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PODCAST

The MSP Zone

Weekly discussion of news, events, and topics of interest to the global managed services professional community. The series will have the latest and most relevant discussions in managed services and cloud computing, featuring special guests and notable figures in the profession.

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All Episodes

34:08

Questions to ask your MSP

The MSP Zone ·

2022/11/01

There are many organizations looking to get a better handle on their IT management, including their security. For the majority of these organizations, it is impossible to do this entirely on their own. As such, these entities often seek out MSPs to resolve a variety of business, technical, and security objectives. Before engaging an MSP, however, there are some things you ought to know about your MSP. Here is our list of questions you ought to ask your MSP prior to engaging their

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34:05

How MSPs Respond to Bad Economic Times

The MSP Zone ·

2022/10/28

Weaver Outrage Meter (Low) Sponsored by: Dell Expert Network As the economy continues to behave erratically, there are disturbing reports emerging about how the MSP sector may respond to this economic turbulence. MSPs will respond one way to economic tough times, reactive or break/fix providers tend to react in a very different manner. How these different providers respond may have far reaching consequences, both to their own organizations, but also for their customers. Highlights: MSP vs Break/fix

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33:09

How to Perform an Internal MSP Risk Assessment

The MSP Zone ·

2022/10/20

Weaver Outrage Meter (Low) Sponsored by: Dell Expert Network & VARC Risk assessments. Sounds like a good thing to have. Everyone can universally agree that they are good to have. And yet, when you dig deeper, risk assessments can mean very different things to different people. This episode we delve into the world of risk assessments. What are they? How can you perform them? What should your expectations be from doing a risk assessment? Put your feet up and take a listen as we explore the

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24:43

US States Need MSPs

The MSP Zone ·

2022/10/18

Our friend Corey Munson from PC Matic brought this study to our attention and it's a great piece that every MSP ought to read. The study, published by Deloitte and NASCIO, compares attitudes by state CIOs on a variety of topics from 2020 and 2022. The report identifies a pretty significant increase in the number of state CIOs wanting to work with an MSP in 2022. But, it's important to unpack some of the historical data around governments working with MSPs and it's especially important to

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29:26

Preparing for Disaster - The Role of the MSP

The MSP Zone ·

2022/10/13

Managed Service Providers (MSP) have been at the center of a global discussion around security. There is nothing wrong with this discussion. In fact, it is a good thing that we have a conversation around data privacy, security, and the ways people and organizations can protect themselves against such threats (hint: working with an MSP should make you safer!). However, the role of the MSP (historically and even through to today) has not solely been about security. MSPs help their clients in a great

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26:51

Stop Up-Selling Managed Security

The MSP Zone ·

2022/10/11

Weaver Outrage Meter (Low) If you offer any form of managed security offering (or plan to in the near term), then listen up: you may want to stop up-selling customers on managed security. Sound provocative? It isn't. Managed security ought to be (for the vast majority of MSPs and their clients) part of the standard managed services offering. Meaning, it should be the exception to the rule that an MSP agrees to have a managed services client who does not receive security from the MSP. We will

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26:06

Stop Diluting the Definition of Managed Services

The MSP Zone ·

2022/10/06

Weaver Outrage Meter (Low) Sponsored by: Dell Expert Network The terms managed services and MSP have a particular meaning, both professionally through organizations like MSPAlliance, but also through the common usage. When those accepted terms begin to change to the point where they no longer have the same meaning, you can expect problems to occur. Regardless of your definition of managed services (here is ours), take a listen to this episode and come to your own conclusions about what MSP and

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29:05

Is Co-Managed Services New?

The MSP Zone ·

2022/10/03

Co-managed services is not new. In fact, it has been around since the beginning of the managed services profession. If you want to be completely honest, managed services began as a "co-managed" model with the MSP playing the critical outsourcing role but being directed by internal IT. Those days have changed. Highlights: Origins of co-managed services Co-managed services defined When co-managed services does not work

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24:40

Cybersecurity Burnout

The MSP Zone ·

2022/09/27

For the past several years, we have heard nothing but the perils of cybersecurity attacks, and the mounting difficulty in preparing for and defending against such attacks. That type of sustained pressure can lead to desensitization, apathy, and burnout. But, in all seriousness, cybersecurity has never been more critical, and the stakes have never been higher. So, what is an MSP (Managed Service Provider) to do? The following recommendations may help you strike a balanced approach to your managed

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31:58

The Trusted Advisor is Under Attack

The MSP Zone ·

2022/09/21

If you have ever considered or called yourself a "trusted advisor" then you may want to pay attention to this. The trusted advisor designation is under attack and is being threatened with the worst possible outcome, irrelevance. The thing you have to understand is as trusted advisors, this naming designation is like a knife's edge, it must always be sharpened or else it will become dull and cease to have value. MSPs are facing this same threat but from a new direction, the cybersecurity vendor

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35:31

MSPs Can’t Repeat What They Don’t Document

The MSP Zone ·

2022/09/15

Documentation is not a new topic amongst the MSP community, but it is something that most MSPs could be doing better. Today's discussion focuses on why documentation is important in an MSP practice, the benefits is brings to the MSP, the problems lack of documentation can produce, and last, we will offer some helpful tips on ways you can improve your MSP documentation using common tools you already have. Highlights: Current state of MSP documentation Benefits of documentation in an MSP

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36:06

Is your MSP Practice Ready for an Acquisition?

The MSP Zone ·

2022/09/12

Weaver Outrage Meter (WOM): Low Are you looking for MSP acquisitions? Do you think you are ready? I come across a lot of MSPs who think they are ready do to acquisitions. In reality, few have given much thought to what is involved in the process and what it will really do to their MSP practice. This episode will examine both sides of the M&A process (buyer and seller) and discuss some facts about the M&A world which may be new to many of you. These tips will be very helpful for you, regardless

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31:24

The MSP Channel Explained

The MSP Zone ·

2022/09/06

Weaver Outrage Meter (WOM): Low Most people think of the IT channel as just some vast thoroughfare of companies all moving in the same general direction, all doing pretty much the same thing. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you want to sell to MSPs, you should listen to this podcast. You will learn about the various types of channel companies, what makes them each unique, and most importantly how the MSP business model stands apart from all other IT channel

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36:57

What is a Managed Service Provider?

The MSP Zone ·

2022/08/31

What is a managed service provider? It's a question I have been getting asked for decades. In fairness, it is an important question, as well as a difficult one to answer. In this episode we will address the question from a variety of perspectives, attempting to create a workable definition everyone can use. Highlights: Who is asking the question? Why do they want to know? What is an MSP?

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29:44

MSP Best Practices Series #3: The Service Catalog

The MSP Zone ·

2022/08/22

Now that you have your business plan and the right tools, it is time to create your service catalog. Some of you may be wondering what the purpose of a service catalog is, but do not worry. We will explain everything. The service catalog is an important, some say vital, component of your managed services practice and will help you improve efficiency, reduce risk, and close more deals, as much as it will decrease manual steps, avoid costly sales missteps, and align customer and MSP

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32:46

When Cybersecurity Consultants Attack MSP Customers

The MSP Zone ·

2022/08/16

When cybersecurity consultants attack. Just kidding. Well, sort of. Today, we address the issue of cybersecurity consultants and the impact (not always good) on managed services customers. These consultants, who are not in any way knowledgeable about managed services, or have limited exposure about security issues and best practices, are actively inserting themselves into managed service client relationships with a goal towards helping the client improve their interaction with the MSP, including

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35:49

An Interview with MSP Channel Veteran, Stephan Tallent

The MSP Zone ·

2022/08/11

MSP channel veteran Stephan Tallent, Stellar Cyber, drops into the MSP Zone to discuss a wide range of topics. We cover trends in hiring security analysts, bridging the MSP talent gap, adoption rates of XDR amongst MSPs and customers, and more. Highlights: Good time to be an MSP? XDR or SASE Talent Gap MSP Zone Guest: Stephan Tallent, Stellar Cyber

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32:46

Saving Money with Managed Services

The MSP Zone ·

2022/08/09

Is saving money a legitimate objective when engaging an MSP? Justin Current of Sirvis enters the MSP Zone to discuss the age old question, can MSPs save their clients money through managed services. This question has actually been around since the early days of managed services. You may be surprised but there are ways that MSPs can save their clients money, particularly when it comes to infrastructure costs related to data centers. No, this isn't your typical move everything to the cloud

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32:16

A Discussion Around Remote Work Productivity

The MSP Zone ·

2022/08/04

While we may accept that remote work is here to stay (at least in some capacity), we must have a discussion around how remote workers should be working. Most of the discussion to date has been around securing the remote worker but little has been spent talking about productivity and communications. Corey Jones from NUSO joins the MSP Zone for an important discussion around changes which must occur in order for remote workers to become fully equipped and enabled to remain productivity within their

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25:45

The MSP Path Through a Recession

The MSP Zone ·

2022/08/02

According to the US gross domestic product (GDP) numbers we are in a recession. But, that doesn’t mean you have to panic. In fact, if you are an MSP, you might actually have a pretty good economic future, if you take the right steps. The right steps will depend on your particular situation but there are some fundamentals every MSP ought to consider and prepare for when going into difficult financial and economic times. Highlights: How leveraged is your MSP practice on break/fix and VAR

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347 results

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