Channel Chatter, Jan 31 - Feb 7 2024

This newsletter is in BETA, and feedback is welcomed and encouraged.? Anyone who joins in the beta will be included in the launch offer! ?The intention is to deliver a set of actionable insights into the discussions had by the community for vendors to leverage for execution. Does this deliver???

Channel Chatter is the parsing of the listening posts that the Business of Tech podcast has around the MSP community across discussion forums and groups to bring together insights and discussions that I think are worth considering.?? In considering the needs of MSPs by listening to them for the podcast, there are insights specifically for vendors serving the space to be shared.? That is this newsletter.??

It shouldn’t surprise you to know I use some AI for pulling together Channel Chatter. Most weeks, my review of the conversations starts from the human side, but today, the AI spoke to me first. In the product analysis, the AI offered (and I have left in) a product gap insight for RMM providers: “Developers could focus on creating RMM solutions that foster long-term relationships and trust.”

How about that for some insight — building human trust right into the software. What sparked this insight?

I have a long time customer claim that he has been in direct contact with Ninja. Are they known for doing this?

Which leads to a really interesting set of responses across the range.

Ninja hasnt gone after any of our clients (yet), but it did happen to my buddy one province over. Ninja pretty aggressively pursed 3 of his clients for ages. Luckily Ninja’s hyper aggressive sales people taught his clients what working with Ninja would be like.

That sounds bad.

Happened to us once. I got the salespersons name and forwarded it to my ninja rep and they shut it down fast

That sounds… better?

Ninja is a fantastic tool. Support is excellent and always available. I have never had an issue with this or even pushy sales. The tool is primarily solid, and our sales rep is fantastic. Being in sales is his job, and he will toss out a pitch occasionally or offer a suggestion. He mainly checks in to see if anything is needed, but we have never encountered any problems

That sounds.. great.

Or perhaps we lean away from the vendor to consider the client.

Why not just ask your client if Ninja reached out to them. You learn 2 things. The first is the answer to your post question. The second if that answer is a no is that your client is shopping around and considering bringing IT in house.

There’s a shady recommendation rather than asking the customer.

Or you just search their email domain.

Nothing like recommending to spy on your own customers rather than talking to a human. And we wonder why technical teams have a bad reputation.

Some vendors really do make moves to deserve this reputation:

There is at least one email security vendor that makes sure none of their competitors domains get through to end customers. It’s happened enough that myself and other engineers have noticed and it’s only ever a problem with one vendor’s solution. If you run this solution, we have to do the rip and replace transaction via your personal email address because your business email will block my entire domain.

Wow. Really confident in your customers’ loyalty, aren’t you, unknown vendor?

This leads me back to the reason to consider this thread. Frankly, I usually move right past a debate over a vendor, and I want to be clear that I find it irrelevant that Ninja is the vendor being discussed. If you’re focused on that fact, let me redirect you.

I do a lot of sentiment analysis on vendors to understand who is “in favor” and who is “out of favor”. I’m now considering a trust index alignment. And I wonder how much this would work on the MSP side too.

An AI understood that the market could be disrupted by a product offering that has trust built into it. Let that be the thought that sticks in your head. The AI saw it… and many humans working in the industry don’t.

Topics of Interest

This section is a high-level summary of the major topics of discussion within the community during the time period. This gives you a sense of the questions the community is raising and what they are discussing.

1. AnyDesk Potential Security Breach: This conversation revolves around a suspected security breach at AnyDesk, a provider of remote control software. The sudden maintenance period and change in their code signing certificate raised alarms. The discussion involves mitigation guidance and efforts by cybersecurity firms to detect anomalous activity, highlighting the importance of vigilance in cybersecurity practices.
2. Microsoft 365 Backup Service Impact on Third-Party Solutions: Participants discuss the potential impact of Microsoft's new backup service on third-party solutions. The conversation touches on Microsoft's pricing strategy, speculated API changes, and the future availability of backup APIs. This discussion is significant due to its potential implications for third-party backup solution providers and MSPs.
3. NinjaOne's Sales Tactics and Industry Impact: This conversation delves into the sales tactics of NinjaOne, with mixed reviews about their approach. The discussion also reveals an unnamed email security vendor blocking competitors' domains, which is a unique and concerning practice in the industry.
4. RMM Tool Selection Analogy to Marriage: The analogy of choosing an RMM provider to marriage is discussed, emphasizing the long-term commitment and potential costs involved. This conversation highlights the critical nature of selecting the right tools for MSPs and the impact of these decisions on business operations.
5. VulScan Setup and User-Friendliness Issues: The difficulties users face in setting up and using VulScan with RIVS is discussed, suggesting a gap in the market for more user-friendly vulnerability scanning tools. This conversation is important as it highlights the challenges MSPs face with complex tools, impacting efficiency and effectiveness.
6. Acquiring First Clients in Managed Services: The varied experiences shared about how different individuals acquired their first clients in the managed services industry offer unique insights. This discussion is notable for its diversity in strategies and the adaptability required in the managed services sector.

Product Gaps

This section is intended to highlight “gaps” that appear to exist in the market, where a specific weakness or need is highlighted in terms of product offerings. This can also include potential gaps in the market. If you wondered what MSPs “wish things did”, that’s this section.?

1. User-Friendly Vulnerability Scanning Tools: There's a noted difficulty in setting up and using tools like VulScan with RIVS. A gap exists for more intuitive, user-friendly vulnerability scanning tools that can be easily implemented and used by MSPs, potentially with better onboarding and support services.
2. Improved RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) Solutions: The analogy of choosing an RMM provider to marriage and discussions around NinjaOne's sales tactics suggest a market need for RMM tools that are both reliable and have fair, transparent sales practices. Developers could focus on creating RMM solutions that foster long-term relationships and trust.
3. Security and Compliance Tools for Cloud-First Organizations: As cloud-first strategies become more prevalent, there's a need for security tools tailored to these environments. This includes solutions focusing on compliance, data protection, and network security in a cloud-centric setup.
4. Managed Services for Transitioning Traditional Tech Companies: There's a gap in services and tools that assist established technology companies in transitioning into managed services. Software developers could create platforms or services that help these companies adapt their existing products or services to a managed services model.
5. Enhanced MSP Business Management Tools: The conversation about the importance of business knowledge beyond technical expertise for running a successful MSP indicates a need for comprehensive business management tools. These could include features like client relationship management, financial tracking, and market analysis specifically designed for MSPs. (Including listening to the Business of Tech podcast ).

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Vendor Discussion

This section is designed to give you insights into who was “discussed” this week. These are vendors that were mentioned or commented upon, and not necessarily a specific set of complaints about the vendor. This may be a good opportunity to learn about a new name, or get a sense of who is in the zeitgeist.?It’s long. It’s intentionally long, to give you the firehose.

• Acronis: Discussed in the context of their partners sending flash drives with prebuilt Acronis bootable media to customers for remote recovery.
• Amazon: Mentioned in a conversation about MSPs looking for ways to earn commissions on computer sales, where customers often prefer to buy directly from vendors like Amazon.
• AnyDesk: Discussed regarding a potential security breach and the implications of their software's misuse if their signing certificate was compromised.
• Aruba: Highlighted in a discussion among MSPs about computer sales, with a focus on rebate programs offered to MSPs based on sales volume.
• Autotask: Mentioned for classifying tickets and assigning them to the appropriate technician, and also in the context of Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools.
• Axigen+Softmaker: Included in a conversation about various IT tools and platforms.
• Best Buy: Mentioned in a discussion about MSPs earning commissions on computer sales.
• ChannelProgram (NaviStack): Talked about as a tool for managing the entire vendor ecosystem, enabling direct communication with vendors and sharing of vendor ecosystem information within organizations.
• Cisco/Meraki: Discussed in various contexts, including managing Apple devices and providing IT products and services.
• Connectsecure/CyberCNS: Suggested as an alternative to RIVS for using local agents or probe devices, due to its simplicity.
• Connectwise: Mentioned as a potential alternative to NinjaOne's RMM tool, and in discussions about RMM providers.
• Crafty Penguins: A Linux consulting and support service company mentioned in a conversation about thanking larger MSPs for referrals.
• Datto: Discussed in various contexts, including its BCDR solution and as a comparison to other RMM tools.
• Dell: Mentioned in various conversations, including one about managing devices and another about earning commissions on computer sales.
• eClinical: An EHR company that keeps a list of MSPs for green-field deployments, discussed in the context of MSPs and EHR systems.
• Exchange Online: Part of a discussion about various IT tools and platforms.
• Fortinet: Included in a conversation about various IT tools and platforms.
• Google Workspace: Mentioned in discussions about managing devices and as a competitor to other platforms like MS365 and Zoho Workspace.
• Gsuite: Part of a discussion about various IT tools and platforms.
• Icewarp: Mentioned in a conversation about various IT tools and platforms.
• Icewarp+Softmaker: Discussed in the context of IT tools and platforms.
• Immy: Mentioned as part of a process for aligning tools with the NIST CSF categories.
• Ingram Micro: Discussed in a conversation about MSPs looking for ways to earn commissions on computer sales.
• Intune: Mentioned in the context of managing Apple devices and in discussions about IT tools and platforms.
• JAMF: Discussed as a tool for managing Apple devices.
• Kaseya (VSA): Mentioned in various conversations, including as a comparison to other RMM tools.
• Kerio: Included in a conversation about various IT tools and platforms.
• Lenovo: Discussed in various contexts, including computer sales and rebate programs for MSPs.
• Mail in a Box: Part of a discussion about various IT tools and platforms.
• Meraki: Discussed in the context of managing Apple devices and providing IT products and services.
• Microsoft (Office 365, Azure, Windows Server 2022, Surface devices): Various products and services from Microsoft were discussed in different contexts, including licensing issues and device management.
• Nessus: Mentioned as a potential alternative for managing and setting up VulScan with RIVS.
• NinjaOne: Discussed in various contexts, including its RMM policy, automation limitations, and sales tactics.
• Northstar PCs: Mentioned in a conversation about acquiring first clients in the managed services industry.
• Rakuten: Mentioned in a conversation about MSPs earning commissions on computer sales.
• Securden: Discussed in the context of providing a privilege management solution.
• SuperMicro: Mentioned in a conversation about managing old hardware and the risks associated with it.
• TD Synnex: Discussed in a conversation about MSPs looking for ways to earn commissions on computer sales.
• TruMethods: Mentioned in a conversation about choosing RMM providers.
• Ubiquiti (UniFi): Discussed in the context of Wi-Fi systems for SMBs.
• Zimbra: Included in a conversation about various IT tools and platforms.
• Zoho (Workspace, One): Discussed in various contexts, including as a competitor to platforms like MS365 and Google Workspace.