Sharing The Risk
he adds , “ If someone gives me a better price to commit for three years , I ’ m not opposed to that .”
LAN Infotech is a Kaseya partner , and Goldstein says the firm ’ s Partner First Pledge ( see sidebar ) “ is probably one of the first times we ’ ve seen a vendor be upfront ” about price locks . Kaseya also offers one- and three-year contracts , and part of the Pledge includes one-year pricing that is now more competitive .
His main priority is having 24 / 7 support and accessibility to representatives . Goldstein also likes it when a vendor has a certification program . “ I want to be the best I can be ,” he explains .
Sizer is open to any contract commitment — as long as 3rd Element can leave for any reason . “ I won ’ t sign for long periods of time without an out , especially where [ an ] acquisition is concerned ,” because you may no longer be dealing with the same decision makers . “ So have that written into any contract with a vendor so you don ’ t have to do business with those companies that don ’ t do business the way you do ,” she advises .
When it comes to training , Sizer says the importance depends on the product . “ The more complex and essential to the business a product is , the more meaningful training is ,” she notes .
Watch Out For Red Flags
Goldstein says limited support , a lack of representatives , and a bad reputation are red flags for him . Both he and Correia say they rely heavily on their peer networks before selecting vendor partners .
“ I want to see what references I can get and what other partners are using ,” Goldstein explains . He relies on his
peer network for information on how long a vendor has been around and what their customer base looks like .
Correia tries not to sign on with any vendor “ until I run it by my community .” He also posts in online forums , “ and if I hear horror stories , it ’ s enough to stop me in my tracks and do a much deeper investigation or abort completely .”
Sizer also has a list of issues that would cause her to pass on a vendor partner :
• Shady business practices . Evaluate them to determine whether “ they are ethical and in moral alignment with the way you do business ,” she says , agreeing that it ’ s important to check with your peers and online sources “ to be sure you aren ’ t blindsided by a vendor partner ’ s actual business practices .”
• A poor security track record / lack of certifications .
• If they only build products for acquisition .
• If they aren ’ t channel-only . “ I don ’ t need to compete with a vendor , especially [ with ] my own clients ,” she notes .
• Long-term contracts .
• If the product doesn ’ t do what the vendor claims it does .
• If they expect a transaction as opposed to a relationship . “ If it ’ s a transaction , that ’ s a hard pass ,” she says .
MSPs are right to be discerning , given the plethora of tech vendors there are to choose from . While relationships with vendors don ’ t have to be a marriage made in heaven , a careful selection process will most certainly help avoid a messy breakup .
Sharing The Risk
A Look At Kaseya ’ s New Partner First Pledge
Kaseya unveiled its Partner First Pledge in April that outlines new business policies around contract terms and pricing that aim to “ share both the success and risk our partners experience .”
The Pledge Has Five Main Pillars :
1 . Competitive One-Year Contracts – While Kaseya has always offered one-year contracts , it has lowered the pricing significantly so MSP partners can benefit from solutions without a long-term commitment .
2 . Month-to-Month Contracts For Datto BCDR – The reintroduction of the monthly contract applies to new BCDR subscriptions and renewals , helping to protect MSPs ’ profitability as their clients ’ BCDR needs change .
3 . FLEXSpend For Everything – Launched last year to allow partners to reallocate spend within the Kaseya backup suite , FLEXSpend now allows partners to reallocate spend to other products in the IT Complete portfolio as their business needs change .
4 . Catastrophic Client Loss Protection – If an MSP loses a customer that represents 20 % or more of their business , Kaseya will adjust the MSP ’ s license count for licenses attributable to that account .
5 . Price Lock Guarantee – Kaseya promises to cap any increase in current customers ’ product pricing to a maximum of 5 %, plus any adjustments for inflation upon contract renewal .
Goldberg likes that “ it ’ s laid out in plain English with bullet points so we can understand what they ’ re talking about , and we think that ’ s a great step forward for a company the size of Kaseya .” He also appreciates the FLEXSpend for Everything feature . But the price lock guarantee is the differentiator , Goldstein says . “ I think the price lock they put in is definitely a unique piece .”
To Download Our Ultimate MDF Guide For FREE , Scan The QR Code Or Go To : live . MSPSuccess . com / MDF-guide-optin
Esther Shein is a longtime tech and business writer and editor . Her work has appeared in a variety of publications , including TechRepublic , FierceMarkets , Network Computing Magazine , and The Boston Globe .
MSPSUCCESS . COM | 33