Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Whitepaper
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................. 3 Making the Move to Managed Services.................................................... 4 Introduction........................................................................................... 4 Getting Started ..................................................................................... 4 Seven Obstacles to Success................................................................ 5 Velocity System The Complete MSP Business Transformation Solution .................................................................................................................. 8 The Secrets to a Successful Managed Services Practice ...................... 10 Technology ......................................................................................... 10 N-central: Optimized to Deliver Managed Services through Five Core Functions ............................................................................................ 11 Remote Support Manager .................................................................. 14 Remote Environment Manager .......................................................... 18 N-compass MSP Performance Reporting .......................................... 21 Business Transformation Services..................................................... 24 Benefits ................................................................................................... 27 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 29
-2-
Executive Summary
VARs, system integrators and service providers are under severe pressure from the intense competition, excessive customer turnover, low technician utilization rates and shrinking margins that characterize todays IT services market. To overcome these challenges, many IT service providers are making the move to managed services. Higher business valuation from a recurring revenue stream, improved margins from higher technician utilization rates and stronger customer relationships are just some of the benefits of becoming a managed service provider (MSP). Many companies today claim they offer managed services when what they really do is remote monitoring and management. While this is a step in the right direction, it is only one part of the solution. There are three necessary elements to a successful managed services transformation: an interoperable remote monitoring and management platform, best practices for configuring and using the technology and a complete sales and marketing system. There are many remote monitoring and management tools on the market today. There are even a few generic MSP transformation solutions. But these offerings are one-size-fits-all solutions that dont address the specific needs of your business or your customers. To remedy this situation, N-able Technologies, the market leader in MSP business transformation solutions, developed the Velocity System. Used by more than 1,300 partners servicing 36,000 customers, Velocity System is the most comprehensive MSP transformation solution on the market. It combines award-winning technology with unparalleled business transformation services to help you deliver the broadest range of managed services at the lowest service delivery cost. The technology consists of:
The N-central remote monitoring and management platform N-compass for MSP Performance Reporting Remote Support Manager to give you real-time remote PC and server management capabilities The Remote Environment Manager desktop management tool for creating, managing and enforcing standardized environments for all PCs at a customer site
This whitepaper explores the managed services model and how Velocity System is optimized to provide the fundamental elements of a successful MSP practice.
-3-
Getting Started
Theres no doubt that becoming an MSP offers many benefits. But knowing how to start the process can be confusing. To help organizations understand where they are in the process and where they need to go, N-able developed the MSP Maturity Model. The model, which is based on industry best practices, Gartner analyst research and observed behaviors from N-ables own partner base of more than 1,300 MSPs, helps service providers assess their business and develop a plan to improve their managed services offering. Break-fix This is the initial stage of the process. Break-fix service providers have the least amount of process maturity. Their processes are ad-hoc and
-4-
not documented, service delivery is unpredictable, service level objectives dont exist, and 100% of technician time is dedicated to reacting to failures discovered by the customer. Break-fix service providers typically attract breakfix customers, who are low margin and costly to manage. Responsive This level is similar to Break-fix except the service provider has some documented processes, offers up/down monitoring, and while 100% of billable technical resource time is still dedicated to correcting failures, the failures are often caught by the monitoring tool and not the customers. Responsive customers are loyal as a group but if their service provider is not delivering on expectations, they will not hesitate to terminate the relationship. Proactive This tier differs from the first two levels in that preventative maintenance is at the heart of the Proactive MSPs approach to service delivery. Because of this, Proactive MSPs can minimize the threat of failure, capture performance and capacity utilization information and use service level objectives to set targets. In addition, 50 to 70 per cent of billable technical resource time is dedicated to correcting failures. Managed This is the first level in the hierarchy that takes a utility approach to service delivery. This level is one of the most challenging to attain because until now these companies have sold time as a product. Not directly billing for technician time is foreign to them. Managed-level customers are business savvy but not very technical. They are more interested in performance, capacity and regulatory compliance than they are in routers and switches. Value This is the logical evolution from the Managed level. While the Managed provider manages IT based on the value of the IT components, the Value provider manages IT based on the business process that it supports regardless of the infrastructure that requires the service. As with the Managed level, the Value provider generally abstracts the amount of time required to provide a service in favor of a flat-fee based on the value of the business service.
-5-
7.
-6-
customers that they are getting what they pay for and if any performance targets are missed there are some corrective actions.
-7-
An interoperable Web-based remote monitoring and management technology platform The N-central platform enables your technicians to manage and monitor multiple customers each with different devices, applications and services while maintaining a high customer service level. The ability to identify current and incipient problems and correct them remotely and quickly, results in a low service delivery cost that improves your bottom line and keeps you competitive. N-compass This offline business-reporting solution allows you to demonstrate the performance of your customers' IT infrastructure from a business perspective. Highly integrated and synchronized with Ncentral, N-compass leverages the data collected by N-central to create reports that depict the impact your services have on critical IT systems and applications. Remote Support Manager Integrated in N-central, this optional component enables you to offer true remote PC and server support. It empowers your technicians to troubleshoot issues, resolve problems and manage customers devices remotely, without disrupting users. Remote Environment Manager An N-central optional component, Remote Environment Manager is a powerful desktop management tool for creating, managing and enforcing standardized environments for all PCs at a customer site. Its ability to configure multiple PCs enables you to save time and reduce service delivery costs. Using its patented validation engine and intuitive GUI, you can construct sophisticated configuration profiles to manage every aspect of the desktop environment making it easier to use and more powerful than a scripting solution. Unprecedented business transformation services The Velocity System provides you with an unmatched level of business transformation support. The combination of people, products and processes delivered through a state-of-the-art knowledge management
-8-
portal are singularly focused on making you successful. Velocity Systems complete and proven go-to-market strategy provides you with marketing collateral, sales and marketing training for effective knowledge transfer and dedicated experts to help you plan, develop, and implement your marketing programs and sell managed services.
Figure 1 Velocity System contains everything you need to deliver the broadest range of managed services at the lowest service delivery cost
-9-
Rapidly identify and correct actual and incipient problems, resulting in less downtime. Select and integrate the tools necessary to deliver managed services effectively to customers without being locked into limited tool choices. Manage and monitor multiple customers each with different devices, applications and services while maintaining a high customer service level.
- 10 -
- 11 -
X X X X X
Dashboards
With its Web-based dashboard system, N-central is capable of organizing and displaying large volumes of status information in a manner suitable for business and technical users. The system can aggregate status information from many different devices across different locations and present them in an easily understandable format that will add value and help you and your customers to improve staff productivity.
Management Capabilities
N-central provides a comprehensive management feature set designed to improve your ability to deliver better and more cost-effective service to customers. Since every MSP has programs to support different types of customers, N-central provides three tiers of management Core, Remote Support and Remote Environment to allow you to tailor your service delivery to deploy the most cost-effective approach depending on each customers unique needs.
Core Management
A standard set of remote management tools is included in N-central and provides the functionality that all MSPs require in order to manage basicservice customers effectively. These capabilities are ideal for your time-andmaterials customers as well as those on a responsive contract. N-centrals Core management provides five capabilities:
Integrated patch management N-central supports interoperable patch management based on Microsoft Windows Software Update Services. Interoperable patch management is seamless, cost-effective and the single most effective precaution you can take to effectively secure a network. Managed device remote control Managed device remote control or "unattended" remote is a feature designed to provide technicians with remote access to Windows servers and workstations under management by an agent or Windows probe. Attended remote control This provides an attended remote control capability for devices that are not under management by N-central. This allows you to gain remote control over any Windows device simply by having a user connect to a Web page and complete a form. This is particularly useful for responsive customers, new devices and if
- 12 -
you provide help desk services outside of a fixed managed services contract.
Remote script execution and software distribution With N-central, you can install software or execute scripts on remote Windows devices. These remote capabilities allow technicians to automate routine activities such as deploying service packs, new software, conducting routine maintenance such as defragmenting hard drives or making bulk configuration changes to devices. By scheduling these tasks across many devices remotely, technicians can save a significant amount of time and dramatically increase their productivity. Asset management Extending and leveraging N-centrals asset discovery, the asset management feature set provides functionality that is key to helping you effectively manage your customers environments. This functionality includes the display of critical asset information as part of the device details, providing reporting on asset devices. Using N-central's asset management features, you can monitor critical device information such as application compliance, license compliance and system changes.
Reporting
With its focus on specific IT-related information and tasks, the internal tactical operational reporting solution shipped as a part of N-central supports daily operations, troubleshooting and capacity planning. This includes management information, such as customer device, customer user, audit and system executive summary reports. The internal reporting solution also supports tactical operations through utilization, detailed status, capacity and event reporting.
Notifications
One of the keys to ensuring scalability in a services business is to manage customer issues by exception. N-central delivers this capability by leveraging our availability, predictive failure, capacity and event monitoring services to provide key failure and predictive failure information. The notification engine turns this into a true management-by-exception system. You can configure thresholds that determine when an issue occurs. The notification engine can
- 13 -
then notify your technical staff (via SMS, email or pager) whenever an issue is detected. This allows you to support customers proactively while being secure in the knowledge that when a critical issue occurs, you will know about it and respond appropriately.
Interoperability
N-central interoperates with leading IT service tools. These tools deliver a dramatic return on investment by enabling you to automate time-consuming manual activities and achieve scalability and efficiency. Interoperability with Ncentral further enhances the tools value, taking advantage of the centralized monitoring, notification and reporting capabilities of N-central. This allows technicians time to resolve issues before they impact the customer. Examples of tools interoperating with N-central include Autotask, TigerPaw and ConnectWise PSA.
- 14 -
The key to Remote Support Manager is that it provides the ability to manage a client device without using remote control and without requiring the technician to interrupt the user who is using the system. While in a remote management session, the technician can do on-the-fly file transfers, do real-time performance monitoring or conduct maintenance and repair on the system without interrupting the user allowing user productivity to remain high. The technician also has the option of using remote control to take over the users PC and chatting with the user via the built-in Help Desk Chat mode.
The nature of N-centrals architecture, combined with Remote Support Manager, ensures that an MSP can reach out and touch any Windows workstation or server regardless of its location so long as it is connected to the Internet and remediate issues without impacting the user. Remote Support Manager saves time and money through faster deployment and issue resolution. Its flexible support options ensure technicians can support users in the most efficient way.
Key Functionality
Remote Support Manager is optimized for real-time comprehensive Windows PC and server management. Core capabilities include:
Comprehensive real-time PC and server support Troubleshooting and remediation with no user interruption Resolve issues faster due to the degree of control the MSP has over and the information that can be collected from a remote PC Automatic deployment minimizes rollout costs
- 15 -
Features Summary
Remote Control
Remote Support Manager provides advanced remote control functionality that enables technicians to research and remediate issues in real time. The remote control functionality allows you to:
Troubleshoot in full-screen mode or in a resized screen Issue warnings and notifications to users as well as send a Ctrl-Alt-Del key sequence to reboot or start remote systems. Copy clipboards and print locally from the remote PC.
- 16 -
Event viewer Services Processes Registry editor Environment variables Scripting Windows password Many others
Real-Time Monitoring
Remote Support Managers data collection capabilities play a vital role in desktop management and issue resolution. It collects a wide range of real-time performance data on any remote PC that your are supporting. This information is helpful for troubleshooting and fixing problems. The performance data collected includes:
CPU load Disk space Open TCP/IP ports Network Registry keys in use Installed applications Many others
Embedded in N-central
Remote Support Manager is invoked from within N-central when troubleshooting or proactively managing a PC or Server.
Automated Deployment
You can automatically deploy Remote Support Manager to devices through the N-central Windows probe or agent.
No user interruption
All changes and interactions can occur in the background without the user being interrupted or even aware of what is being done.
- 17 -
Key Functionality
Remote Environment Manager provides the ability to manage virtually all components of a Windows system. Core capabilities include:
- 18 -
Comprehensive, standardized and enforceable configuration of every aspect of the desktop Port security to protect systems against a variety of threats Power management to save energy and reduce customers utility costs Remote support clients can be securely managed and remotely controlled from the management console through any Java-enabled Web browser
Features Summary
Complete Desktop Configuration
Remote Environment Manager gives you the power to configure, manage, secure and protect desktops from a single interface, and minimizes the need to travel to customer sites to provide IT service. Standard and enforceable configurations reduce the risk of users modifying their PC settings, corrupting their applications or exposing their PCs to risk.
Remote Environment Manager provides you with a complete set of desktop configuration features for Windows clients from 95 to XP, including:
Remote control: Allows you to take over control of a users PC remotely. Lock down USB and other ports: Based on granular read/write permissions, this feature locks down more than 20 types of ports and devices. Reporting functionality enables you to show who is trying to gain access to prohibited devices.
- 19 -
Point-to-point file transfers: Using drag-and-drop functionality, files can be transferred quickly and easily between the technicians machine and the users PC. Windows firewall (XP SP2+): Establish settings as well as allowed applications for the Windows firewall. Power management: Establish power settings to conserve energy usage and costs. Shut down idle machines even when the user is not logged on. Mapped drives: Proactively attach mapped drives and automatically remap them if settings are deleted. Printer access: Add and remove which printers the user can access. Manage shortcuts: Determine the standard set of shortcuts the user can access. Manage Outlook profiles: Set up the users Outlook profile and ensure compliance with standardized signatures, fonts and stationery. Microsoft Office preferences: Establish a standard setup for Microsoft Office applications. Registry and permissions management: Define and enforce the permissions and registry settings on a users machine. Desktop file management: MSPs can create rules to clean up files automatically on logout or login. This helps to manage system resources as well as remove unwanted files. AD environment standardization: Create consistent group policy and security policy settings. These are configured dynamically to ensure greater security and supportability by increasing standardization. Automatic script execution: In the rare cases where scripts are needed, they can be automatically invoked and run on the fly, at login or on logout.
Validation Engine
Remote Environment Managers patented Validation Logic technology determines how each desktop will be configured, using more than 25 validation types including the class of computer (e.g. desktop or notebook), operating system, group membership, AD sites, OUs, and registry and file properties. Custom validation types can be added, such as asset tags and hardware configuration.
- 20 -
- 21 -
Position yourself as a trusted advisor to your customers Better plan customer IT investments Differentiate your managed services offering
N-compass includes an offline data warehouse and reporting infrastructure that provides extensive and customizable reporting capabilities without impacting the data processing activities of N-central. Business Value Reporting The value of N-compass lies in its ability to present the results of a managed service offering from a business perspective. Through N-compass, you can create compelling reports to demonstrate to your customers that their IT infrastructure is performing at an optimal level under your management.
Architecture
The design of N-compass is based on an offline data warehouse. This warehouse is a uniquely designed database optimized for reporting performance and ease of report development. Leveraging the power of Microsoft SQL Server and the Microsoft Reporting Services engine, N-compass provides a simple-to-use reporting user interface that is seamlessly accessed from within N-central. This allows any N-central user to access N-compass reporting without requiring additional credentials. Reports are branded with a customized look and feel, and can be run on demand or scheduled for automatic delivery. Delivery formats include:
HTML Hyper-Text Mark-up Language XML Extensible Mark-up Language TIFF Tagged Image File Format (high-quality graphic) CSV Comma Separated Values PDF Portable Document Format, and Microsoft Excel format
Analytic Capabilities
N-compass includes four important features that can be leveraged to provide comprehensive analysis reporting. These features provide the critical missing links to historical information, and relevance and contract comparison that help demonstrate the business value of services while helping customers make important strategic decisions. Comparative Baselines for Insight into Current Results Comparative baselines provide the ability to calculate data for specific time periods or devices and use it to provide insight into the current results for a given device or service. This helps to provide insight into historical levels of service and helps to justify future costs such as further investment into a project. Baseline information includes historical level and program level. Cost of Downtime A Critical Investment Measure
- 22 -
Cost of downtime is a critical measure used to determine when further investment is required in key systems. N-compass uses mission-critical business service data from N-central to show how downtime, when aggregated over time, can cost a business. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) Summary of Customer Expectations SLAs are used to set out the expectations of a relationship with customers as well as outline what services will be rendered, what service levels will be provided, what recourse the customer will have if those levels are not met and what the cost of the services provided will be. N-compass reports can demonstrate if results are meeting or exceeding the SLAs. Program Levels Comparison of MSP Programs Available Often several standardized programs are used to market to customers. Ncentral and N-compass support the subdivision of these customers into program-level groups and provide baselines, SLAs and other key information to be assigned to those customers. N-compass provides the ability to measure the service levels on a program-level basis, allows comparisons across program levels and assigns standardized SLAs at each program level.
Features
Feature Capability
N-compass includes an offline data warehouse and reporting infrastructure that provide extensive and customizable reporting capabilities without impacting the data processing activities of N-central. Multiserver support allows aggregate data to be collected from multiple N-central servers to provide aggregated reporting on the business value of a managed services offering. N-compass provides extensive reporting capabilities that leverage pre-defined Managed Network VoIP, IT services and Managed Security reports, and create unique customer reports to demonstrate the business value of your offering. Quickly set up and configured, N-compass is autoupgradeable and has seamless access to N-central to help increase technician utilization rates and lower service delivery costs. N-compass supports on-demand or scheduled report delivery. Reports are easily branded and the ability to export reports in numerous customer-friendly formats, including CSV and PDF, are ideally suited for MSP requirements. Multi-stakeholder reports provide the ability to demonstrate business value to executive, operational and technical audiences as well as to external authorities such as auditors. N-compass tracks comparative baselines, a running
Comprehensive Reporting
Ease of Implementation
MSP-enabled Reporting
Detailed Analysis
- 23 -
average gathered against either customer information, SO-level information or system-wide information based on a given metric. These baselines can then be used to compare against the metric for trending performance analysis. N-compass can track performance against any metric for the purposes of business impact and predicative analysis to help make informed business decisions.
For more information about N-compass, read the whitepaper From Promises to Proof: How to Demonstrate Value to your Customers (http://www.nable.com/velocity/whitepaper/n-compass.php).
- 24 -
possible. N-able University offers recorded lectures that you can follow at your own pace, as well as instructor-led webinar labs involving Partner Development Specialists and a group of your MSP peers.
Service Overview: A description of the service being provided. Service Details: A breakdown of the components that affect the service. Operational Management Plan: The details of the tasks that must be performed to deliver the service effectively. Monitoring Strategy: A detailed analysis of the services, processes, event IDs, etc. that should be monitored. Efficiency Gains: An analysis of the monthly costs associated with the service as well as efficiencies gained by leveraging automation. Reporting Strategies: A schedule of reports to support the management activities. Referenced Documents Required Skills
People
Partner Development Specialists
Everything is easy once you know how. N-ables Partner Development Specialists are experts in the business, marketing and sales of managed services. They are experts not only because of the specialized training they receive, but also because they are experienced in working with N ables partners on their managed services programs. As an N-able partner, your
- 25 -
account will be assigned to a Partner Development Specialist who will help you to plan, develop and accelerate your transition to managed services.
Solutions Architect
N-able Solutions Architects are experts in the deployment and implementation of our products, and will help you to set up your initial customer. Join them for daily online Q&A sessions where you can seek answers to your deployment and usability questions.
Sales Representative
You will be assigned a dedicated Sales Representative, whose mission is to assist you in selling your managed services. The Sales Representative will help you with your customer events to ensure your ongoing success.
Processes
Velocity Blueprint
The transition to managed services is challenging. To accelerate the process and reduce the risk, N-able has developed the Velocity Blueprint a comprehensive framework designed to help you build a profitable and highvalue managed services business practice as quickly as possible. The Blueprint, which sets out a five-stage process for success, is based on Nables seven years in the industry and the experience of helping hundreds of partners build thriving managed services practices. The five stages are: Goals and Objectives, Capability Assessment, Customer Segmentation, Program Creation and Program Marketing and Sales.
- 26 -
Benefits
The Velocity Systems unmatched combination of technology and partner support is why N-able partners are more successful than any other MSPs selling to the SMB market. Using the Velocity System, our partners are delivering highly profitable managed services to more than 36,000 customers, and generating over $360 million in annual managed services revenue. Lower service delivery costs. Velocity System is designed from the ground up to ensure you can maximize the utilization rates of your technicians and staff. You will need fewer technicians to manage more customers, which can only mean one thing reduced service delivery costs that improve your bottom line and keep you competitive. Remote monitoring and management technology enables technicians to rapidly identify actual and incipient problems and quickly correct them. This allows technicians to monitor and manage multiple customers while maintaining a high customer service level. Increased revenue. With Velocity Systems go-to-market tools, your improved sales and marketing capabilities will help to generate more leads and close more business. In addition, your ability to deliver better service at a consistently higher level will enable you to attract more customers through a differentiated service offering. And since Velocity System supports a greater number of services and operating systems than any other MSP solution offers, you can address the needs of a broader market. The more services you can offer to more customers and prospects, the greater your revenue potential. Highly differentiated service offering. N-central is the most interoperable solution on the market today. Unlike other technologies that lock you into limited tool choices, Velocity System allows you to select and integrate the managed services tools you need for success. They can be N-able tools or other leading third-party tools that interoperate with N-central its your decision. This allows for a highly differentiated service offering that gives you a leg up on your competition. Faster time to market. N-able is absolutely committed to helping you develop successful managed services programs and take them to market in the shortest time possible. To this end, we devote more team members to partner technical and business support than most of our competitors have total employees. Our combination of people, products and processes work together to generate the fastest possible ROI for your business. Increased business valuation. One of the key benefits of managed services is an annuity-based revenue stream. Steady, guaranteed monthly revenue instead of ad-hoc projects and product sales not only increases the value of your business but also improves your profitability by helping you attract new customers and retain existing ones. Increased visibility into company operations. Improve control over your operations by measuring, monitoring and reporting on key business metrics that drive profitability. Since all customer interactions are stored in one database, there is one version of the data that shows where you are making money and where pricing adjustments need to be made.
- 27 -
Comprehensive business-value reporting. Extensive reporting capabilities allow pre-defined reports to be leveraged and custom reports to be created to demonstrate business value to customers. In summary, Velocity System will facilitate your transition to managed services. The result is the ability to maintain consistent, higher-quality services. Allocate work more efficiently. Offer higher-margin services that wont become commoditized. Attract larger, more sophisticated customers. And create relationships that are difficult for another service provider to penetrate.
- 28 -
Conclusion
Becoming an MSP is a necessary transition for most IT service providers. While there are numerous steps and potential obstacles to success, the Velocity System makes the transition easier and less costly. Tested by more than 1,300 partners servicing 36,000 customers, this proven system empowers you to build a successful business, as shown by N-ables Million Dollar Club members partners who have generated over a million dollars each in managed services revenue. N-able has been the market leader from its inception. Every important breakthrough in the MSP industry was pioneered by N-able and we will continue to do so. By committing to N-able, you receive our commitment to help make you a successful MSP.
- 29 -
Disclaimer
This document may include planned release dates for service packs and version upgrades. These dates are based on our current development plans and on our best estimates of the research and development time required to build, test, and implement each of the documented features. This document does not represent any firm commitments by N-able Technologies Inc. to features and/or dates. N-able will at its best effort, try to meet the specified schedule and will update this document should there be any significant changes. N-able reserves the right to change the release schedule and the content of any of the planned updates or enhancements without notice. Publication or dissemination of this document alone is not intended to create and does not constitute a business relationship between N-able and the recipient. N-able Technologies is a market driven organization that places importance on customer, partner and alliance feedback. All feedback is welcome at the following email address: feedback@n-able.com.
- 30 -
Copyright
Copyright 2007 N-able Technologies. All rights reserved. This document contains information intended for the exclusive use of N-able Technologies personnel, partners and potential partners. The information herein is restricted in use and is strictly confidential and subject to change without notice. No part of this document may be altered, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Nable Technologies. Copyright protection includes, but is not limited to, program code, program documentation, and material generated from the software product displayed on the screen, such as graphics, icons, screen displays, screen layouts, and buttons. N-able Technologies, Velocity System, N-central, N-compass, N-able University, Remote Support Manager, Remote Environment Manager and Monitor Manage Optimize are trademarks or registered trademarks of N-able Technologies International Inc., licensed for use by N-able Technologies, Inc. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective holders. www.n-able.com info@n-able.com
1-877-655-4689
MA-VEL-3.0-WP-1.1-ENUS-SUCCMSP-RES
- 31 -