Channel Chatter, Nov 13 - 20, 2024
Dave Sobel
Outspoken Host of the Business of Tech and leading voice in the delivery of IT Services
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.??
For all the talk of utilization in managed services, I took note of a burnout conversation.
Hey all, currently managing an MSP desk with roughly 3000 endpoints. Its spread across 5 techs M-F and an outsourced desk for nights/weekends. The issue I'm seeing is properly tracking Utilization/Hours tracked. This industry isnt easy so burnout happens, how do you all base your techs Util to see if they are doing what we want/expect w/o burning out the agent with just a bunch of numbers. Ideas or thoughts would be great on how to keep the techs happy but also keep upper management off my back on productivit
And, of course, some commentary.
But the TL:DR metrics for the sake of metrics is why the burnout. Your organization is outcome based, your metrics need to be outcome based, and they need to be something employees understand, can control, and can track without your involvement.
3k endpoints should have about 10 techs. 5 sounds gross, highly profitable but gross.
Yeah, I was just thinking about how understaffed that is. If you have good automations and patching policies in place, a conservative number to work with is that each device/user is going to need 15 min of support per/mo. That's 45,000 minutes, which is 750 hours. That's 187.5 hours a week, which means each of the 5 support techs would already have 37.5 hours worth of load without implementations, longer issues, or just plain getting their tickets logged. Those guys are getting burned out because management won't staff properly.
Upper management shouldn't be worrying about productivity when they have 3K endpoints managed by 5 techs.
You need automation.
And hiring proper amount of staff, owner shouldn't chase the next client if the staff are floundering to keep above water
The MSP industry may be about to have a surge of new automation. As I write this, Microsoft has been rolling out new AI agents at their Ignite event, and the MSP platform players are all pushing automation, and AI will infuse even more.
And I worry that the difference between the haves and the have nots will become even more problematic.
Right now, there is enough information to know what the right balance of engineering talent to drive an MSP, and the metrics are in place, and the business model understood that these figures are well defined. And still we have businesses pushing human burnout, knowingly.
With new automation to come, the “possible” number will get even higher. And with it comes significant risk of burning out more humans to do so. The have-nots in the MSP world will become even more problematic. I don’t have an answer here. I just anticipate more choppy waters ahead.
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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. Network Mapping and Topology Automation
2. Vendor Frustrations and Alternatives
3. Compliance and Niche Markets
4. Licensing and Administrative Complexities
5. Staffing and Burnout in MSPs
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.?
Burnout Mitigation and Workforce Optimization Tools
User Onboarding/Offboarding Automation
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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.
dobe - Discussed in relation to low profit margins and marketplace issues.
Action1 - Recommended for free endpoint audits for up to 100 devices, with patch management capabilities.
Allen Edwards - Praised for assisting with EOS implementation in MSPs.
Apple - Mentioned for iPads, favored for longevity and manageability via Apple Business Manager.
APCD - Recommended for providing onsite IT support with wide geographical coverage.
Arrow - Suggested as an alternative distributor to Pax8 for Microsoft licenses.
Autotask - Mentioned as part of Kaseya's portfolio, integrated with RMM and PSA systems.
Auvik - Highlighted for its network management focus, though not ideal for security or endpoint management.
Avanan - Praised for reducing spam and switching from other security solutions.
Barracuda - Mentioned for domain decommissioning issues similar to Proofpoint.
Benchmark MSP - Known for outsourced helpdesk services for MSPs.
BitTitan - Discussed as a tool for tenant migrations in Microsoft environments.
Bitdefender - Praised for its reliability, security features, and alignment with zero-trust models, though criticized for a steep learning curve and a cumbersome portal.
Bloomgrowth - Mentioned for EOS self-implementation.
Blinq Card - Used for creating QR-coded digital business cards but criticized for requiring app downloads.
BullPhish ID - Integrated with K365 User for phishing prevention and awareness training.
Cisco - Briefly mentioned as comparable to Fortinet in handling firmware issues.
ConnectSecure - Mentioned for its auditing capabilities.
ConnectWise - Used for PSA and RMM solutions in MSP environments.
Cove - Chosen for cloud backup with continuity features, replacing Veeam and Wasabi.
CultureShoc - Praised for experience with MSP EOS implementations.
Datto - Recognized for its fast-growing RMM solution, part of Kaseya's offerings.
Defender for 365 - Mentioned as a preferred alternative for email security.
Dell (Rugged Tablets) - Suggested for durable devices in demanding environments, integrated with Intune.
D&H - Preferred over Ingram Micro for its better website and customer experience.
Dot.card - Used for digital business cards but noted as lacking Apple Wallet integration.
Draw.io - Recommended as a tool for network mapping diagrams.
DUO - Recommended for securing VPNs with MFA.
EasyDMARC - Mentioned as a reliable email security solution.
Fox & Crow - Offers help-execute methods for EOS implementation.
Fortinet (Fortigate) - Criticized for conserve mode issues in entry-level models; negative sentiment regarding reliability and vendor support.
Google Workspace - Suggested as an alternative to Microsoft Office for email services.
GPT-based Solution - Mentioned briefly for diagram creation.
HiHello - Used for digital business cards but noted for requiring recipients to enter their information on a webpage.
HPE - Praised for delivering an effective demo for Palo Alto tools.
Huntress - Mentioned as part of the MSP security stack.
Ingram Micro - Criticized for poor quoting accuracy, inefficient processes, and a cumbersome platform (negative sentiment).
Intune - Highlighted for its use in device management and shared login challenges.
IT Glue - Used for documentation management in MSPs.
Jan - A local AI solution recommended for secure data processing.
Kaseya - Criticized for reputation issues but also recognized for offering bundled RMM and PSA solutions.
Level.io - Suggested for setting up automations in MSP workflows.
LM Studio - Recommended for local AI solutions ensuring data security.
Lucidchart - Recommended for network mapping diagrams.
Makepass - Suggested for creating QR codes for Apple Wallet integration.
MalwareBytes - Mentioned with bias against it, described as outdated freeware.
Microsoft - Widely discussed for licensing and administrative issues, including 365 plans, compliance management, and security defaults.
Nedi - Used for live network mapping in initial setups.
Netbox - Highlighted for its topology mapping plugins for data centers.
Ninja - Mentioned for adding users and enabling remote device access.
Ollama - Cited as a secure, local AI solution.
Panduit - Mentioned in the context of cabling certifications.
Palo Alto - Criticized for demo failures during presentations, highlighting vendor support issues.
Pax8 - Praised for ease of use and integrations but criticized for credit card fees (mixed sentiment).
Popl - Mentioned for digital business cards without specific feedback.
Proofpoint - Criticized for poor support and persistent routing issues even after service cancellation (negative sentiment).
Regus - Used for virtual office space and managing mail delivery.
Schematix - Promoted for unique network mapping features like branch management and topological queries.
ScreenConnect - Recommended for remote access as a VPN alternative.
Scalepad - Highlighted for RMM integration and auditing outdated software.
SentinelOne (S1) - Mentioned positively for its advanced security features.
SherWeb - Considered as an alternative to Pax8 for better service margins.
Sophos - Mentioned with mixed reviews, balancing performance and management complexity.
Sonos - Recommended for music systems in office setups.
Spillman - Noted for causing frequent IT issues in law enforcement IT management.
Strety - Praised as an EOS tool tailored for MSPs.
TD Synnex - Mentioned as a distributor alternative to Ingram Micro.
Tenable - Briefly noted for vulnerability scanning capabilities.
ThreatDown - Used occasionally as a scanner but seen as less comprehensive compared to Bitdefender.
TruGrid - Mentioned for remote access with MFA.
Unitrends - Chosen for cloud backup and recovery.
VMOBACKUP.COM - Noted for free M365 backup for small user bases.
Watchguard - Recognized for reliability compared to Fortinet in handling specific issues.
Webroot - Criticized as outdated and ineffective for modern security needs (negative sentiment).
Zebra (ET45) - Recommended for durable tablets with barcode scanning capabilities.
ZeroTier - Suggested as a simple remote access solution.