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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

31:03

How to Decrease Your Cyber Attack Surface

The MSP Zone ·

2022/02/15

MSPs and customers alike are instrumental in the global fight against cyber attacks. Nobody can win by themselves; both groups are crucial to winning this fight. This episode will explore what lessons we have learned in the past 12 months regarding the global cybersecurity war and what methodologies are being successfully employed to reduce the attack surface for cyber threats. Highlights: Stopping threats before they cause damage Understanding the source of the attack; similar to even

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30:51

The Post Pandemic Cloud for MSPs

The MSP Zone ·

2022/02/10

Cloud computing is not a new topic for MSPs. In 2009-10 our profession had an extensive debate around public cloud computing and its impact on MSPs and their clients. Today, it is time we have another discussion about cloud: the post pandemic cloud options for MSPs and their clients. Highlights: Current cloud situation Supply chain impact on private and hybrid cloud Flexibility for the MSP, customization With Guest: Shane Zide VP of Global Sales & Channel at Vultr This episode is sponsored

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33:24

2022 Economic Forecast for Managed Services

The MSP Zone ·

2022/02/08

The stock continues to be volatile, inflation is impacting large sections of our economy, oil prices are rising, and geo-political events are creating uncertainty. And yet, the managed services market remains strong. There are many reasons why investors and customers are continuing to invest in the managed services sector. In today’s episode, we examine the 2022 economic outlook and provide some analysis for MSP owners and managers to help plan for the upcoming year. Highlights: Economic

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34:16

Cyber Insurance Missteps Into Managed Services

The MSP Zone ·

2022/02/03

Cyber insurance has become critically important to our modern business operations. For MSPs, the role of cyber insurance is especially important, both because of the protection it affords the MSP, but also for the protection it offers customers of the MSP. While cyber insurance carriers struggle to understand the complex world of managed IT services, cloud computing, and IT security, some brokers are taking bold and potentially dangerous steps into the cyber insurance world. Highlights: Should

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32:25

Analysis of the Pennsylvania ”MSP” Bill

The MSP Zone ·

2022/02/01

Pennsylvania Senate Bill 726 from the 2021 session has passed. Now what? While this bill is not yet law, it is important to understand what is in this law and how it may impact MSPs, particularly those practicing within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Highlights: Bill overview MSP impact Analysis and comparison to other MSP legislation Impact on future legislation This episode is sponsored by Solutions Granted: solutionsgranted.com Email sales@solutionsgranted.com or call

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35:29

Automation for MSPs in 2022

The MSP Zone ·

2022/01/27

The role of automation in managed services is not new, however, it has a rough history. MSPs have always recognized the need to scale their operations but have struggled with how to implement automation in a consistent fashion. Besides the obvious benefits automation can bring to the internal operations of the MSP, there are revenue generating opportunities as well. The same automation practices can easily be applied to service offerings to be provided to the customer, managed by the

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27:00

More MSP Legislation Updates

The MSP Zone ·

2022/01/25

The United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania both took steps recently to pass legislation around managed IT service providers (MSP) and cybersecurity. While these actions by themselves are not concerning, underlying assumptions surrounding the role of the MSP in our modern world should be triggering the alarm bells in every MSP operating throughout the world. Highlights: MSPs need to test their internal cyber incident response plans Initiate client cyber response plans Stop taking

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29:46

The Argument for MSP Cyber Standards

The MSP Zone ·

2022/01/18

Ten years ago, I wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal arguing for a “universal standard” for cloud computing. While a lot has changed in the last decade, the need for standards has not. There are many standards related to Information Technology (IT), but each has its own focus and area of expertise. The same is true for cyber security standards.

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36:02

The Armchair Cybersecurity “Expert”

The MSP Zone ·

2022/01/13

The rise of armchair cybersecurity “experts” has accelerated in recent years. Perhaps the industry most impacted by these armchair cybersecurity experts is managed services. As cyberattacks and threats continue to increase, so do the voices from these “amateur” compliance and security individuals who sometimes place unwarranted and dangerous risk on the MSP they use. Risks such as these must be identified and addressed immediately by the MSP if they hope to avoid assuming that risk

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23:56

The Argument for MSP Protection Legislation

The MSP Zone ·

2022/01/11

The time has come for MSP protection legislation. MSPs safeguard many thousands of industries throughout the world and they need our support. More importantly, MSPs need the support of our legislative community. We, at the MSPAlliance, believe that MSP protection legislation will go a long way in fighting the cyber war. Highlights: Distinctions between MSPs and break/fix companies Steps MSPs take today to safeguard their customers Civil and criminal penalties should be applied to attacks on

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27:27

Things People Say About MSPs

The MSP Zone ·

2022/01/04

Part of the responsibility of being an MSP is to understand what is being said about your profession. The task of observing how "non-industry" people and organizations talk about MSPs is of particular concern, because it can create negative or even false ideas about how we operate. Sometimes, the content comes in a mixed fashion, where it is not all right, but it is also not entirely wrong. This is the case today where we examine an article on the "pros and cons" of using a managed service

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34:44

Avoid These Mistakes When Choosing an MSP

The MSP Zone ·

2021/12/14

There are many mistakes you should avoid when selecting your MSP. To be honest, the most critical mistakes will differ depending on who you are, your organizational needs, the type of MSP you are talking to, and a few other factors. Nevertheless, there are some fundamentals we can generally apply whenever you are discussing the engagement of an MSP. I came across an article the other day (author unknown) and the title was "5 Mistakes to Avoid When Using Managed IT Services". It's a short article,

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28:31

Managed Services Sales - Random Thoughts

The MSP Zone ·

2021/12/07

When you are exposed to anything long enough, you will become familiar with that thing. In this case, I'm talking about selling managed services. To say that managed services sales and marketing has been a sticking point for many MSPs globally, would be an understatement. Highlights: Know your customers Sell Through Education Have Defined Products/Services (i.e., Service Catalog) Document the Sales Process Scale Rinse/Repeat

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20:25

Is Inflation Hitting the Managed Services Market?

The MSP Zone ·

2021/12/01

Is inflation having an impact on the MSP market? As undeniable evidence of inflation is being felt, at least in the United States, it was only a matter of time before someone asked the question: is inflation having an impact on MSPs? Highlights: Inflation evidence in the general market Inflationary impact on MSPs; how would it manifest itself? Should MSPs raise prices? Do MSPs need to raise prices? Please fill out this survey for MSPAlliance: https://forms.office.com/r/CtgVXCMk5W

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34:50

MSP Contract Negotiation Series: Data Processing

The MSP Zone ·

2021/11/29

Data processing is an important element of any managed services agreement. The handling of data belonging to clients has never been more critical to the relationship between customer and MSP. Data processing is no longer just a service delivery issue, it is now a contractual one as well. Join the discussion as MSP Zone explores the various ways in which data processing occurs within a managed services relationship, how you can protect your MSP practice from risk associated with data processing

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27:22

MSP Spending Forecasts Revisited

The MSP Zone ·

2021/11/17

Not a month goes by without some analyst firm or consulting agency producing a managed services spending report. You would think, with all these reports forecasting future managed services spending and growth, that there would be an abundance of data for MSPs and consumers. You would be wrong. The existence of these "managed services analyst reports" provide little to no value whatsoever to the average MSP, much less to consumers of managed services. Highlights: Historical review of analyst

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30:45

How the Outside World Views MSPs

The MSP Zone ·

2021/11/11

MSPs spend a lot of time "in the channel", that is to say, learning from and interacting with both other providers and technology vendors. Yes, MSPs also spend a great deal of time with their clients. But, what I'm talking about today is how non-managed services entities and individuals view the MSP profession. As with many things "managed services related", there are a lot of misconceptions about MSPs and what they do. It seems we can add cybersecurity "experts" to that

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25:17

Non-MSPs Are At Risk for Cyberattacks

The MSP Zone ·

2021/11/02

In a follow up to our episode titled "Who are Hackers Really Targeting?", we have further evidence that it is not MSPs who are vulnerable to attack, but instead, the non-MSP organization has a higher likelihood of being successfully breached in a cyberattack compared to an MSP. This is not to say MSPs do not get targeted or breached. This does mean, however, that successful cyberattacks are more likely to occur in a non-MSP organization than a fully matured managed services

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34:32

MSP Contract Negotiation Series - Limitation of...

The MSP Zone ·

2021/10/28

MSPs have agreements with everyone; customers, vendors, partners. The managed services agreement with customers, perhaps, is the most important. Regardless of the type of MSP you are, the types of services, or your customers, the contracts you use will likely be negotiated. Warranties and indemnification clauses are common boilerplate in modern managed services agreements. But, not all such clauses ought to be accepted without review and consideration. Highlights: What are limitation of

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22:46

Who are The Hackers Really Targeting?

The MSP Zone ·

2021/10/26

Fact: Ransomware "gangs" are actively trying to attack organizations of all sizes. The attacks have had some success and will likely continue for the foreseeable future. But, are the attack vectors really targeting MSPs, or is there another target that exists? Highlights: Who are the real targets of these ransomware attacks? Why are these tactics being used? Can anything be done to stop them? Is the MSP the real attack vector? MSP Zone Reading Material Solarwinds hackers targeting

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347 results

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