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.??
I’m sure vendors here are aware of the changes the FTC is implementing around cancelling contracts. If you’re not listening to the Business of Tech podcast, you really should, as I cover this stuff
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Notably, the rule applies to nearly all negative option marketing, including automatic renewals and free trial offers, covering business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions. Businesses must disclose all material terms clearly before consumers enroll, obtain proof of consent before charging, and provide an easy cancellation method, commonly referred to as “Click to Cancel.”
This will be absolutely fascinating to watch it ripple through the MSP community. Just a sampling of a recent discussion of contract cancellation.
try being within the 45 day cancellation period of cloud-based software and NOT being able to cancel. Even though you've completely removed the software, console, etc. If you don't cancel beforethe 45-day period of your existing contract expiration -- you have to pay for the entire year. Even though you won't be using it. They sent ONE email to my client who ignored it and now we're stuck paying for it.
They wouldn't respond to us cancelling our account for months. We just stopped paying them. They eventually got the idea when our bill was over $200k and called us. We told them the date we cancelled services and that they will never get money from us.
I want all of my licensing to be month to month. Make me do a 60 day cancellation if you need, but none of this "miss your cancellation period and you are on the hook for another year" bullshit.
We're still dealing with an N-able cancellation many YEARS after leaving. Kaseya has honestly been far better with their contracts and billing in our experience.
I'll mention this in my meeting today with a Dropbox rep who wants to force us to renew because we didn't give them enough notice (25 days instead of 30).
There are a number of MSP focused software vendors who will need to clean up their acts in order to not run afoul of these changes. I’ve talked about billing far too often in this newsletter. Looks like the FTC is raising the stakes.
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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.
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Adoption and Ransomware Defense:
- eFax Services and HIPAA Compliance:
- Backup Solutions for Cloud and On-Prem Environments:
- Vendor Lock-In and the Appeal of Month-to-Month Contracts:
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.?
Enhanced Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) with Integrated PSA Features
- Gap: Many MSPs expressed skepticism about RMM providers expanding into PSA territory, like NinjaRMM's upcoming PSA tool. There’s a concern that these expansions may dilute the RMM tool's core functionality, leading to a product that does neither task well.
- Opportunity: Develop a PSA-lite solution for smaller MSPs that integrates seamlessly with existing RMM tools. Focus on providing essential PSA features—like invoicing, ticketing, and time tracking—without overloading the platform with complex, enterprise-grade features. Offer strong integration with third-party accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks) to handle finances while keeping the PSA simple, intuitive, and easy to adopt.
Unified Threat Management for Multi-Vendor Environments
- Gap: MSPs often use multiple security tools simultaneously (e.g., Huntress, SentinelOne, Blumira) to create layered defenses. However, managing and integrating these tools can become overwhelming, especially as clients' environments scale.
- Opportunity: Develop a Unified Threat Management (UTM) platform that aggregates data from multiple security vendors and provides a consolidated view of threats. This platform could leverage AI to correlate alerts, reduce false positives, and suggest automated responses. Integration with existing tools like SIEM systems and endpoint protection would be key, allowing MSPs to manage their entire security stack from a single interface.
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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.
- Action1: Praised for its excellent vulnerability reports and integration with third-party patching, with users appreciating its ease of use and ability to manage smaller RMM tasks.
- Adobe: Discussed mainly for its licensing tools, with specific mentions of managing non-profit discounts and frustrations about transitioning to a subscription model.
- Acronis: Mentioned with mixed reviews, noted for its cost-effectiveness but criticized for reliability and customer support.
- AppDirect: Recommended for solid support for Microsoft products.
- Appriver: A previously used vendor, mentioned when MSPs were discussing alternatives to Pax8.
- Arrow: Praised for better margins and proactive support, with some users considering it as an alternative.
- AutoElevate: Recommended for its ease of use in managing local admin rights and dynamic approval processes.
- Avanan: Discussed for security services, available through Pax8 with direct support from Avanan.
- Axcient: Recommended for backup solutions, especially for smaller clients, with concerns raised after its acquisition by ConnectWise.
- Blackpoint Cyber: Noted for effective SOC services and a robust response to security incidents.
- Blumira: Praised for SIEM capabilities, noted alongside Huntress as a potential competitor.
- Cove Data Protection: Highlighted for ease of use and as a reliable alternative to other backup solutions.
- CrowdStrike: Mentioned in discussions about affordability and effectiveness in endpoint protection.
- Datto: Frequently mentioned for its backup solutions and RMM tools, though considered expensive.
- D&H: Considered as an alternative vendor for those dissatisfied with Pax8.
- Fortinet: Discussed for its firewall solutions and the transition from SonicWALL to Fortigate.
- GIACOM: Mentioned for offering a wide range of products and hardware leasing options.
- Huntress: Highlighted for its transparency and roadmap sharing, but its SIEM product was criticized for being underdeveloped.
- Ingram: Mentioned for cloud services, with mixed reviews on support quality and billing issues.
- Microsoft Defender: Suggested as a cost-effective EDR solution bundled with M365.
- N-able Cove: Praised for its reliable backup solutions.
- Pax8: Criticized heavily for poor support and changes in payment terms, with many MSPs switching to Sherweb.
- PolicyPak: Noted for cloud-based application control solutions.
- Qualys: Discussed as a vulnerability scanner during the conversation on patch management tools.
- SentinelOne: Mentioned for its effectiveness and affordability in endpoint protection.
- Sherweb: Frequently recommended as a preferred alternative to Pax8 due to competitive pricing and good support.
- SonicWALL: The current solution being transitioned from in favor of Fortinet products.
- TD Synnex: Mentioned for its CSP portal and support, though some users criticized the support quality.
- ThreatLocker: Recommended for application control, particularly for security needs like restricting USB drive access.
- Veeam: Known for its comprehensive backup and recovery features, and widely praised for its reliability.
