Ask a Mentor: How Can I Compare Managed Services Software?

Each Tuesday, MSPmentor’s Ask a Mentor service publishes a reader question and invites you to weigh in with recommendations. This week’s question comes from a reader in Europe who is seeking information about managed services software — options and recommendations. Here’s the question and our reply…

Question: The reader states: “Please provide a comparison between MSP vendors: Kaseya and its competitors — for example IBM Tivoli, Ingram Micro Seismic, HP Openview in terms of product and pricing.”

Answer: Ah, the old “which tool should I choose?” question. We get this one all the time… and I never take the bait. Fact is, MSPmentor’s team doesn’t run MSP-related software. Nor have we ever paid for such software. It’s sort of like being a baseball writer who isn’t qualified to step into the batter’s box and hit a Nolan Ryan fastball.

Our Views

That said, we still have some strong opinions and clarifications. Let’s start with the companies you mentioned, their market segments and their potential rivals.

1. Lots of Options: First, you mentioned Kaseya — a well-know solution in the SMB channel. But there are plenty of rivals worth noting such as Apparent Networks, Citrix GoToManage (formerly Paglo), GFI Max, IT Control Solutions, LabTech Software, Level Platforms, LogMeIn, ManageEngine, N-able, Nimsoft, PacketTrap MSP (from Quest Software), Zenith Infotech and Zyrion. Plus, new solutions are on the way. We’re keeping a close eye on Microsoft Windows Intune for example.

2. Enterprise: Then you mentioned IBM Tivoli and HP OpenView: I’d add BMC and CA Technologies to that list. Those offerings are more enterprise-centric, though I do hear about Nimsoft displacing some of those solutions from time to time.

3. Master MSPs: Then you mentioned Ingram Micro Seismic. That’s not really a managed services tool. Instead, think of Seismic as a Master MSP that offers a range of tools, training and technologies for MSPs and VARs. To the best of my knowledge, Seismic offers Level Platforms and Nimsoft to partners. Potential Master MSP alternatives include Cloud Services Depot, Do IT Smarter, MSP Services Network (MSPSN) and Virtual Administrator.

Of course I’ve missed a few companies. Key upstarts worth watching include CentraStage, GroundWork Open Source and Naverisk.

Your Choice

So, you’ve dozens of options. How do you find the right fit for your company? A few random thoughts in no particular order.

Potential Conflicts of Interest: I’ve thrown lots of names around in this blog post. For the sake of disclosure, all of our sponsor and financial relationships are disclosed here and here.

But once again: I’ve avoided the temptation to directly answer a reader question. I’d be foolish (and irresponsible) to pick a tool for a business I’ve never personally managed. Follow some of the starter steps above and you’ll find the tool that best fits your business needs.

Readers: Admittedly, I’m just a blogger. You’re the experts since you’re dealing with the service provider industry every day. Feel free to weigh in with a comment below. Or, to submit your own question, simply visit our Ask a Mentor page. We’ll post a new reader inquiry each Tuesday. And we’ll reply privately to you as well.

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