A detailed comparison of two major Australian Managed Service Providers.
Feature
Cirrus Networks
Rackspace Technology
Overall Score
3.4
3.0
Type
Public Mid-Tier
US Cloud MSP
Employees
100-200
14000
Founded
2008
1999
Headquarters
Perth, WA
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Revenue
Private
$3.0B
Salary Range
$70,000 - $140,000
$50,000 - $140,000
Specialties
Managed Services, Cloud, Networking, Security
Managed Cloud, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, DevOps
Certifications
Cisco Partner, AWS Partner, Microsoft Partner
AWS Premier Partner, Microsoft Partner, Google Cloud Partner, ISO 27001
Green Flags
Good work-life balance Stable employment Government focus
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
Small scale Γ’β¬β limited exposure to large projects Below-market salaries Can be bureaucratic
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
Work-life balance Stable Government work
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
Small scale Below-market pay Bureaucratic
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 Public Mid-Tier 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.
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