The business of taking care of remote hardware and software has never been bigger. Gartner estimates that managed services will grow at a CAGR of nearly 36 percent from 2001 to 2006. These opportunities are being driven by CIOs’ need to manage cost and risk carefully. With research showing that 47% of IT spending going to total cost of support and maintenance (TCSM), outsourcing system management to specialists makes sense for the buyer.

But where does it leave the provider?