MSP Chat MSP Chat

Side by side in person at the recent Kaseya Connect Global conference in Las Vegas, Erick and Rich chew over the disruptive, industry-shaking implications of the new Kaseya 365 subscription and why K365 is one more reason for MSPs to assess their current tool and solution stack, just as they should be doing periodically anyway.Then they’re joined by Dave MacKinnon, N-able’s chief information security officer, to discuss what tabletop exercises are and why every MSP should be doing them. Important listening! And finally, one last thing: a cicada invasion in South Carolina so loud that residents were calling 9-1-1 about the noise.

Discussed in this episode:

Bonus Post: Kaseya Bids to Shake Up MSP Economics with Kaseya 365
Cicadas are so noisy in a South Carolina county that residents are calling the police

Erick and Rich discuss the security-related dangers of selling AI services, and why mitigating them is a smarter move than sitting on the sidelines, as well as why it may be time to hit the reset button on your website. Then, in a first for MSP Chat, your hosts join Eric Anthony, of the All Things MSP podcast, for a simulcast conversation about what the new channel ecosystem means for MSPs and their vendor relationships and much, much more. And finally, one last thing: How a U.K. attorney finalized a client’s divorce by mistake, and why the government refused to undo the error.

Discussed in this episode:
All Things MSP
Threading the AI Risk/Reward Needle
Wrong couple get divorced after solicitor ‘clicks wrong button’

In this special bonus episode of MSP Chat, sponsored by SuperOps, Erick and Rich discuss TD SYNNEX’s plans to help its partners get into the market for sophisticated AI solutions, and the reasons MSPs need to stop talking about technology outcomes with clients and start talking about business outcomes instead. Then they’re joined by SuperOps channel chief Juan Fernandez for an insightful look at the mindset and toolset changes MSPs must make to keep pace with evolving customer needs. And finally, one last thing: how AI helped a Finnish coffee roaster create a new blend that apparently doesn’t taste like a hallucination. 

Discussed in this episode:
TD SYNNEX Cuts to the AI Chase
A coffee roastery in Finland has launched an AI-generated blend. The results were surprising

Erick and Rich discuss why recent research suggests that AI, “junk-gun ransomware,” and massive threat volumes suggest that security services will be in high demand among SMBs for some time to come. Then their colleague Charlene, Channel Mastered’s CMO, joins in to discuss the secrets behind the industry’s best partner programs. Hint: it’s more about people than spiffs. And finally, one last thing: An Italian restaurant’s wildly successful strategy for getting customers to surrender their phones while dining. 

Discussed in this episode:
Artificial Intelligence Gives Security Teams the Upper Hand, “2024 Cyberthreat Defense Report” Finds
Cheap, Independently Produced ‘Junk Gun’ Ransomware Infiltrates the Dark Web, Sophos Finds
GenAI Drives 1,760% Surge in Business Email Compromise (BEC) Attacks, According to New Report by Perception Point
More than Half of Generative AI Adopters Use Unapproved Tools at Worka...

Erick and Rich discuss Google’s big push into the channel generally—and SMB channel specifically—to attract AI partners, and the two magic questions MSPs should never end a sales meeting without asking. Then they’re joined by Canalys analyst Jay McBain for a fascinating look at how selling to millennials, competing with accounting firms, and other long-term trends will require MSPs to upend many of their most settled assumptions. And finally, one last thing: what happened when a Scottish train passenger mistook a cosplaying Star Wars stormtrooper for a security threat. 


Discussed in this episode:
Bonus Post: Google Has a Lot of Partners. It Wants a Lot More.
Platforms are the winners on Wall Street.
How do you move from being a Channel Chief to a Platform (Ecosystem) Chief?
Reported armed man at Scottish train station was 'Star Wars' Stormtrooper

Erick and Rich discuss the larger lessons for the channel in Gmail’s 20th birthday and how to use speaking appearances—especially at in-person events—to boost your credibility with customers, vendors, and peers. Then they’re joined by Channel Mastered colleague Mark Crall for an informed, in-depth conversation about what MSPs value most in a vendor. And finally, one last thing: A bluegrass theme song for this show written and performed by AI.

Discussed in this episode:
Building Blocks of MSP Channel Success Part 1 – Customizing Partner Programs
Building Blocks of MSP Channel Success Part 2: Cracking the MSP Code
Building Blocks of MSP Channel Success Part 3: MSP Sales Hiring 101
Song: Down Home with MSP Chata...