A detailed comparison of two major Australian Managed Service Providers.
Feature
Powernet
Rackspace Technology
Overall Score
3.9
3.0
Type
SMB / Mid-Market
US Cloud MSP
Employees
150-250
14000
Founded
2001
1999
Headquarters
Melbourne, VIC
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Revenue
Private
$3.0B
Salary Range
$75,000 - $155,000
$50,000 - $140,000
Specialties
Managed Services, Cloud, Microsoft 365, Security
Managed Cloud, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, DevOps
Certifications
Microsoft Partner, AWS Partner, Fortinet Partner
AWS Premier Partner, Microsoft Partner, Google Cloud Partner, ISO 27001
Green Flags
Good work-life balance Strong technology 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 Can be bureaucratic Limited career progression
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
Technology 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 Bureaucratic Limited progression
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 SMB / Mid-Market 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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