Channel Chatter, Sept 18 - 24

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.  

As much as I hoped the conversation about project management might get top billing, it doesn’t. Like a moth to a flame, I’m drawn in by billing issues.

In this case, does it really matter what the issue is? It’s very well documented, in fact, and is a run-of-the-mill: “They made a series of mistakes and never owned it.” If you care to explore it, it’s like all of the others.

There’s an interaction I want to highlight.

As the CEO of Gozynta, I'm sad to see that you had a problem with receiving the license for our integration that was purchased through CW. I can say that we had communication issues with CW which caused those delays. We have always prided ourselves on getting licenses out within a few hours of receiving a request. I actually took that job myself in the early days because since I don't like waiting, I hate making others wait. I used to even create licenses on the weekends to never have a delay.

Now, there’s a solid interaction here with the poster.

Hey Heather. I never suspected it was your issue and thank you very much for posting a response. I’m sorry your name (albeit in product name only) was dragged into this. This was a failing on r/connectwiseend which they have never taken ownership or responsibility for. I genuinely thank you for posting.

Followed by

Thank you for writing this, and I'm sorry for your frustration with the situation. Maybe we will get a chance to work together in the future, and you will see how great our team and company are and thanks for understanding the situation and clarifying.

Well executed and notable. But that’s not the portion I really noted.

The company that I work for has been looking into Gozynta, and it makes me feel better that the CEO is addressing customer concerns and issues. I'll be sure to let the VP in charge of the project know!

And there we are — the power of online communities at work. A customer service issue was picked up and managed.

Now, I hear the screams of a thousand vendors pointing out that the CEO of their organization can’t get involved in every dispute. I hear you. But I’ll note that senior leaders can be visible in online forums, supported by a team of junior community engagement staff who find the issues and bring them into the process. This is a classic example of turning lemons into lemonade. And in this case, it looks like a likely sale at the lemonade stand.

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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.

• ConnectWise Dissatisfaction
• Dell On-Site Technician Practices
• Managing SharePoint Access Post-Migration
• Exploring Project Management as a Service (PMaaS)
• Tenant Creation and Management in Microsoft 365

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. Service Quality Assurance for Outsourced Technicians

• Gap: Inconsistent service delivery from third-party technicians, such as Dell’s outsourced on-site support, points to a need for better oversight and quality assurance tools.
• Opportunity: Create a platform that standardizes service expectations across outsourced technicians, incorporating checklists, real-time video verification, and post-service feedback loops directly accessible to both MSPs and end clients. A rating and feedback system could help improve service consistency and accountability.

2. Advanced Access and Permission Management for Cloud Transitions

• Gap: Managing access to SharePoint and other cloud libraries without syncing large files to local devices remains a pain point, especially during transitions from traditional file servers.
• Opportunity: Develop a solution that simplifies the management of permissions and access controls for cloud data, offering granular, role-based permissions with automated audit trails. Features like dynamic access based on user behavior, policy-driven controls, and easy-to-use admin dashboards could differentiate the product in this space.

3. Aggressive Sales and Lead Generation Tactics Management

• Gap: MSPs frequently complained about aggressive sales tactics and spam from vendors like Zaphyre and CyberQP, affecting their willingness to engage with new products.
• Opportunity: Create a tool that helps MSPs manage vendor communications, filter out spam, and set preferences for how and when they want to engage with vendors. This could be coupled with an ethical vendor marketplace that prioritizes customer-friendly sales practices.

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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: Discussed as a reliable alternative for patch management compared to N-Sight, highlighting its effectiveness in specific use cases.

Auvik: Mentioned for network monitoring; one participant planned to switch to PAX8, indicating a search for more suitable alternatives.

AT: Mentioned as a prospective new PSA for the original poster, reflecting exploration of alternative PSA tools.

Barracuda XDR: Discussed for its support and service quality, with mixed feedback; some users reported poor support experiences, while others found it satisfactory but ultimately moved to alternatives like Rocketcyber. Sentiment was mixed to negative.

BitDefender: Used for antivirus protection by an MSP evaluating new RMM and PSA solutions, demonstrating its role in endpoint security.

Blackpoint: Mentioned as a SOC/SIEM alternative for comparison against Barracuda XDR, reflecting ongoing evaluations by MSPs.

Brother: Discussed as a preferred printer brand over HP, with mostly positive feedback for reliability, though some security concerns were noted. Sentiment was positive with cautionary notes.

Canon: Considered a secondary printer option, with neutral feedback, typically chosen only if other preferred brands are unavailable.

CIPP: Mentioned in the context of Microsoft Lighthouse integration for tenant management, illustrating the complexity of managing multiple client environments.

CloudUnifi.com: Cited as a stable Unifi controller hosting solution used for many years, indicating satisfaction with its performance. Sentiment was positive.

ConnectWise: Criticized heavily for poor billing practices, unresolved support issues, and data management problems. MSPs shared significant dissatisfaction with service quality, pushing some to seek alternative vendors. Sentiment was strongly negative.

Corsobackup: Mentioned for tenant data backup, reflecting its role in ensuring data protection for cloud environments.

Datto RMM: Recommended for its automation capabilities and integration, highlighted positively as an option for MSPs seeking robust RMM solutions. Sentiment was positive.

Dell: Mixed feedback on on-site technician practices, with service quality issues noted, particularly in outsourcing scenarios. Users highlighted inconsistencies in service expectations between different support levels. Sentiment was mixed to negative.

Digital Ocean: Discussed as a cost-effective and stable hosting option for Unifi controllers, reflecting positive experiences with its usability. Sentiment was positive.

Domotz: Tested for network discovery and monitoring, noted for its detailed insights compared to other tools like NinjaOne’s NMS utility. Sentiment was positive.

Fortigate: Affected by ITGlue extension issues, illustrating broader impacts on MSP workflows and raising concerns about vendor-related operational challenges.

Gozynta: Mentioned due to delays in integration with ConnectWise, with the CEO clarifying the causes as communication issues with ConnectWise rather than internal failures.

Guidejar: Discussed as a documentation tool with customization options, recommended for its security features like SSO authentication, providing an alternative to other documentation solutions.

Guidde: Cited as a documentation tool alternative with features like AI voiceover, highlighting MSPs’ ongoing search for better documentation management tools.

Halo: Mentioned as a future replacement for ConnectWise Manage, reflecting MSPs’ shift towards exploring different PSA options.

HostiFi: Praised for hosting Unifi controllers with excellent support and stable updates, standing out as a preferred choice among several alternatives. Sentiment was highly positive.

HP: Heavily criticized for its ink program, software, drivers, and overall ecosystem, compared to ransomware tactics. The sentiment was overwhelmingly negative.

Hubox: Mentioned for its cost-effectiveness as a Unifi hosting solution but criticized for poor support, resulting in mixed overall feedback.

IamCloud: Used for cloud drive mapping but noted for its limitations and challenges in usability, highlighting the need for better cloud integration tools.

ITGlue: Criticized for ongoing browser extension issues that severely impacted MSP workflows, leading to significant frustration among users. Sentiment was highly negative.

Kaseya: Mentioned for its products like VSA and BMS, with a generally negative sentiment due to frequent operational issues and poor support experiences. Sentiment was negative.

Konica: Recommended as an alternative printer brand, receiving positive mentions but without detailed feedback.

Lenovo: Referenced in discussions of hardware service practices, mainly in contrast to Dell’s varying service levels.

Level.io: Mentioned for automation and security scoring, reflecting its use in streamlining MSP service offerings.

ManageEngine: Used for helpdesk functions by an MSP evaluating new solutions, highlighting its role in current MSP tool stacks.

Microsoft (M365, Azure, SharePoint, Intune, Hyper-V): Frequently discussed for tenant management, onboarding complexities, and integration needs, emphasizing its central role in MSP operations.

MyChart: Mentioned briefly regarding software requirements affecting device naming conventions in managed environments.

MyWorkDrive: Highlighted for its flexibility in accessing OneDrive and on-premises servers, showing its appeal for managing hybrid cloud environments.

N-Central: Mentioned as a positive alternative to ConnectWise, receiving good feedback from MSPs looking for reliable RMM options. Sentiment was positive.

NinjaOne: Highlighted as a reliable and user-friendly RMM alternative to ConnectWise, praised for its functionality and ease of use. Sentiment was positive.

PAX8: Mentioned as a preferred future vendor for data management transitions, demonstrating its growing role in MSP ecosystems.

PRTG: Used for network monitoring, reflecting its continued relevance among MSPs seeking robust infrastructure monitoring solutions.

QuickBooks Online (QBO): Used for accounting and invoicing by an MSP exploring RMM and PSA changes, indicating its widespread use for financial management.

RapidFire Tools: Recommended for security-focused IT assessments, illustrating its use in auditing client environments.

Ricoh/Xerox: Referenced briefly regarding the need to go through partners for firmware updates, highlighting challenges in managing printer environments.

Rocketcyber: Seen as a more complete alternative to Barracuda XDR, with positive feedback indicating a preference shift among some users. Sentiment was positive.

ScreenConnect: Used for remote access in an MSP's existing tool stack, demonstrating its continued role in providing connectivity solutions.

Service Operations (SO): Considered for its appealing price point alongside other RMM and PSA options, reflecting cost-conscious evaluations by MSPs.

Syncro: Evaluated as an affordable RMM option, showing its appeal for MSPs seeking cost-effective management tools.

Tactical RMM: Praised for its functionality and API integrations, highlighted as a flexible RMM choice for MSPs. Sentiment was positive.

ThreatLocker: Preferred over Airlock for its advanced security features and usability, showing its appeal in endpoint protection and management. Sentiment was positive.

Todyl: Mentioned as a potential comparison point against Barracuda XDR, reflecting ongoing assessments of SOC/SIEM solutions.

Unifhosted: Mentioned as a cost-effective Unifi hosting solution with a free tier for testing, appealing to smaller-scale users.

Unisys: Discussed as a third-party contractor for Dell’s on-site services, contributing to inconsistent service quality perceptions.

URBackup: Mentioned for image backups, indicating its use in data protection strategies among MSPs.

Veeam: Highlighted for its backup solutions, reflecting its role in safeguarding MSP client data.

Vultr: Cited for its affordability and stability as a hosting option, particularly for self-hosted Unifi controller solutions. Sentiment was positive.

Zaphyre: Criticized for aggressive sales tactics, leading to negative feedback from MSPs who felt harassed by repeated calls and emails. Sentiment was highly negative.

Zee Drive: Mentioned for mapping network drives to Office 365 and OneDrive, though users noted frustrations with its payment process. Sentiment was mixed.

Zorus: Mentioned for web/DNS filtering, indicating its use in enhancing security services offered by MSPs.