peertopeer
Client-Loyal, Vendor-Flexible
by Jacob K. braun • Photography by Tony Scarpetta
THE OLD WAY OF THINKING suggests that MSPs should pick a managed services tool and focus all their ener- gy and capital on turning it into their
bread and butter. But managed services has
evolved: It is much more than remote monitoring or scripted tasks. You now have to be
a true business consultant, making sure that
your tools play well within the client’s environment—and that means staying flexible.
Our clients have different needs and so
do their networks. We would not be honoring these unique circumstances were we to
simply repurpose one specific tool to “do a
decent job.” Instead, we’ve been known to
use many different tools.
There are many reasons why you might
consider multiple tools. Whether for recurring
scripting tasks, certain types of performance
management or maintenance, or cleanup of
desktops, there are tools that work excep-
tionally well and ones that may fall short.
A remote monitoring and management tool
is great for small markets, for example, but
what about the midmarket? And what if the
client has a Linux or Mac environment?
StatuS Quo arGuMeNtS
When I talk about the great success we’ve
had offering a variety of managed services
tools, some people scoff. Here are the arguments I hear most, and my responses:
“I don’t have time to train my engineers on
three different tools.”
Every tool vendor provides training, whether
it’s recorded videos, written documentation,
or on-site training. We have our engineers
train one another, so each engineer is cross-
trained on all the toolsets we use.
“To be profitable, I need to buy a tool. And if I
invest that much in a tool, I need to focus on
it because it’s my bread and butter.”
While you are slightly more profitable in the
long run owning a tool, hosted and cloud-based
tools are viable options. Instead of buying, you
can rent. This gives you the flexibility to use
multiple tools and give and take the seats to the
“kitty” when your client base grows or shrinks.
“I don’t need additional tools; I just need to
educate my clients about the one I use.”
This is a common misconception. The tool is
for your use, not your clients’ use. Some new
MSPs sell the toolset to the client and not
the service behind the tool. Does it matter
to the homeowner if his cabinetmaker uses a
Stanley hammer or one from Craftsman? The
same is true for a client’s network. It doesn’t
matter what tool you use, as long as the network is running and secure.
the aGeNt VS. aGeNtLeSS QueStioN
MaNy New MSps StruGGLe with the decision to use an agent-based or agentless tool
solution, especially when clients don’t want software running on their desktops. But it isn’t
an issue of tasks running on the desktop. If you are performing desktop maintenance and
management tasks, there will be interaction with those systems. If your client doesn’t want
a visible agent running, you can use an agent that allows you to hide its icon from the desktop.
“My tool is so robust I can repurpose it any
way I need it.”
Each tool has strengths and weaknesses, and
it pays to know what they are. If the tools
were really that robust, one would be the
clear leader. It’s also worth noting that some
tools offer business strategy advantages rather than technical advantages.
In short, new MSPs should know about all
the different tools on the market. There are a
number of emerging vendors out there that are
very hungry—and there are opportunities to be
had. Determine your clients’ pain points, get to
understand each client’s business, and then
apply the best solution for the job.
