The MSP Zone

Are MSPs Facing a Recession

While managed services has enjoyed nearly two consecutive decades of strong growth, there have been peaks and valleys along the way. In this episode we examine the current economic climate facing the managed services profession.
 
Highlights:
Demand for managed services
MSP health
Layoffs
Startup investments
Private Equity interest in managed services
M&A activity
 
MSP Zone Reading Material:
Tech Layoffs: US Startups And Tech Companies With Job Cuts In 2022 (crunchbase.com)
Managed Services Market to Reach $393.72 Billion by 2028 | (globenewswire.com)
10 Reasons to Work with a Managed Service Provider for the New School Year - TechBullion
https://justthenews.com/nation/economy/startup-funding-plunges-economic-turmoil-continues

Preparing for a Ransomware Attack

Despite even the best security measures, none of us are immune from the menace of ransomware attacks. 2021 saw not only an increase in attacks, but more evolved ransomware variants that threaten data exfiltration and target MSPs. 
If you want to be prepared, then you need to have a good protection and response plan in place. This session will cover important topics to help you prepare and respond quickly to a ransomware attack to minimize down-time and exposure.
Highlights:
Create a cyber incident response plan
Security training
Backup in your in protection strategy
Recovery procedures
David Gugick VP of Product Management

The Role of Reactive IT

If you have a dominant amount of your IT management practice coming from break/fix or reactive IT, then you should listen to this episode.
Break/fix vs managed services used to be a business choice amongst IT entrepreneurs. Today, it is less of a choice and more of an imperative. What is the role of the modern day break/fix company? Do these tech firms have a legitimate role to play in combating cyber crime, for example?
We will examine the break/fix provider, in detail, and provide some guidance on what you ought to do if you are still involved in reactive IT management.
Highlights:
Impact on profession overall
Impact on provider organization
Impact on customer
Impact on vendors

Managing Hybrid IT

MSP software visionary Gavin Garbutt of Augmentt drops into the MSPZone to discuss the opportunity for MSPs to manage hybrid IT environments. Not sure what hybrid IT is? Not to worry. We’ll explain it for you and discuss new revenue opportunities for MSPs.
Highlights:
Managing Hybrid IT
Shadow IT update
Maximizing all of your IT staff
Changes to the MSP service desk
MSPZone Special Guest: Gavin Garbutt

A Tale of Two MSPs

This episode presents a tale of two MSPs. Not actual MSPs, but two types of MSPs as viewed through the lens of two news stories presenting MSPs and how customers view them.
We also examine this tale of two MSPs through the lens of cyber insurance and how insurance companies may be getting it completely wrong when it comes to underwriting and assessing risk in the managed services profession.
Highlights:
MSP cyber insurance mistakes
How can insurance companies improve their risk portfolio underwriting MSPs
Why are there so many contradictory stories written about MSPs?

MSP License Portability

WOM: Low
MSPs play a unique role in the acquisition of technology and delivery of managed services to customers. Unlike VARs, MSPs do not always resell a technology to customers. For many MSPs, they acquire licenses from a vendor and use that technology to service customers utilizing a managed services agreement. Between vendors who want maximum predictability of revenue and MSPs who want maximum freedom to use those licenses, there is bound to be friction.
MSP and Microsoft partner Jean Prejean of Guardian Computer is in the MSP Zone this week to discuss her views of software licensing and how it impacts the MSP profession.
Highlights:
What is NCE?
Does it represent the larger ISV community?
What are the term options for MSPs that appeal most to clients?
License flexibility for MSPs
What changes would you like to see from Microsoft licensing?
MSP Zone Guest: Jean Prejean - president of Guardian Computer

Is Backup Dead

Episode brought to you by Dell Expert Network
Is backup dead? Short answer is no. But, if you haven't' changed your approach to backup in the last 10 years, you are likely missing a lot of opportunities to help your clients reach their full potential for disaster recovery, cyber attach prevention, and many other business benefits all relating to backing up data.
Join my discussion with Charlie Tomeo as we discuss the history of managed backup, how it has changed, and what MSPs need to be doing to maintain relevancy today as it pertains to their managed backup offerings.
Highlights:
Is backup dead?
How has backup for MSPs changed over the last 10 years?
The impact of business continuity on managed back up
What is the future of managed backup?
MSPZone Special Guest: Charlie Tomeo, Chief Revenue Officer at Axcient

The Value of Data Assessments

Data is everything. MSPs protect it, customers value it, and cyber criminals want to steal it. But, not all data is the same. Certain data is worthy of more protection and management, and other data has less of a value. In short, data must be managed.
But, to manage data effectively, you need to understand it first. Which brings us to data assessments. Amanda Regnerus of Aparavi enters the MSPZone to share her opinions on the value of data assessments, data managed services, and the role MSPs can play in this area.
Highlights:
Why is data growing so fast?
What is unstructured data?
Should unstructured data be protected?
What is the risk of unstructured data being kept?
What is a data assessment program?
Managed services case studies in performing data assessments
Amanda Regnerus, VP of marketing for the Americas for Aparavi

Why do Break/Fix Companies struggle with effective Cyber Security

Break/fix companies (or companies that provide reactive IT services) must address the security question: both internal security and the security services they provide to customers. Whether it is the struggle to become a proactive managed service provider or just the pace at which security threats and solutions have been evolving, the issue of security is a real element to becoming an MSP and certainly something every break/fix company needs to address.
 
Michael Crean from Solutions Granted enters the MSP Zone to discuss his perspective on what break/fix providers need to address when it comes to security, both internal and as a service.
 
Highlights:
Why are partners coming to you guys?
Do break/fix providers understand their security obligations?
Do break/fix providers treat themselves differently than their customers?
Don’t give customers an option for cybersecurity
 
MSPZone Guest: Michael Crean, CEO & Founder - Solutions Granted

The Skills Gap and Managed Services

The skills and people gap is impacting everyone, everywhere! Customer organizations already facing staffing shortages have even more difficulties filling IT and cyber related positions. So, how do we solve this problem?
Join Chris Hass and me as we discuss a new, modernized, and distributed workforce and its impact on staffing, security, and productivity. These trends also have had a significant impact on the way cyber criminals view their target landscape and it influences the way they devise their attacks.
Highlights:
People & Skills must be addressed
Scarcity of people and skills is a benefit to MSPs
How to solve this problem
MSPZone Special Guest: Chris Hass - Head of Information Security & IT for Automox