A detailed comparison of two major Australian Managed Service Providers.
Feature
AC3
Rackspace Technology
Overall Score
3.7
3.0
Type
Cloud / Public Sector
US Cloud MSP
Employees
200-300
14000
Founded
2000
1999
Headquarters
Sydney, NSW
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Revenue
Private
$3.0B
Salary Range
$75,000 - $155,000
$50,000 - $140,000
Specialties
AWS, Azure, Cloud Migration, Government Cloud
Managed Cloud, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, DevOps
Certifications
AWS Partner, Microsoft Partner, VMware Partner, ISO 27001
AWS Premier Partner, Microsoft Partner, Google Cloud Partner, ISO 27001
Green Flags
Good work-life balance Strong cloud focus Stable employment
Pioneer of 'Fanatical Support' β differentiated managed cloud support model Strong multi-cloud expertise across AWS, Azure, GCP Good for early-career cloud engineers seeking certification support Private equity backing provides capital for growth
Red Flags
Below-market salaries Limited career progression Can be risk-averse
Financial distress β loss of founder leadership, multiple restructurings Below-market compensation across most roles PE ownership creates margin pressure and cost-cutting mentality Massive layoff cycles (2022: 10%, 2023: 15%, 2024: ongoing) Awful Glassdoor rating (3.0) β among worst of major MSPs Business model disruption from hyperscalers going direct to customers
Worker Pros
Cloud focus Work-life balance Stable
Strong multi-cloud managed services expertise Fanatical Support training instills good customer service habits Cloud certification support and exam coverage Good for early-career cloud engineers building a resume
Worker Cons
Below-market pay Limited progression Risk-averse
Financial instability β multiple layoff rounds and loss of founder CEO Below-market salaries across all roles PE ownership drives constant cost-cutting and margin pressure Hyperscalers (AWS, Azure) going direct β squeezing Rackspace's business model
Both Cloud / Public Sector and US Cloud MSP have strengths and weaknesses. Your choice depends on your priorities β whether that's career growth, salary, work-life balance, or technical exposure.
Use the side-by-side comparison tool for a deeper look, or check out individual profiles for detailed employee reviews.
Contract red flags, salary data, and industry analysis. No spam.
β You're in.
π Table of Contents
📧
Before you go…
Get the Red Flag Checklist — the 12 contract clauses every Australian MSP worker should flag before signing. Plus weekly analysis delivered to your inbox.