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.??
Channel Chatter will be off next week. Don’t worry — a double dose the week after.
When platform providers fail to address customer needs with certain features, others build products that fill the gaps. I’ve cavalierly referred to these as “features, not products”. I’ll cede that is entirely what entrepreneurism is about, exploiting the deficiencies in the market to build new offerings.
Let’s make no mistake. Those are still deficiencies.
I’m fascinated by the slowdown of larger companies as they become successful, losing their agility and speed in favor of stability, and the opportunities presented. And I spotted it when considering this question.
Is there any good baseline for a standardized IT Plans Policies, Incident Response Plans, Business Recovery Plans etc. i know it might vary from business to business but we have been asked to provide detailed docs for an auditor we dont have these detailed in our contract etc. I figured id ask the community if there are Standards that are easily modifiable such as SANS docs etc. to see what everyone else is doing.
Isn’t this an interesting thought? It comes up across conversations too.
There are a lot of templates out there, from NIST and SANS and Microsoft and CIS, and in Compliance Scorecard, but like others have said, the templates can give you an example of what the outline should look like and what the policies should probably cover,
SANS institute and CIS have a huge library available to the public.
If you want to do documentation right, you owe it to your future self to evaluate all the options. Hudu is the new hotness, ITG is the OG standard, Passportal ... also does this ish.
Only thing to add is I also like to include any documentation I've written regarding the clients environment, site diagrams, network diagrams, power-supply/ups diagrams, kb articles run books.
One would have thought that the MSP platform providers would have provided this capability. Instead, it was built with a smaller set of vendors. That said, it’s still pretty chaotic — and I think there’s an opportunity to help with standards right within the products. “Secure by design”, and its cousin “secure by default”, would go a long way here.
Vendors? Want to support this work, get shout outs, and reach the largest audience of MSPs listening to podcasts? Find out more at https://mspradio.com/patreon/
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.
- Documentation and Process Efficiency: There's a significant focus on tools and software (e.g., HUDU, ITglue) that streamline the creation and management of policies, process documents, and client service portfolios. This includes uses of documentation tools to enhance operational efficiency and knowledge sharing within MSP environments.
- Cybersecurity Solutions and Strategies: Conversations delve into cybersecurity products (e.g., Huntress, Blackpoint, WebTitan) and their integration with broader IT management platforms. These discussions evaluate the effectiveness, alerting capabilities, and integration features of various security vendors, particularly in their role in safeguarding against emerging threats.
- Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) Tools: Conversations highlight the evaluation of RMM solutions (e.g., SyncroMSP, NinjaRMM, Atera) focusing on their cost-effectiveness, scalability, and functional capabilities. This reflects the MSPs' need for flexible, efficient tools to manage client infrastructures.
- Cloud Services and Backup Solutions: There's an in-depth look at cloud storage and backup strategies, especially for vendors like Egnyte and Datto. The discussions emphasize the importance of reliable backup solutions, data integrity, and the challenges of managing cloud storage data.
- VOIP and Communication Tools: The evaluation of VOIP solutions (e.g., Microsoft Teams Phone, 3CX, Ring Central) and their integration with business operations illustrates the shifting landscape of business communication tools and the considerations for MSPs in providing these solutions to clients.
- Operational Challenges in MSPs: Unique operational issues, such as inverted process flows and the challenges of transitioning roles within MSPs, showcase the internal dynamics and the need for effective task management and role clarity.
- Banking and Financial Services for Businesses: The discussion touches on preferred banking solutions for businesses, discussing the pros and cons of various providers (e.g., Novo, Relayfi) and the importance of features like high deposit limits and technology support.
- Legal and Compliance Considerations: There are insights into managing SEC compliance and the specific tools and practices that can support compliance efforts, particularly for financial and legal services firms.
- Client Management and Visualization Tools: The need for tools that can visually represent client services and gaps (e.g., Hudu, IT Glue) indicates a gap in the market for comprehensive client service management solutions.
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. Comprehensive Documentation and Visualization Tools
There's a clear need for tools that streamline the creation, organization, and visualization of policies, process documents, and client service portfolios. A product that combines efficient documentation management with intuitive visualization—highlighting service coverage, compliance status, and gaps—could significantly benefit MSPs. Such a tool should ideally integrate with popular platforms like ConnectWise or Autotask and provide customizable dashboards for different stakeholder views (technical, managerial, sales).
2. Enhanced Integration and Alerting for Security Solutions
The discussions around cybersecurity vendors like Huntress, Blackpoint, and WebTitan suggest a demand for security solutions with better integration capabilities, particularly with other IT management tools and platforms (e.g., Microsoft Office 365, IT Glue). A product that offers robust integration, coupled with precise and timely alerting mechanisms, would address significant pain points, especially in managing and responding to security incidents more effectively.
3. Backup Solutions with Better Control and Visualization
While vendors like Egnyte and Datto are mentioned, there's room for improvement in backup solutions, especially in terms of user control, data visualization, and integration with other MSP tools. A product that simplifies backup management provides clear insights into the backup status and health across all client devices and integrates seamlessly with other MSP operations could fill a significant gap.
4. Cybersecurity Training and Education Tools
With the increasing complexity of cybersecurity threats, there's an interesting gap in tools that facilitate ongoing education and training for both MSP staff and their clients. A platform that offers up-to-date, engaging, and customizable training content focused on the latest security threats and best practices could become an essential component of an MSP's offering.
5. Client Service Visualization and Management
MSPs struggle with efficiently managing and communicating the suite of services each client subscribes to. A product that clearly visualizes which services a client has, which they're missing, and potential security or compliance gaps would be highly valuable. This tool could also assist in sales and onboarding processes by providing clear insights into service coverage and gaps.
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.
- 3CX: Discussed as the current VOIP solution being resold by the original poster, comparing it with Microsoft Teams Phone for VOIP services.
- 8x8: Mentioned as a reliable VOIP alternative with fewer issues related to call drops and failures, in a discussion comparing Microsoft Teams Phone and other VOIP solutions.
- Action1 RMM: Recommended for basic device management and remote support, particularly highlighted for its free offering up to 100 endpoints.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS): Mentioned for offering MacOS instances on EC2, focusing on its compliance with Apple's licensing requirements by hosting Mac Minis in their data centers.
- AnyDesk: Brought up in a scenario where a client requested urgent help but was unavailable due to attending a seminar, emphasizing the challenges of remote support.
- Arista Edge: One of the firewall vendors mentioned as part of a discussion on alternatives to Fortigate due to price increases.
- Atera: Suggested alongside SyncroMSP as a good starting tool for MSPs, with advice to upgrade to NinjaRMM as the client base grows.
- Autotask: Brought up in the context of creating customized dashboards for managing and visualizing client services, as part of a discussion on tools for MSPs.
- Avanan: Mentioned as an alternative to Ironscales for email security, with notes on its higher incidence of false positives and licensing considerations.
- AWS (Amazon Web Services): Referenced in discussions about cloud services, particularly for its solution to run MacOS instances and as a backup destination using the Public Cloud Connector.
- Azure: Discussed as a potential backup destination for MSPs using Egnyte and in the context of running MacOS instances for development or testing purposes.
- BackBox: Purchased by a participant for its backup capabilities, compliance checks, and auto-remediation features in firewall management.
- Barracuda: Recommended for its focus on SMEs, free certifications, and European development, in a conversation about firewall management solutions.
- BitDefender: Mentioned as part of a cybersecurity bundle provided to clients under a support contract, in a discussion about services for home users.
- Blackpoint: Recognized for its 24/7 SOC MDR services and integration capabilities, particularly in a comparison with Huntress for cybersecurity solutions.
- Bluevine: One of the banking solutions mentioned in a discussion on preferred banking services for businesses, without specific critiques or praise.
- Brex: Mentioned in a conversation about banking services for businesses, without specific details on the discussion.
- Bvoip: Recommended by a participant in a discussion comparing Microsoft Teams Phone and other VOIP solutions.
- Calltower: Mentioned as a reliable service provider for Teams VOIP without issues, in a comparison of VOIP solutions.
- CheckPoint: Part of a discussion on firewall vendors as an alternative to Fortigate, focusing on security features and management capabilities.
- Cisco: Mentioned by a communications provider who switched from Mitel to Teams Phone, indicating a move away from traditional VOIP solutions.
- Cisco Secure Client: Discussed as an alternative covering malware, SSL, and filtering with one agent, in a conversation about cybersecurity solutions for SMBs.
- CloudHQ.net: Suggested for syncing Egnyte data to another cloud as an unofficial backup option, highlighting the challenges of backing up cloud storage data.
- Comodo: Advised against using due to performance issues and sales aggressiveness, in a discussion about RMM solutions.
- ConnectWise: Mentioned as the tool used for managing client agreements, criticized for its complexity and access restrictions.
- DattoRMM: Briefly mentioned as the tool used by a commenter for similar monitoring and management needs, in a discussion on RMM tools.
- Dell: Manufacturer of the R740xd servers repurposed by Datto for their units, mentioned in a discussion about reselling Datto Siris S5-48 units.
- Docupace: Mentioned as one of the vendors in a conversation about software recommendations for streamlining the creation of policies and process documents.
- Egnyte: Central to a conversation about backup strategies, including using third-party tools like CloudHQ.net and SyncBack Pro for backing up Egnyte data.
- Exclusive Networks: Suggested as a distributor for Fortinet products, especially noted for its operations in Canada but also in the U.S., in a discussion on dealing with Fortinet for partnership and licensing issues.
- Fortinet: Discussed extensively in contexts ranging from partnership and licensing issues to looking for firewall alternatives due to price increases and security concerns.
- Grafana: Suggested as a fancier alternative to Excel for visualizing client service data, in a discussion about tools for visualizing which services a client has.
- Google: Considered as an alternative to Microsoft, particularly for mail/contacts/calendar services, despite its own support and reseller margin challenges.
- HaloPSA: Mentioned by a user as having a solution for visualizing service matrices for clients, in a discussion about tools for MSPs.
- Hudu: Suggested for its ability to create a dashboard showing customer services, discussed in the context of visualizing which services a client has.
- Huntress: Praised for its alerting capabilities and support team communication, in a comparison with Blackpoint for cybersecurity solutions.
- Ingram: Mentioned as a previous choice by one user before switching to Pax8, but no specific reasons for dissatisfaction are provided.
- Insight: Mentioned as a previous choice by one user before switching to Pax8, with no specific reasons for dissatisfaction provided.
- IronScales: Discussed primarily for its core email security product but criticized for support structure, API limitations, and the lack of essential functionalities for MSP operations.
- IT Glue: Discussed as a tool for creating "Site configuration" documents and criticized for data management practices, including a surprising incident involving duplicate welcome emails. Mentioned as one of the vendors in a conversation about software recommendations for streamlining the creation of policies and process documents.
- Loom: One of the vendors mentioned in a conversation about software recommendations for streamlining the creation of policies and process documents.
- MacinCloud: Suggested as a potential service provider for MacOS in the cloud, in a discussion about cloud services offering MacOS instances for lab work.
- MacStadium: Recommended for hosting MacOS instances at a cost lower than AWS, praised for its service, particularly for colocation of a Mac Mini.
- Meraki: Previously moved from by the original poster to Fortigate due to cost concerns, in a discussion about firewall alternatives.
- Microsoft: Criticized for poor support, especially for MSPs managing client licenses for the Microsoft Business Premium suite.
- Microsoft Teams Phone: Main subject of discussion, praised for its integration with M365 and ease of use for clients already using Microsoft services.
- Mitel: Mentioned by a communications provider who switched from Mitel to Teams Phone, indicating a move away from traditional VOIP solutions.
- NinjaRMM: Suggested as a comprehensive solution for RMM needs, also recommended for potential upgrade as an MSP grows.
- Novo: Recommended for its free business checking account and favorable mobile check deposit limit, in a conversation about preferred banking services for businesses.
- OpenVPN: Referenced as the solution to a client's connectivity problem, highlighting remote work challenges.
- Pax8: Highly praised for its service, support, and integration with Microsoft products, making it a preferred choice for MSPs managing Microsoft 365 services.
- Poly: Mentioned by a communications provider in the context of switching to Microsoft Teams Phone from traditional VOIP solutions like Mitel.
- Proposable: One of the vendors mentioned in a conversation about software recommendations for streamlining the creation of policies and process documents.
- Relayfi: Suggested for adopting a profit-first approach, in a conversation about banking solutions for businesses.
- Ring Central: Highlighted for its SMS capabilities and better handling of international billing issues compared to Teams Phone.
- Scribe: One of the vendors mentioned in a conversation about software recommendations for streamlining the creation of policies and process documents.
- ScreenConnect (ConnectWise Control): Recommended for device management and remote control, in a discussion about services for home users.
- SentinelOne: Mentioned in the context of integration with Blackpoint for enhanced EDR capabilities.
- Sherweb: Complimented for its awesome services and product stack, in a conversation about indirect resellers for Microsoft 365 in Canada.
- Snaggit: One of the vendors mentioned in a conversation about software recommendations for streamlining the creation of policies and process documents.
- SonicWall: Mentioned as an affordable option in a discussion about firewall alternatives to Fortigate, though opinions on it were mixed.
- Sophos XGS: Praised for feature parity with Fortigate for SMBs, easier management, licensing, and handling of CVEs without needing firmware updates.
- SureMDM: While not exactly an RMM, recommended for device management, offering remote access and licensing management through SureMDM Hub.
- SyncBack Pro: Suggested software for backing up Egnyte data, emphasizing the support for long file names.
- SyncroMSP: Recommended for its balance between features and cost, technician-based pricing, integrated PSA, Microsoft update engine, disk health checks, and native support for Acronis backup.
- Tactical RMM: Advised against using due to a lack of code reviews and a past security issue, highlighting concerns over its security and reliability.
- Ubiquiti: Mentioned as part of a discussion on firewall vendors as an alternative to Fortigate, focusing on security features and management capabilities.
- VMware: Mentioned in the context of previously being able to run OSX, in a discussion about cloud services offering MacOS instances for lab work.
- WatchGuard: Recommended for its management capabilities, reliability, and System Manager software that simplifies traffic monitoring and configuration changes.
- Wells Fargo: One of the banking solutions mentioned in a discussion on preferred banking services for businesses, without specific critiques or praise.
- Zyxel Flex: One of the firewall vendors mentioned as part of a discussion on alternatives to Fortigate due to price increases.
