Four emerging MSP trends for 2021
The year 2020 completely changed the way we work, forcing us to look at and evaluate the efficiency of our processes and identify new MSP trends. Remote work, video conferencing and collaboration tools have transformed the way teams work together,...
Digital business transformation depends on managed integration
One of the things that organizations are starting to appreciate more is how pivotal managed integration capabilities are, when it comes to achieving any digital business transformation goal. The challenge they all face is that most organizations are not especially...
Partner Spotlight: MSP drives success with Email Threat Scanner
Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, KSM Consulting’s services offerings include management consulting, IT consulting, cybersecurity, email security data analytics, and project management for businesses and non-profits of all sizes and industries, as well as government agencies. Mark...
Ford vs. Ferrari’s lessons on team leadership for MSPs
I previously wrote about how the Le Mans challenge and Ford’s development of the GT40 race car famously depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster Ford v Ferrari, contained teambuilding lessons that MSPs could learn from and apply. Today, I examine lessons...
Sales & Marketing
Sell or wallow: Which sales path will you choose?
You have heard me talk about the importance of MSPs adding new monthly recurring revenue (MRR) for more than a decade. Adding customers at the right price is key to becoming a World Class MSP. This strategy is more important...
Bring some innovation to your client’s sales departments
The heart and soul of every business is the sales team. If you aren’t selling, you aren’t making money, and companies falter when sales slow down. Selling became a huge challenge during the pandemic for many companies, but there are...
Use 2021 to build more credibility for your MSP
Between the time I took my first IT marketing job in 1997, all the way up until the end (thankfully) of 2020, one of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen IT providers make with their marketing, is putting too much focus...
Security
MSPs find opportunity in cloud security gaps
Cloud security issues are creating a major opportunity for managed service providers (MSPs) as organizations of all sizes continue to struggle with the shared responsibility model that cloud service providers require customers to embrace. A survey of 303 IT professionals...
Ask an MSP Expert: How can my MSP incorporate a “security-first” mindset into our offerings?
Q: Security is an obvious focus for our MSP, but how do we encapsulate a “security-first” mindset into our offerings when we are building them? Nowadays, when you are constructing your MSP’s service offering, security needs to be front and...
IoT security and MSPs: Just the beginning
The continued proliferation of IoT will present both challenges and opportunities for MSPs in 2021. Projections put the number of IoT devices by 2021 at over 35 billion. This parade of IoT devices ranges from security cameras to appliances to...
Better Business
Is your MSP vision statement elevating or killing your growth?
Someone wakes you from a sound sleep and asks you what is your MSP vision statement. What do you tell them? If you’re the CEO, you can probably rattle it off easily. But what about your employees? Do they know...
Podcast: Introducing the SmarterMSP Podcast, Episode 1
The SmarterMSP.com team is excited to announce the official launch of its brand new podcast. The first episode of the SmarterMSP Podcast is now available for your review! In bringing you this podcast, our intent is to continue our mission of...
MSP teambuilding lessons from the Le Mans challenge
The story behind the film, “Ford v Ferrari” and the 24 Hour Le Mans’ challenges offer learnings about MSP teambuilding that I believe MSPs can relate to and apply. You may not be trying to win Le Mans, but we...
Tech Insight
Tech Time Warp: Torpig malware collects stolen financial data
Once upon a time, you could avoid malware by staying away from “seedy” websites. But the Torpig botnet—aka Sinowal, aka Mebroot—proved that even reputable business websites could be compromised and refer traffic to malicious download sites. First spotted in late...
Tech Time Warp: Harvest computer decodes secrets for the NSA
On February 27, 1976, a ground-breaking supercomputer was quietly decommissioned at the National Security Agency, with its story only to be told years later, once declassified. The one-of-a-kind Harvest computer—a special model of the IBM 7030, or Stretch—was specifically built...
SaaS management tools help keep cloud software under control
One thing we’ve learned over the last year is that SaaS is becoming more important than ever. It has allowed your clients to continue working, even when their offices might have shut down. As an MSP, you can point your...