Enterprises and MSPs for several years have been embracing
platform approaches to cybersecurity, moving away from managing myriad point products and toward tightly integrated offerings to address increasingly complex technologies like AI and software-as-a-service (SaaS) and the problem of tool sprawl.
According to
IBM, organizations today try to manage an average of
83 different security solutions from 29 vendors, which leads to what the vendors calls an “unnecessary convolution and risk. More tools equal more threats; every integration is a potential point of entry for bad actors.”
Meanwhile, companies that rely on security platforms take an average of 72 fewer days to detect a security incident and 84 fewer days to contain one.
“Consolidating multiple tools into a unified platform not only bolsters security posture, it also reduces costs and improves operational efficiency – two things any C-suite executive or business leader will welcome,” Big Blue wrote early last year. “And when it comes to AI, a platform approach best enables an organization to ingest and analyze data, and then deliver actionable insights.”
Message Delivered
It's a message that cybersecurity vendors are getting from their customers and service providers, according
Mike Arrowsmith, chief trust officer for security vendor
NinjaOne, which offers its cloud-native United IT Operations Platform that
includes endpoint management, autonomous patching, backup, and remote access in a single console.
“Close to 80% of breaches begin on unprotected endpoints, and most employees now use three or more devices daily, while nearly 75% of these devices are unmanaged,” Arrowsmith told MSSP Alert. “Meanwhile, endpoint sprawl is at an unprecedented level, forcing IT teams and MSSPs to do more with limited resources.”
Now organizations and service providers are asking for unified endpoint management, patching, backup, and remote access to become more efficient, minimize security blind spots, and reduce risk as the number of devices they manage continues to grow, he added.
“More than 75% of our customers replace at least four tools when they move to NinjaOne because they need just one platform to simplify IT operations, including endpoint management and protection,” Arrowsmith said.
Boosting the Bottom Line
The
Austin, Texas-based company is seeing the results of the ongoing trend toward the platformization of cybersecurity. NinjaOne executives this month said its customer base grew 60% year-over-year in 2025, reaching more than 35,000 customers in more than 140 countries. It’s annual recurring revenue surpassed $500 million, growing almost 70% year-over-year.
During 2025, the vendor also expanded its platform with MDM for MacOS and NinjaOne Remote to help unify vulnerability and patch management,
acquired Dropsuite – a SaaS backup and data protection firm – for $252 million, and launched Patch Intelligence AI to automate patching.
“As organizations manage more endpoints, and by extension more risk, IT and security need to be on the same team and working together to protect their organizations,” Arrowsmith said. “NinjaOne unifies IT, so endpoint visibility, control, patching, and remediation happen in one place. ... We’ve been able to solve the real operational gaps where IT and security meet, which makes it easier for teams to reduce risk and manage their endpoints without adding complexity.”
An Evolving Cybersecurity Market
The trend toward security platforms and unified IT can be seen in global market numbers. According to analysts with
Grand View Research, “the cybersecurity market is
evolving from standalone point solutions to integrated, intelligence-driven ecosystems that provide end-to-end threat visibility, automated remediation, and compliance assurance.”
They added in their report that “market leaders are investing in AI-driven threat hunting, automated vulnerability management, and cloud-native security platforms that integrate with major public cloud providers’ native security services.”
“AI separates the strongest SaaS platforms from the rest, but only when it’s applied in a meaningful way,” NinjaOne’s Arrowsmith said, pointing to the vendor’s Patch Intelligence AI as an example. “It provides insight into patching decisions, makes the process more autonomous, and reduces risk by surfacing key factors before deployment.”
Security Services in Demand
The Grand View Research analysts also noted that the cybersecurity services segment of the market will see the fastest average yearly growth between this year and 2033, with the key driver being demand for managed security services, consulting, and implementation support.
“Enterprises are increasingly outsourcing security operations to specialized providers to gain access to advanced threat intelligence, 24/7 monitoring, incident response, and vulnerability management without the need for extensive in-house teams,” they wrote. “Moreover, the growing complexity of IT infrastructures and regulatory requirements across industries is prompting businesses to rely on expert-led security services that offer tailored solutions, proactive threat hunting, and integration with AI/ML-driven detection platforms.”
Platforms are MSSP, MSP Differentiators
The platform approach is a key differentiator for MSPs and MSSPs, Arrowsmith said, adding that “managing all client endpoints from a single platform significantly improves efficiency and the quality of service they provide.” He said that MSPs using the NinjaOne platform are cutting their time to resolution in half and seeing a 20% improvement in staff retention.
James Wright, CTO for managed IT services company
Executech, unified IT is important because clients are demanding technology that works smoothly as their environments scale and their security requirements increase. The NinjaOne platform allows Executech manage and protect tens of thousands of endpoints, Wright told MSSP Alert.
“We migrated 30,000 agents in under three months, improved patch compliance by 42%, and automated a growing share of routine work,” he said. “That unification lets our technicians support more customers without adding complexity.”
