https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2020 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2020 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Digital Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • CHANNEL PARTNERS ONLINE
 Channel Futures

MSP 501


Shutterstock

501 Flashback

MSP 501 Flashback: Platte River Networks on MSP COVID-19 Response

  • Written by James Anderson
  • August 19, 2020
Platte River reported success in the last five months. Not all MSPs can say the same.

COVID-19 has revealed weak spots for many an MSP, says David DeCamillis.

DeCamillis, who serves as Platte River Networks‘ vice president of sales and marketing, says businesses that relied on premises-based products and services suffered greatly during the work-from-home transition.

“During a crisis, that’s when your weaknesses are exposed. A lot of companies were not prepared to move the workforce home,” he told Channel Futures.

A Year Later

We caught up with DeCamillis a year after Platte River won the MSP 501 Vanguard award, which recognizes thought leadership in digital transformation. The Colorado-based MSP won the award due to its Intuition Security+ platform. The platform offers several security services, including network monitoring, DNS filtering and security operations center (SOC).

MSP 501 Vanguard Award: Platte River Networks https://t.co/1eXgCnDQhI

— Edward Gately (@EdwardGately) September 11, 2019

More recently, the company has been tailoring security solutions for customers that don’t want all of the capabilities. For example, a customer might require only a security operations center (SOC) or end-user training.

“Dealing in the SMB space, a lot of these companies don’t need the whole stack. Initially, we were resistant in breaking the stack up,” DeCamillis said. “But what we found was, it was going to be a lot easier selling it if we could actually take the four or five products and services and adapt them specifically to the customer in need.”

However, DeCamillis said Platte River will likely absorb two of the security offerings into its regular portfolio within a year or two. DeCamillis said the first would likely be single-sign-on and multifactor authentication (MFA), followed by end-user training. Customers would automatically subscribe to the services upon signing with the MSP.

Platte River Networks' David DeCamillis

Platte River Networks’ David DeCamillis

DeCamillis said MFA addresses password breaches and end-user training prevents internal mistakes.

“Ninety-five percent of the breaches are because the employee hits the wrong website, opens the wrong link, downloads the wrong attachment, etc. So by educating them, you greatly reduce the risk,” he said.

Tackling Work-From-Home

The first quarter was Platte River’s biggest ever, despite its overlap with coronavirus. DeCamillis said his team helped 120 customers settle into their home offices in mid-March.

Platte River managed to hit $900,000 in monthly revenue in April, the third best month in the company’s history.

“We saw our ticket volume effectively double, but to see my team step up and get all these home workers working successfully within a week’s time was pretty bad-ass,” he said. “And then seeing my project team step up and help them expand circuits, replace firewalls, build additional remote desktop servers, upgrade licensing, reconfigure firewalls, figure out how to make those crappy home computers work — that was impressive.”

However, the organization did face a sales challenge at the onset of the lockdown.

DeCamillis saw a muted, reduced sales pipeline and diminished lead generation from mid-March until Mid-May. He said he kept producing branding and marketing but shifted his message. The campaign first educated prospective customers about remote work — from transitioning out of the office to providing security to ensuring productivity. The messaging shifted to the benefits of outsourced IT and, finally, asking businesses about their IT performance.

Platte River saw the results when businesses started returning to their offices.

“By shifting our message dramatically and absolutely not selling, we were able to actually close a record number of business in the last 30 days,” DeCamillis said.

Mixed MSP COVID Response

DeCamillis at the time of this interview said he had signed six new customers in the last 30 days. Platte River normally signs two per month. Moreover, four of those customers called after the shelter-in-home orders went into place.

In two of those cases, Platte River replaced another MSP, which failed to perform when COVID-19 struck.

“It’s glaringly obvious. These customers had a bad IT experience during COVID-19,” he said. “They were thinking of making a change prior to COVID, but COVID exposed them, so they had to make a change.”

DeCamillis said an increasing number of large businesses are moving their IT to a third-party. He expects that more companies will circle IT as an area to cut costs and heighten productivity as we enter what could be a full-scale recession.

“During the last recession, the average company that outsourced their entire IT was around 40 employees; at 50-plus, they had an IT staff. Since that recession, I’ve seen that number creep up, and we see more of the 50-150 employees outsource their whole IT. Now we’re starting to see the 100-300,” he said.

In the meantime, MSPs are maintaining their headcount, according to SolarWinds.

Tags: MSPs Best Practices Business Models MSP 501 Networking Sales & Marketing Security Specialty Practices Strategy Technologies

Related


  • 501 Somewhere Logo
    It’s 501 Somewhere: Janet Schijns on Transformational Leadership
    Schijns talks about what it takes to be a true leader, transformational technology, and her three steps for success.
  • Two cloud-shaped hands shaking among other clouds in the sky.
    IBM Buys Cloud MSP Taos for Expertise in AWS, Azure, Google
    Channel partners will be able to take advantage of the combined companies’ hybrid cloud capabilities.
  • Ransomware and malware
    Help Your Customers Mitigate Malware: Viruses, Worms, and Trojans…Oh My!
    With the right antivirus protection, your customers can better detect and prevent the spread of malware.
  • Pax8 Kicks Off European Expansion with Launch of Pax8 UK
    Cloud distributor Pax8 leverages its recent Wirehive acquisition to launch Pax8 UK.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • McAfee Employees Getting Pink-Slipped in Likely 'Belt-Tightening'
  • SMBs’ Cybersecurity Risk Awareness Is Rising
  • Carbonite® Backup for Microsoft 365
  • Security Tips for Protecting your Backup Servers

Galleries

View all

New, Changing Partner Programs: AWS, Tech Data, Avaya, Verizon

January 11, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

The Importance of Being Security-Centric

January 22, 2021

Cyberattacks: Threat Hunters Conquer Unpredictability with 3 Measures

January 21, 2021

The Right Data Migration Tool Helps Schools Move to Cloud During COVID Crisis

January 19, 2021

Webinars

View all

Who’s Behind the Mask? Hacker Personas Explained

January 26, 2021
  • 2

Your Network Perimeter Has Changed

February 18, 2021

In Case of Emergency: The Importance of Proactive Critical Event Management

February 23, 2021

White Papers

View all

Why Subscription Business Model

January 15, 2021

The Ultimate MSP Guide to Sales Efficiency

January 14, 2021

Eight Reasons Why MSPs Need IT Industry-Specific Sales Tools

January 14, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Virtual

March 2, 2021 - March 4, 2021

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How SOAR Eliminates Security Challenges and Elevates Service Provider Revenues

January 6, 2021

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

FASTCHAT: How Old, Unpatched Technologies Are Creating New Security Threats for MSPs and Their Customers

December 3, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

Native @MicrosoftTeams integration coming to @SAP apps. dlvr.it/RrKz34 https://t.co/tM7SQaaOHl

January 26, 2021
ChannelFutures

#Biden, @CompTIA both launch big #cybersecurity efforts (separately). dlvr.it/RrKr54 https://t.co/hXEw2CGUMZ

January 25, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@HPE appoints new head of worldwide distribution. #cloud dlvr.it/RrKJLT https://t.co/FW0OUTDJFF

January 25, 2021
ChannelFutures

Following its acquisition of SAP specialist Pioneer B1, new @SapphireSystems GM reveals "buy and build" growth stra… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 25, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@exabeam, @VulcanCyber, @ntti3, @Vectra_AI, @Lookout and @valtixinc give high marks to @POTUS' federal… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Judge sides with @AWScloud against #Parler; @SADAsystems gets AI-centric board member; @EnsonoIT, @navisite get… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

2021 may be the year of the #security-centric #MSP @BarracudaMSP #remoteworking #ITsecurity #dataprotection #RMM… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Adding #AIOps and #AI-driven WANs will help IT administrators move forward, says @MistSystems.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021

MSSP Insider

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Channel Partners Online

Want more? Find more channel news and analysis on our sister site, Channel Partners.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Online
  • Channel Partners Events
  • MSP 501
  • MSSP Insider
  • IoT World Today
  • Webhostingtalk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X