The most successful MSPs I see are those that are in it for the long haul. A business, regardless of whether it’s a small office or an enterprise, must be able to trust and rely on its MSP 110%.

February 26, 2015

4 Min Read
MSP Checklist: Building Your Business for the Long Haul

By Datto Guest Blog 2

Being a managed service provider (MSP) is not easy. Datto works with thousands of smart, hard-working MSPs, and we understand the challenges you face every day. It’s our job to not only lessen your challenges, but in turn help drive your business forward. You have enough business challenges to worry about; your choice of vendors shouldn’t be one of them. Ask yourself: In building your business, what’s more important? A one-time incentive or the foundation for a successful long-term business?

The most successful MSPs I see are those that are in it for the long haul. It’s not a business built on temporary wins. (Don’t get me wrong-they are nice every once in a while.) For a business, handing over management of its mission-critical IT functions and data management requires trust and confidence. A business, regardless of whether it’s a small office or an enterprise, must be able to trust and rely on its MSP 110%.

So how does an MSP grow its business and become worthy of trust (and recurring revenue contract)? A big part of the mix is based on the choice of vendor(s) it partners with–who, what they offer, their relationship with the MSPs, support and ease of doing business with. Think of the vendors you partner with now. How do they stack up based on these criteria? Would you partner with them again?

The trend for today’s successful MSPs is to have a solid data protection strategy as the foundation of their offerings. In fact, there are many Datto partners who will not accept a new client unless they purchase a Datto solution. In selecting your data protection vendor, what are your criteria? Here’s a list of Top 10 Must-Haves, most of which are based on feedback from our top partners.

  1. Total data protection: one vendor that can deliver comprehensive backup, recovery and business continuity for a business’s data everywhere it lives—on premise, cloud, virtual environments and cloud-based SaaS apps.

  2. Hybrid-based backup: when it comes to data backup and recovery, the ability to leverage a system that offers both local and off-site resources. Did you know that 53% of businesses ship tape backups off-site? (That’s crazy!)

  3. Instant virtualization: What good is a backup and recovery solution if a business can’t access its data and systems instantly? It’s a required component of business continuity. Datto can virtualize data in mere seconds, thanks in part to saving backups initially as VMDKs.

  4. Testing and proof of backup: Make sure your backup vendor’s solution can deliver visual proof of a valid backup. Datto delivers proof via its Screenshot Backup Verification. Did you know that 32% of IT execs admit to not testing their backups?

  5. Image-based backup: Don’t fall into the trap of having to pick and choose which individual files to backup; aren’t they all important? Or, even worse, don’t rely on outdated backup models that rely on manual intervention, like tape. With Datto, entire systems are backed up, at no additional charge.

  6. Purpose-built cloud: Data backup has unique requirements when it comes to the cloud. Only a cloud built specifically for backup can deliver the bandwidth, infrastructure, security and always-on requirements to ensure fast restores and business continuity.

  7. Predictable cloud billing: Given that 43% of businesses want more transparent cloud billing, Datto offers Time-Based Cloud Retention to its partners. With Time-Based Cloud Retention, partners may choose a one-, three- or seven-year option for their cloud storage for a simple, predictable cloud bill. It’s easy to understand for both the MSP and its customer—a win-win.

  8. 24/7/365 technical support: You can’t pick when a disaster will happen. To fully support your customers, it’s critical to partner with a vendor that offers 24/7/365 technical support–not just via email or Web, but with a technician who will answer the phone!

  9. Channel-only: Do you want to be a vendor’s sole focus or just part of the mix? Vendors with a channel-only model treat and support their partners better, on everything from pricing strategies to support.

  10. Disaster-friendly: When disaster happens, and it will, make sure you’re partnered with a vendor that is there to support you, not benefit from the disaster. Datto does not charge for DR (disaster recovery) and provides replacement devices free of charge.

Another vendor in the backup space recently announced an offer to front-end margins for its partners. To me, that raises a couple of red flags. Is that fair to the partners who have signed on prior? What happens when the “fund” dries out? And if the end customer can’t pay, will the vendor ask for the money back? Isn’t it better to partner with a vendor that is positioned for the long haul, both in terms of technology and commitment to its channel partners? Penny-wise, pound-foolish is not a good long-term strategy–for any business.

Rob May is senior vice president, Business Development, Datto. Guest blogs such as this one are published monthly and are part of MSPmentor’s annual platinum sponsorship.

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