So You Want to Be an MSP? - The Platform (
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The Platform
Most VARs investigating managed services find the hardware is the easy part, and it is the software and services platforms that generate the most confusion. After all, there are dozens of players looking to increase their partner counts and customer base.
Typically, the process of becoming an MSP involves the VAR committing to a platform vendor for a certain number of managed seats. The platform vendor provides the VAR with the software and the back-end servers. Software agents are delivered to the customer's site, and those agents report back to the servers located at the platform vendors. The partner receives status reports and accesses the customer's managed devices via a browser-based interface that runs a hosted management application from the platform vendor's servers.
That typical implementation relies heavily on the managed services vendor to provide the proper connectivity, software and tools for the VAR to be a successful MSP. While the hosted approach is the most common approach, it is not the only way to become an MSP. Some vendors offer a software solution that allows the VAR to host the services. While that may reduce the reliance on a third-party vendor, the VAR may have to make a significant investment in hardware to host the applications needed.
Choosing a platform that offers the necessary services and a partner program compatible with the VAR's goals is imperative. A VAR must consider many factors, including the affordability of the services. In short, VARs will need to concoct a palatable recipe of offerings from the platform vendors. The ingredients the VAR needs to consider include the minimum number of seats that must be purchased (some platform vendors start at 1,000), the cost and level of training required, hardware investments (if any), marketing commitments and a host of other partner issues. Those choices, of course, are above and beyond the inherent technology offered.
For example, VARs will need to evaluate the services offered from the platform vendor. They should ask questions such as:
Is remote control supported?
What is the reporting like?
Is custom template programming required?
How are notifications and alerts handled?
Is patch management available?
What security services are included?
How is customer billing done?
It is in the VAR's best interest to do the research and test the platforms before committing to anything. While some platform vendors tout their offerings as MSP in a box, there is no instant path to managed services. Fortunately, there is so much choice in the market, and the technology has matured, so becoming an MSP is possible for a VAR of any size serving customers of any size.
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