Webinar on Building and Evaluating Your MSP Tech Stack

Introduction

• Host: Allison Felber, VP of Big Red Media at TMT and Editor-in-chief of MSP Success
• Objective: To provide insights on building and evaluating your tech stack as an MSP.
• Panelists:
  • Will Nobles, CEO of Vector Choice
  • Tommy Thoron, CEO of Automates
  • Mike Dama, VP of Business Development at Kaseya

Key Goals for MSPs

• Decide on core offerings for potential prospects and clients.
• Build a tech stack that supports business growth and operational efficiency.
• Understand the importance of evaluating and updating the tech stack regularly.

Introduction to Panelists

• Will Nobles (Vector Choice):

  • Founded in 2008, now an $18M company.
  • Core verticals: CPA, manufacturing, legal, and finance.
  • Focused on cost-effective, integrative tech solutions.

• Tommy Thoron (Automates):

  • Founded in 2019, grew from $200K to $3M.
  • Core verticals: CPAs and law firms.
  • Prioritizes bundling services and reducing ticket count for efficiency.

• Mike Dama (Kaseya):

  • Extensive experience with Datto and Kaseya.
  • Emphasizes the importance of relationships within the MSP community.

Building Your Tech Stack

• Core Tools Needed: (Will's List)

  1. PSA
  2. RMM
  3. Endpoint Protection
  4. Backup Solutions
  5. Documentation Tools
  6. Quoting Tools
  7. Billing Tools
  8. Payment Tools
  9. CRM for Marketing

• Evaluating Your Tech Stack:

  • Ensure tools integrate well and are cost-effective.
  • Seek buy-in from your team to ensure tool usability and morale.
  • Regularly review and upgrade tools as necessary.

Evaluating New Technologies

• Factors to Consider:

  • Integration capabilities
  • Cost and benefit analysis
  • Employee and team feedback
  • Filling specific operational gaps

• Vendor Relationship: (Mike's Point)

  • Select vendors that offer good support and understand MSP needs.
  • Evaluate if the vendor helps you monetize the product effectively.

Kaseya 365 Platform

• Overview:

  • Single subscription for managing, detecting, securing, and backing up endpoints.
  • Includes RMM, antivirus, EDR, and managed SOC.
  • Focus on automation and integration to reduce vendor sprawl.

• Adoption:

  • Over 4,000 partners and 5 million endpoints in three months since launch.
  • Designed to help MSPs increase profitability and efficiency.

Key Takeaways & Advice

• Will Nobles: Don't overthink solutions; focus on business decisions over technical preferences.
• Tommy Thoron: Avoid being over-tooled; plan strategically and focus on profitability.
• Mike Dama: When evaluating vendors, ensure they solve a problem, work as promised, support you, and allow you to make a profit.

Conclusion

• The session emphasized the importance of strategic decision-making in tech stack development.
• Encouraged MSPs to focus on integration, automation, and effective vendor partnerships for business growth.
• Continuous review and adaptation of the tech stack are crucial in the fast-evolving MSP landscape.