Channel Chatter, Feb 14 - 21 2024
Dave Sobel
Outspoken Host of the Business of Tech and leading voice in the delivery of IT Services
This newsletter is in BETA, and feedback is welcomed and encouraged. Anyone who joins in the beta will be included in the launch offer! The intention is to deliver a set of actionable insights into the discussions had by the community for vendors to leverage for execution. Does this deliver?
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.
Discussion catnip for me: “Help Me Understand IT Strategy. Does it even exist?”
I have tried to understand what people mean by IT Strategy. I think it’s kind of a BS term. IT in itself is a tactical function in a business context so I don’t think you can have an “IT Strategy”. For something to have a strategy I think there needs to be an end goal or an ability to “win”. I could see having a cyber security strategy since you have an opponent and an objective. Aka hackers and to prevent a breach.
I will note right away that this is posted by a vendor, and so let’s take this with a grain of salt of trying to stimulate a conversation. Thus, it’s not the question we care about, but the perspective of the audience.
Expecting a “hold my beer” moment…
Purposefully obtuse or just a rube?
The good news is that the conversation played out much like one would hope.
IT Strategy is a continually evolving(repeatedly iterated) plan to facilitate and automate the business' functions in order to increase productivity and or limit expense.
There are choices to make with respect to how you implement your business IT budget. And in those choices, lies varies costs, risks and benefits.
Your business has (or should have) a strategy. The IT strategy should essentially be an alignment of what is needed from IT to empower the business to meet those strategic goals.
The business end-goal is to sell its products and services. IT strategy thus becomes the “how” of applying and utilizing technology to achieve that end goal.
IT strategy is not a BS term, but it's one that many IT consultants use badly and/or define as "whatever the hell we want and if you don't like it client we refuse to do business with you."
Every road has a beginning and an end, strategy is knowing what you expect at the end and doing what you can to properly plan and execute everything in between.
Put simply, IT strategy is aligning IT to the objectives of the business such that efficiency and value are maximized.
This is entirely good news when being concerned about providers ability to execute against implementing IT strategy. If the first stage is understanding, it’s clear that the community does understand the concept.
Is it well executed? That’s an entirely different conversation. But the framework is there.
How does an offering contribute to strategy, in addition to it’s tactical value. This is very difficult for a product. By their very nature, products are widgets designed to do a particular thing. It’s the outcome that drives results. The more channel managers consider this question, the better.
I also feel it important to observe that vendors who read this newsletter should be careful about their probes to “stimulate conversation”. The community is onto you.
I was like who the F thinks like this? But now it makes sense, your that guy who wrote the huge rant about marketing people not being allowed in MSP conferences.
Erm...You appear to specialize in MSP marketing. Why should we help you develop your ad campaigns for free? I'm sure anyone here would be glad to consult for you for the rate of $250/hour to explain IT strategy
A word of warning. If you’re building a relationship with a community, your goal should be to add value, not extract it.
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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.
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1. Secure online solutions for asset management: Participants discuss different vendors like Snipeit, Kamanja.io, and Compliance Scoreboard, their functionality, and compliance with CIS Controls guidelines.
2. Interactions between MSPs and internal IT teams: These interactions highlight potential conflicts between in-house IT teams and external service providers, demonstrating the perceptions, rivalries, and potential areas for collaboration between these groups.
3. Accounts of MSP owners: Discussions include compelling accounts from MSP owners such as their entrepreneurial journeys, challenges faced, transitions into different businesses, and considerations for returning to the MSP world.
4. Importance of Linux specialization in MSPs: Debates surrounding Linux specialization and its necessity in MSPs highlight potential growth areas and existing knowledge gaps.
5. Varying performance and capabilities of cybersecurity vendors: Real-world experiences and criticisms of vendors like Huntress, Avanan, and BlackPoint Cyber are shared, shedding light on their strengths, weaknesses, and match to user needs.
6. Strategies for single-man MSP operations during holidays: Interesting strategies are shared about how to manage client expectations and stay responsive to troubleshooting issues while on vacation.
7. Combining RMM and PSA in MSPs: There are in-depth discussions on the pros, cons, and vendor options for combining or separating these fundamental MSP services.
8. Overbilling Issues: Overbilling by vendors is a considerable issue raised in the conversations, emphasizing the need for accountability, clear understanding and terms in contracts.
9. Handling SMB shares in cloud environments: There are discussions about the complications when handling older software requiring SMB shares after transitioning to full cloud solutions.
10. The effectiveness of cold email lead generation: Opinions are varied on the effectiveness of cold email lead generation, with some recommending it while others suggesting focusing on SEO and referrals. Several solutions were discussed including Sapper, Apollo.io, HubSpot.com, TinyCadence.com, and Mails.ai.
11. Remote Monitoring and Management: Finding RMM solutions that can efficiently handle a large number of agents is a significant issue in the industry. The scalability and cost of these solutions are vital considerations.
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. In the area of online asset management, users are having to use a custom combination of tools, including RMMs like N-Central and asset tracking tools like Snipeit to manage data across multiple systems. This implies a need for a more comprehensive, integrated, and easy-to-use solution that can manage these tasks effectively without necessitating customized integrations.
1. In the Managed Service Providers (MSPs) space, several platforms, including Kaseya and ConnectWise (CW), are struggling with scalability issues, particularly for handling high numbers of agents. They also appear to have significant setup and ongoing management complexities.
2. Security alert systems such as Huntress are not proactive enough in responding to security threats. Users are looking for alternatives that auto-disable accounts once a threat is detected, indicating a need for more reactive and automated cybersecurity solutions.
3. Tools like Avanan in the area of cybersecurity have issues with excessive sensitivity in their spam filters, leading to crucial emails being detained. This suggests an opportunity for developing more accurate and sophisticated spam filtering and cybersecurity tools.
4. In the process of fully transitioning to cloud-based solutions, MSPs face challenges with handling SMB shares, especially when dealing with older desktop software. This perhaps indicates the need for better compatibility or migration solutions for outdated software in cloud environments.
5. The discussions around multi-factor authentication systems, such as FIDO2, highlight confusion with Microsoft's terminologies. This messiness and lack of clarity might cause users to avoid these systems altogether, signifying a need for simplified security solutions and clearer communication on how they function or protect users' data.
6. In terms of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Security Operations Center (SOC) services, there's a lack of regulation in what exactly is being monitored and reported, leading to wide variations in services and features.
7.. Despite technological advancements, MSPs still struggle with pre-installation processes on devices before they're delivered to the end-user. Existing solutions, like Microsoft's Autopilot, either don't offer the desired efficiencies or are too expensive for some MSPs.
8. IT strategy in the space seems to be undervalued, with some dismissing it as a "BS term." There may be an opportunity for vendors to focus on aligning IT operations with business objectives to maximize efficiency and value within this market.
9. In the cybersecurity insurance field, there's dissatisfaction with the complex and ambiguous forms that clients and MSPs need to navigate.
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.
Manager Sales | Customer Relations, New Business Development
10moWho knew aligning IT with your business objectives could spark such debates? Clever analogy!
Interesting perspective, Dave—I believe IT strategy can indeed exist as a framework for aligning technology initiatives with broader business goals, although it's often nuanced and evolves with the organization's objectives.