MSP Chat

Erick and Rich discuss an intriguing effort by startup Hatz AI to help MSPs earn recurring revenue from artificial intelligence and how to plan for and profit from 2024’s calendar of IT industry conferences. Then Scott Barlow, vice president of global MSP at Sophos, shares his take on managed security, managed detection and response, and other important security topics for MSPs. And finally, one last thing: The adventures of Tidy Mouse!

Discussed in this episode:
AI MRR FTW?
Hatz AI Raises $2.5M to Enable MSPs to Deliver AI-as-a-Service
Mouse filmed tidying up man's shed every night

Erick and Rich explain why SonicWall buying Banyan Security suggests bigger and better things ahead for SASE in secure SMB networking and how to create positive brand image for your company. Then Derik Belair, CEO & co-founder of cloud management and security vendor Augmentt, joins in to discuss the current state of the cloud market and opportunities for MSPs in 2024. And finally, one last thing: how local residents of Grand Haven, Mich., called attention to a giant pothole badly in need of repair by building a living room inside it.

Discussed in this episode:
SonicWall Accelerates SASE Offerings; Acquires Proven Cloud Security Provider
SASE Rules the Network
What's the deal with the pothole in Grand Haven?

Erick and Rich discuss some intriguing statistics from IDC’s latest North American Partner Landscape study and the why-to and how-to of offering flexible work arrangements. Then Connor Swalm, CEO of Phin Security, joins them for an expert’s take on maximizing customer benefit and revenue in security awareness training, constructing a great MSP security stack, and giving yourself “permission to suck”. And finally, one last thing: a possible answer to a recent Krispy Kreme mystery in the City of Light.

Discussed in this episode:
The Dickensian State of Today’s Channel
Krispy Kreme arrives in France. Parisians can’t get enough

Erick and Rich dive into the larger meaning of SonicWall’s recent purchase of Solutions Granted and share advice on using LinkedIn for lead generation. Then they’re joined by Alex Farling, Kyle Christensen, and Wes Spencer of MSP education vendor Empath for a deep dive into what’s now and next for managed security and much more. And finally, one last thing: What happened when Google Maps led a driver headed for Los Angeles into a desert dead end instead.

Discussed in this episode:
SonicWall makes a services play of its own
Google apologizes after map led drivers down dirt path into the desert

Erick and Rich discuss a new solution from SaaS Alerts that reveals how much money MSPs can make securing more than just Microsoft 365 and Erick’s AI-powered “30/30/30 strategy” for generating leads on social media. That’s followed by a timely and important conversation with Val King, CEO of Ascent Portal, about the often overlooked compliance opportunity for MSPs. And finally, one last thing: the search for a thief with a sweet tooth who made off with 10,000 Krispy Kreme donuts.

Discussed in this episode:
SaaS Alerts Extends Protection Beyond Core SaaS Business Apps with App Wizard, Pushes for Industry Change
Police search for thief who stole van loaded with 10,000 Krispy Kreme donuts

Erick and Rich explore the significance of Kaseya’s new outsourced help desk service and why now’s the time to build your client solution roadmap for 2024. They’re then joined by the multi-talented Lisa Shorr—an MSP, corporate brand coach, and Channel Mastered’s chief brand strategist—for an insightful conversation about how vendors can build trusted relationships with MSPs. And finally, one last thing: a new world record for the biggest serving ever of a stinky noodle dish from China.

Discussed in this episode:
Kaseya Announces New Offerings, Special Recognitions
6 Strategies to Become A Trusted V.E.N.D.O.R.
What Does an MSP See When They Look at You? Brand Credibility or Brand Confusion?
Chinese company cooks up world record serving of smelly noodles

Erick and Rich discuss alternatives to traditional private equity firms for MSPs seeking an exit and how to build a minimum required bundle of services for all your managed service clients. Then they’re joined by John Tippett, COO of Cytracom, for a look at the SMB market’s unique networking requirements and how SASE solutions can help address them. And finally, one last thing: two amusingly unlikely stories involving lottery winners from North Carolina.

Discussed in this episode:
Not a Big PE Fan? Consider Small PE Instead
Itchy left hand leads North Carolina man to $100,000 lottery prize
Mom skeptical of prankster son's lottery win

Erick and Rich explain why now's the time to get in on the fast-growing demand for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) services and explore proven techniques for reducing platform and vendor sprawl. Then, they're joined by Prakash Panjwani, CEO of WatchGuard Technologies, for a wide-ranging conversation about how shifting threats and work arrangements have changed what both MSPs and their clients need from security products, services and vendors.

And finally, one last thing about how an emergency alert test foiled an Amish man's clever scheme to hide a forbidden cell phone.

Discussed in this episode:
Worldwide Spending on Purpose-Built Sustainability Services Will Reach $65 Billion in 2027 according to a New IDC Forecast

New Acquisition Powers AI-based Network Detection and Response and Open XDR Capabilities for WatchGuard

Amish men carrying forbidden cell phones outed by national emergency alert test.

In this episode of the MSP Chat podcast, hosts Rich, Erick, and guest Antoine Jabara, co-founder and general manager of MSP products at JumpCloud, discuss the cloud age and how MSPs can make the best use of it. The conversation begins with a review of the Kaseya DattoCon event and segues into a focus on Kaseys's new AI platform - Cooper Bots. Erick then shares strategic success tips for modern MSP service delivery, drawing from his presentation at DattoCon. Other points include a discussion on the implementation of cloud-based systems. Issues that MSPs consolidate identity and device management. They also address the topic of co-managed IT relationships. And then, one last thing: the rise of emotional support animals in workplaces.


Discussed in this episode: Kaseya's AI Strategy: don't "eff things up": https://www.channelholic.news/p/kaseyas-not-so-unspoken-partner-compact#%C2%A7kaseyas-ai-strategy-dont-eff-things-up Kaseya Introduces AI-based Managed Service Automation: https://www.channelpronetwork.com/2023/10/04/kaseya-introduces-ai-based-managed-service-automation/ From JumpCloud: Tool Sprawl, External Threats, and Security are top concerns for IT Admins: https://jumpcloud.com/press/tool-sprawl-external-threats-and-security-are-top-concerns-for-it-admins Wally, the emotional support Alligator, went to see the Phillies. Then he went Viral: https://www.npr.org/2023/09/29/1202615294/wally-emotional-support-alligator-phillies-game

Erick and Rich discuss the expanding dominance of the Microsoft cloud and how to ready yourself in Q4 for a triumphant new year. Then they’re joined by MSP guru James Kernan, Channel Mastered’s chief leadership strategist and channel growth expert, for an expert exploration of EOS best practices.

And finally, one last thing: A story about an indignity even the coolest smartphone isn’t worth enduring.

Discussed in this episode:
ConnectWise Announces Integrations with Microsoft in Collaboration to Benefit Managed Service Providers, WorldwideEgnyte Announces Industry-Specific Artificial Intelligence SolutionsWoman rescued from outhouse toilet after climbing in to retrieve Apple Watch, Michigan police say

Erick and Rich discuss the expanding dominance of the Microsoft cloud and how to ready yourself in Q4 for a triumphant new year. Then they’re joined by MSP guru James Kernan, Channel Mastered’s chief leadership strategist and channel growth expert, for an expert exploration of EOS best practices. And finally, one last thing: A story about an indignity even the coolest smartphone isn’t worth enduring.Discussed in this episode:

• ConnectWise Announces Integrations with Microsoft in Collaboration to Benefit Managed Service Providers, Worldwide
• Egnyte Announces Industry-Specific Artificial Intelligence Solutions
• Woman rescued from outhouse toilet after climbing in to retrieve Apple Watch, Michigan police say

And three, two, one, blast off! Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of the MSP Chat Podcast, your weekly visit with two talking heads talking with you about the services, strategies, and success tips you need To make it big in managed services, I am Rich Freeman. I am Chief Content Officer at Channel Master, the organization responsible for this fine show.I am joined this week, as I am every week, by your other co host,

Eric Simpson. He is our Chief Strategist at Channel Master, also a long time friend of mine. And Eric, how are you doing this week?I'm feeling strong this week, Rich. Strong is the operative word. So, uh... Yes, I'm ready and, and excited and I'm juggling more fireballs this week than I have been the last few weeks, uh, if for folks that, you know, are regular listeners to our podcast, no, I've been kind of under the weather a little bit, but, uh, probably 85 percent now.I'm gladto hear you're feeling strong, um, and, yeah, so you've traded off feeling a little bit under the weather with the cold or what have you for singed hands from all that fireball juggling going on, but, uh, it's a better situation all around, so that is progress, and, and Eric, we're gonna dive right into our story of the week here, and it's actually, it's kind of two different stories.the week Um, with a common theme that will become apparent right away. And both of these, um, uh, news stories broke last week as we record this. The first one came from ConnectWise, and they announced that they have forged an alliance relationship with Microsoft that's going to allow ConnectWise to offer Microsoft Defender for Business as a managed security service through the ConnectWise NDR, Managed Detection and Response service.Um, so, you know, obviously they've been doing managed security, um, at ConnectWise, they have an NDR offering. They also have an EDR component of that that they've been doing and continue to do, um, in alliance with Sentinel 1, um, but there was so much, um, demand, uh, among MSPs and their clients for Microsoft Defender for Business because, of course, as we know, while you can buy that standalone, Eric, it, it comes with the business premium license in Microsoft 365, so lots of SMBs out there are already paying for it.Product has a great reputation, so there are a lot of people who want to use it, a lot of MSPs who want to offer it, but not necessarily manage it. So now, um, you can do that via ConnectWise, they will manage it for you. Story number one, within 48 hours of that story breaking, I get another... Announcement from Ignite, a content collaboration and government, governance platform.Um, and they're announcing that their platform now integrates with Microsoft Teams. So if people, um, want to collaborate on a document that's stored in the Ignite, uh, platform within Teams, they can do that. They can save documents back out to the Ignite platform via Microsoft Teams. Similar sort of thing.