MSPs are burned out and overworked as tool sprawl and IT complexity grows – but there's light on the horizon

MSPs are facing an array of challenges in 2025, but they’re keeping a stiff upper lip and battling on regardless.

That’s the message from Auvik’s 2025 IT Trends Report, which details the top challenges faced by IT and MSP professionals today.

The report, based on data gathered from C-suite and professionals across IT and MSP organizations of various sizes, paints a picture of widespread burnout, tool sprawl, and operational complexity as the industry continues to evolve.

Despite these challenges, however, MSPs look prepared to rise to the occasion, with a majority set to ramp up their spending budget over the next year.

As MSPs rise to new demands of the modern IT landscape - such as remote working and AI - they face the increasingly complex challenge of navigating tool sprawl.

According to the report, half of MSPs reported using ten or more tools to manage their clients’ networks, while 44% noted a lack of real-time visibility as a barrier to network monitoring.

Meanwhile, 74% said server monitoring is contributing to this sprawl, resulting in slower operations and increased burnout among professionals.

The resulting fatigue is proving to be a significant hurdle for MSPs, with 60% of respondents stating that they experience moderate or higher degrees of burnout at work.

Additionally, 44% said that the burden of their work restricts their productivity.

To help tackle this snowballing issue, Auvik said MSPs must place a greater focus on building a better work balance for their employees through less sprawl and improved training for new tools and skills.

These issues are also having a negative effect on upskilling, with 78% of respondents citing stress and work as critical barriers.

However, these professionals are not underperformers - they simply lack the appropriate amount of time to complete the tasks required under current complex conditions.

According to Auvik, MSPs must build resilience and training through automation of workflows, all-in-one solutions, and improved mentoring structures and training.

Opportunity knocks for MSPs

Despite the hurdles, fresh opportunities beckon for MSPs. 70% of MSPs revealed that their budgets are set to increase over the next year, with 51% stating that they expect an increase of 51% or more.

This spending hike offers significant growth potential for MSP partners that tackle co-managed or fully-managed solutions, especially those equipped to handle cloud and SaaS monitoring capabilities.

With 34% of respondents also stating that they lack fully polished AI policies, MSPs also have an opportunity to lead with up-to-date knowledge, training, and the implementation of AI policies as part of their contracts.

Looking to the future

As AI and hybrid work continues to gather pace, Auvik said the most successful MSPs will be those that adequately position themselves for the future and successfully manage to simplify their operations, while offering better support and training to their staff.

“MSPs can differentiate by providing access to certified, up-to-date specialists, especially in a world that is adopting new technology more and more,” the company said in a blog post.

“Offering proactive monitoring for areas like SaaS, network, and cloud are key for supporting modern work environments. Addressing skill gaps internally and reducing complexity and sprawl of MSP tools is also key.”

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