Channel Chatter, Oct 2 - 9, 2024

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 writing this week after a power outage. I live in Northern Virginia, and mine was simply a localized incident. It mucked up my workflow rather than tore down my house.

And this morning, Florida is waking up to the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. I will use this space today to point readers at the Helene & Milton Relief Resources on Reddit.

Much of this readership are vendors and supporters of IT services companies and MSPs. This is the time to step up with help.

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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. Standardization and Efficiency in MSP Offerings

• Summary: MSP technicians discuss the importance of standardizing service offerings and adhering to a defined stack. They argue that this improves efficiency and reduces client issues.
• Insights: Vendors can target MSPs by offering integrated solutions that simplify standardization across various platforms. Products that enhance service consistency and streamline processes will appeal to MSPs striving for efficiency.

2. Sales and Billing Complexities

• Summary: MSPs criticize the practice of making special deals for acquiring clients, stating that it creates billing challenges and administrative burdens.
• Insights: Billing solutions that help MSPs simplify pricing, automate discounts, and integrate easily with other administrative tools will be highly valuable. Vendors that offer flexible, transparent billing systems can reduce friction in client acquisition processes.

3. Migration from Autotask to SuperOps

• Summary: MSPs are evaluating alternatives to Autotask, with SuperOps being praised for its simplicity but lacking certain features like cost tracking. Pax8 is trusted as a distributor, and users express dissatisfaction with Kaseya’s perceived bias.
• Insights: Vendors should explore creating PSA tools that blend ease of use with comprehensive features like cost tracking and subscription management. Aligning with trusted distributors like Pax8 can also enhance credibility.

4. Security Tools and SOC/SIEM Solutions

• Summary: MSPs share experiences using various security tools such as Huntress, RocketCyber, and Todyl. They emphasize balancing affordability with the need for comprehensive security coverage.
• Insights: Vendors in the security space should focus on creating affordable, scalable solutions tailored to the specific needs of smaller MSPs, who need effective SOC/SIEM tools that meet both compliance and insurance requirements.

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. Management Decision Support and Transparency Tools

• Gap: There is widespread frustration with MSP management for not fully understanding the business or for making poor decisions. Technicians feel a disconnect between leadership and day-to-day operations.
• Opportunity: A product that bridges this gap by offering data-driven management support tools can empower executives with better decision-making insights. The product could provide clear KPIs, team performance metrics, and operational analytics that are easy for non-technical management to understand.
• Example Features: Executive dashboards with real-time operational metrics, data-driven suggestions for improving efficiency, tools to better align management goals with technician feedback, and automatic identification of operational bottlenecks.

2. Simplified Billing and Pricing Solutions

• Gap: MSPs struggle with billing complexity, particularly when custom deals or non-standard service agreements create administrative overhead. Special deals often lead to confusion and inefficiencies in pricing.
• Opportunity: Develop a billing platform that integrates easily with PSA and accounting tools, simplifying complex pricing models while maintaining flexibility for customized deals. Automating and standardizing the billing process could help MSPs save time and avoid revenue leakage.
• Example Features: Automated invoicing and billing generation, flexible pricing models for different client tiers, built-in discount automation, and transparent reporting for tracking client profitability.

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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.

Action1: Praised for vulnerability scanning and effective patch management solutions, particularly for MSPs.

Adlumin: Mentioned briefly as part of the security discussions, specifically in relation to SIEM/SOC tools.

Afi.ai: Recommended as a strong option for Microsoft 365 backup solutions.

Atera: Criticized for its inadequate third-party patching and reporting capabilities, prompting users to seek alternatives. Negative Sentiment.

Apollo.io: Utilized for lead generation by a Canadian CSP provider targeting cloud services.

Arctic Wolf: Described as an excellent option for managed SOC and SIEM solutions, praised for its capabilities.

Autotask (AT): Users discuss migrating away from Autotask due to its complexity, with SuperOps being a simpler alternative, though Autotask’s comprehensive cost-tracking features were appreciated.

Authlite: Mentioned as an MFA alternative for users seeking to replace Passly in Active Directory environments.

Barracuda Cloud to Cloud Backup: Praised for ease of setup and unlimited retention features, making it a preferred backup solution.

Bitwarden: Noted for password management but highlighted for its limitations in securely receiving passwords during client onboarding.

Cisco Meraki: Suggested as a firewall alternative, specifically for its positive pricing and user satisfaction, with many users not switching away once they adopt Meraki. Positive Sentiment.

CYREBRO AI: Discussed as a modern and well-supported managed SIEM/SOC solution, with strong positive feedback on its features. Positive Sentiment.

Datto: Discussed for its backup and PSA tools. Negative feedback emerged regarding its support after the Kaseya acquisition. Negative Sentiment.

Duo: Widely recommended for desktop MFA and favored for its reliability, particularly as a replacement for Passly. Positive Sentiment.

EnGenius: Typically preferred for access points, but unavailable in Japan, leading the user to seek alternatives like Aruba.

Evo Security: Considered as an MFA solution during the transition from Passly.

Field Effect: Described as a comprehensive platform for security management, offering various services.

Huntress: Noted for its affordable managed SIEM offering and praised for support, though it lacks vulnerability scanning capabilities. Positive Sentiment.

Kaseya: Mentioned with negative connotations due to perceived bias in online forums and post-acquisition support issues with Datto. Negative Sentiment.

N-Able: Users expressed frustration due to unwanted persistent sales calls, generating significant negative feedback. Negative Sentiment.

Pax8: Praised for being a trusted distributor in the Microsoft CSP ecosystem and for offering vetted, reliable products. Positive Sentiment.

Passly: Facing end-of-life by 2025, sparking discussions around alternatives. Users expressed frustration and skepticism about the company's communication regarding the transition. Mixed Sentiment.

Phalanx: Mentioned as a secure communication solution for onboarding clients, with focus on encryption.

RoboShadow: Praised for its vulnerability scanning tools and its MSP-friendly pricing structure. Positive Sentiment.

RocketCyber: Provides SOC services with 24/7 monitoring and log management, considered a valuable tool.

Securden MSP PAM: Recommended for managing admin credentials, offering just-in-time access, secure sharing, and credential discovery.

SonicWall: Discussed as a firewall replacement for the TZ300W, with models like TZ270, TZ370, TZ470, and TZ670 suggested based on client needs. Positive feedback was given for ease of transition between units. Positive Sentiment.

Sophos: Mentioned in multiple contexts. Some frustration was expressed when it was imposed on a team despite existing integrations, but it was also considered for SOC/SEIM and security solutions. Negative Sentiment (in the context of forced adoption).

Splashtop Premium: Highlighted as a worthwhile investment for licenses, particularly for remote access and support.

SuperOps: Praised for its simplicity in comparison to Autotask, but it was criticized for lacking cost-tracking features. Users find it a decent alternative for MSPs looking for a simpler tool. Mixed Sentiment.

TechIDManager: Recommended for managing credentials during onboarding, helping MSPs securely create and manage admin accounts.

Todyl: Noted for its capabilities in Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR), ingesting logs from endpoints, firewalls, and cloud services like Microsoft 365 and Azure.

Traceless: Mentioned as a secure and audited information-sharing tool, recommended during client onboarding for password security.

Veeam: Mentioned positively as a reliable, cost-effective option for Microsoft 365 backups, often paired with Wasabi for storage.

WatchGuard: Already in use by some clients for PoE (Power over Ethernet), it was suggested that WatchGuard also offers suitable access points.

Windows Hello: Recommended as a potential MFA solution for local Active Directory environments, in the context of finding an alternative to Passly.

Wazuh: Recommended as a self-hosted and free SIEM solution, though it requires more hands-on management and comes with a learning curve. Neutral Sentiment.

Zoiper: Mentioned as a mobile VoIP alternative during discussions of softphone app challenges