up the sales process.
The Business Impact of Selling Managed Internet Service
Integrating Managed Internet Service (MIS) into our managed network offering transformed the way we delivered value to our customers—and significantly strengthened our bottom line.
What started as an operational decision quickly evolved into a competitive advantage that enhanced revenue, customer relationships, and overall efficiency.
Here’s the impact it had on our MSP business and how it could modernize your managed service strategy:
1. Recurring Revenue Growth
When we added MIS to our managed network services, we saw an immediate uptick in recurring revenue.
While the per-location revenue increase seemed small at first, it scaled quickly across our customer base. For clients with multiple sites or those requiring high availability, the opportunity multiplied even further—especially when we bundled secondary internet connections for redundancy.
The takeaway? MIS creates a predictable, scalable revenue stream that compounds over time.
2. Faster Issue Resolution (MTR Improvements)
By managing internet service directly, we drastically reduced mean time to resolution (MTR).
Since we actively monitored connectivity, we knew about outages before the customer did. Direct relationships with ISPs meant we bypassed the frustrating troubleshooting delays that typically happen when a client calls their provider first.
In many cases, our internal tools identified the root cause before the ISP even started troubleshooting—accelerating fixes and keeping downtime to a minimum.
3. Stronger Customer Relationships
Taking internet service management off our clients' plates removed a major pain point.
- We eliminated the need for customers to deal with ISPs directly.
- We resolved outages faster, preventing end-user frustration.
- We handled service issues proactively, rather than waiting for complaints.
As a result, our customers viewed us as a true IT partner, not just a vendor.
This trust made renewals and upsells frictionless, reducing pushback on contract extensions and paving the way for technology refreshes and upgrades.
4. More Efficient Use of Internal Resources
MIS didn’t just benefit our customers—it optimized our internal operations.
With fewer reactive support tickets, our engineers could focus on higher-value tasks instead of spending hours on ISP-related troubleshooting. The tools we implemented helped prevent minor issues from escalating into full outages, reducing overall support workload.
Additionally, our partnerships with ISPs and aggregators allowed us to negotiate better service-level agreements (SLAs)—resulting in faster responses and more efficient resolutions.
5. Increased Referrals & Expansion Opportunities
One of the most unexpected benefits? A surge in referrals.
Happier customers became champions for our services within their organizations, leading to organic growth.
This was particularly valuable in franchise environments, where a positive experience at one location often led to multi-site adoption across the network.
6. A Defensive Strategy Against ISP Encroachment
By owning the internet service layer, we also protected our core business.
Before we entered the space, ISPs were gradually expanding beyond WAN connectivity, offering LAN and WLAN management as well. For customers already reliant on their ISP for internet, transitioning to a full-service ISP-managed network was a logical next step—cutting MSPs like us out of the equation.
By integrating MIS into our managed network stack, we prevented ISPs from encroaching on our business and solidified our role as the go-to provider for comprehensive network solutions.
Why Every MSP Should Consider MIS
Selling Managed internet Service was more than just an additional revenue stream—it reshaped our business model, improved customer retention, and gave us a distinct market advantage.
For MSPs still leaving internet management in the hands of their clients, the risks are clear: lost revenue, frustrated customers, and growing competition from ISPs.
By taking control of internet service, MSPs can:
✅ Increase recurring revenue with scalable, predictable contracts
✅ Reduce downtime with proactive monitoring and direct ISP engagement
✅ Enhance customer satisfaction by eliminating connectivity headaches
✅ Optimize internal resources by automating and streamlining network support
✅ Secure long-term business by preventing ISPs from taking over managed services
The bottom line? MIS isn’t just an add-on—it’s a critical strategy for revenue growth, customer loyalty, and future-proofing your MSP business.
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