What Agents Need to Know About Adopting Managed Services

How do telecom brokers make the pivot to an MSP model? That’s what channel partners discussed this week on Reddit.

We’ve brought together the top channel partner discussions from the last week. Check them out before you start your weekend.

Joining the MSP Club

A telco agent hopped onto the r/MSP subreddit for advice. This business owner has fared well in telecom consulting but wanted to expand their horizons. Thus, they asked MSP redditors about how to best start delivering managed IT services.

Commenters offered some sage advice. One agreed with the poster’s initial plans and suggested additional categories. For example, one cannot overstate the importance of technically skilled staff. And for most MSPs who weighed in, that talent would most likely come from the outside.

Comment from discussion HappyDadOfFourJesus’s comment from discussion "Pivoting to MSP".

One commenter recommended the telco consultant consider an acquisition. The agent agreed and said they have been trying to identify a target with a solid culture fit.

Comment from discussion ben_zachary’s comment from discussion "Pivoting to MSP".

Agent/MSP convergence is a hot topic in the Channel Futures community, and it draws hot takes from both the IT and telecom sides. Many MSPs argue that it’s easier for them to adopt a carrier services practice than for an agent to adopt a managed service practice. Many agents state that they don’t want to take on the security liabilities that come from managing a customer’s IT. Channel Journeys Consulting’s Rob Spee once outlined some key differences between the two business models.

You can read the entire Reddit thread here.

Telecom Brokers: A Customer’s Perspective

It’s always valuable to read what customers are saying about their technology partners. A redditor considering telecom brokerage as a career asked the fine folks at r/Networking how they feel about the agents that serve them. The responders offered a fascinating perspective on the value brokers provide.

Commenters gave channel partners a largely positive review.

“Broker plz, I don’t want to have to have sit down bullsh** meetings with 4 carriers,” snokyguy responded. “The bar opens at 11.”

Comment from discussion flembob’s comment from discussion "Telecom Broker Yes, No Maybe?".

A trend emerged, however, that smaller customers tended to benefit more from brokers than enterprise customers.

“You’d rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond,” Reece56 wrote.

One commenter who has enjoyed “less than stellar success with brokers and resellers” said their firm might have benefitted more from a partner if they possessed more locations to connect.

“I suppose if I was trying to buy a 100mbps circuit for 1,000 retail sites it might make sense as thing can be different from region to region,” they wrote. “I know our region and the carriers in it quite well.”

Check out the whole thread.