Managed Services - Channel Insider
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MSP Tools Round-Up: 8 PSA Solutions and Alternatives Worth A Look

By Ericka Chickowski on 2011-05-25



Behind every great managed service provider is a solid set of tools. The toolset foundation is cemented with a good professional services automation (PSA) solution to keep the business running smoothly. The PSA platform market has matured considerably over the last decade, with numerous options available for all different sizes, specialties and services offered by MSPs. Channel Insider checks out some leaders in the PSA market, along with a few up-and-comer alternatives. Take a look.

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Autotask
www.autotask.com
One of the big daddies in the world of professional services automation software, Autotask offers MSPs the ability to automate and streamline customer management, service desk operations, tech scheduling and billing. Best known for its comprehensive Autotask Pro option for larger shops, the company also caters to smaller MSPs via the slimmed down Autotask Go!
Pricing: Autotask Go! starts at $29 per month; Autotask Pro starts at $55 per month
Differentiators: comprehensiveness, ease-of-use, support, cloud-based strategy

ConnectWise
www.connectwise.com
Long mixing it up with Autotask for the top spot in the platform market, ConnectWise offers all of the same types of functionality in CRM, billing, project management and tech bench automation. Though it does offer a hosted cloud service offering, unlike Autotask it still stakes a lot of success on its on-premise solution.
Pricing: $39 per month for cloud-based offering, with higher pricing for its on-premise solution.
Differentiators: support, strong education offerings for users, involved user community

Tigerpaw Software
www.tigerpawsoftware.com
With a long history in CRM and PSA that dates back to 1984, Tigerpaw Software offers a flexible, modular based on-premise solution that allows users to customize purchased features based on their business models.
Pricing: Pricing varies, but a beginner package with three licenses for Tigerpaw CRM, Quotes, Sales & Marketing and service, one license for Tigerpaw Inventory, 2 add-on modules and a one-year subscription of support would ballpark around $9,200.
Differentiators: Strong dashboard capabilities with latest version, emphasis on sales force automation, robust support for partners in telecom market

Kaseya
www.kaseya.com
Known best for its remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform, Kaseya has been treading lightly into the PSA category and shows signs of evolving to offer tools for problems typically solved by traditional PSA offerings . This spring the company unveiled Service Billing 1.0 and Service Desk 1.3. Though Kaseya leadership has said these are meant to supplement traditional PSA solutions, some MSPs may see them as an alternative.
Pricing: Kaseya Service Billing starts at 75 cents per seat per month. Kaseya Service Desk starts $1.50 per seat per month.
Differentiators: Home-grown integration with Kaseya's RMM, limited offerings for SMBs who don't want large tool sets.

ShockeyMonkey
www.shockeymonkey.com
Hailed by some as a simple and free alternative to the larger traditional options, Shockey Monkey gives users PSA functionality built specifically for MSPs for free. For a monthly price, it also offers a paid service that removes advertisements from the software and adds additional functionality.
Differentiators: Affordable, developers agile and responsive to user feedback, simplicity.
Pricing: Shockey Monkey Free is free. Shockey Monkey Pro starts at $49 per month

BlueFolder
www.bluefolder.com
A user-friendly for those organizations looking primarily for a platform to streamline field service management tasks without having to commit to a full PSA, Blue Folder goes deep in the areas which it specializes. Expect robust functionality in customer service management, technician management and scheduling, equipment tracking and billing.
Pricing: Starts at $89 per month for 3 users
Differentiators: Intuitive service request management, designed for easy field use.

CommitCRM
www.commitcrm.com
Given the name, it's no surprise CommitCRM placese a heavy emphasis on customer resource management. Though it is not as fully fleshed out as the leading PSA offerings, it excels at customer and service management, sales management and office management.
Pricing: Starts at $249 for 1 user
Differentiators: Affordable, CRM functionality

NetSuite’s OpenAir
www.openair.com
Introduced by CRM player NetSuite last summer, OpenAir is a relatively new entry into the PSA market. It offers resource management tools, project timelines, tracks skills and availability, automates resource management requests and bookings, and can forecast and report on resources.
Pricing: $49 per seat per month
Differentiators: Geared especially towards project and resource management

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