Tubbservatory Round-Up – Tools and Resources for Your MSP
Every week, Richard brings us five essential resources that Managed Service Provider (MSP) business owners should pay attention to in the IT industry. Welcome to the Tubbservatory – a weekly video broadcast that curates valuable articles, podcasts, and events exclusively for IT business owners like yourself. And guess what? Tubbservatory Round-Up #20 – August 2023 is here, packed with all the awesome episodes from August, expertly edited for your viewing pleasure. No worries about missing out because it’s all right here, ready for you to watch at your convenience.
This month’s topics are totally worth checking out. We’ve got quick summaries of each below, and you can find links to all the resources mentioned in the video at the end of this article. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the Tubbservatory Round-Up! Happy recapping!
This month’s topics include: Network Monitoring, Ransomware, Cybercrime, AI, and Outsourcing your Helpdesk.
Tubbservatory: The August 2023 Round-Up Video
Tubbservatory Round-Up #20: August – Week 1
#1 Think You Know Ransomware?
If you’re a fan of high production docuseries on Netflix (other streaming platforms are available), then you’ll love this three-part documentary from cybersecurity experts Sophos.
Think You Know Ransomware? Takes a gripping look at the history of cybercrime. Defining the hunters and the hunted, and revealing the vulnerabilities and defence strategies that are being employed to combat this threat. This high-gloss series is definitely worth a watch.
#2 Announcing New Global Sites, New Cloud Computing Services, and Improved Performance
Last month Blair Lyon, Akamai’s Head of Cloud Experience, announced some big updates to the cloud providers services and infrastructure.
Including five new cloud computing sites in Paris, Chicago, Seattle, Chennai & Washington D.C. Also revealed were new premium instances for better performance and simpler SKU management. As well as doubled object storage capacity.
All of this shows a big investment in true scalability for commercial cloud services on a global scale.
#3 Meta Releases Llama 2 LLM, Free for Commercial Use
Meta has released version 2 of its Llama large language model (LLM) under an open license.
Although there are some caveats, reports John Leonard of Computing. Caveats include not being able to use it to train other AI models, for example.
Similar to ChatGPT4 and Bard, Llama 2 has been refined using reinforcement learning and human feedback, which helps stop it from overstepping boundaries.
#4 The AI future is Here – Make the Right Choices for Your MSP Business
And speaking of AI, SuperOps’ Jayakumar Karumbasalam thinks we should be asking the right questions when deciding to adopt AI in our technology stacks.
Should AI be more than just a featured gimmick, or something seamlessly built into the technology we adopt? And how transparent is the platform provider when it comes to data usage and privacy concerns?
It’s definitely food for thought.
#5 CompTIA EMEA Member & Partner Conference 2023
Coming to London on the 2nd and 3rd of October is CompTIA’s EMEA Member and Partner conference. Bringing together all of the communities across Europe and the Middle Eastern regions.
This is two days packed with insightful speakers with plenty of networking opportunities.
Keep an eye out for this as registration opens shortly.
Tubbservatory Round-Up #20: August – Week 2
#1 SmarterMSP Website
A website I’d highly recommend to IT businesses is the excellent SmarterMSP.
The site is updated regularly with news, opinions and advice from the Managed Services industry — and I happen to be a regular contributor to SmarterMSP too.
#2 To Infinity with Beyond
To Infinity with Beyond! Three MSPs who attended the big Pax8 Beyond event in Denver have released a video sharing their experiences.
Scott Riley of Cloud Nexus, Dave Taylor of Amshire Solutions and Robert Gibbons of Cara Technology all share their takeaways from event in Denver Colorado. Takeaways that they’ve already put into practice in their own MSP in the three weeks since the event took place, and how has this experience impacted their business, (or WILL impact their business) in the next 12 months!
One to watch!
#3 Real Use Cases for Network Monitoring
With Network Monitoring becoming a growing area for MSPs, an article that caught my eye was the Real Use Cases for Network Monitoring by MSP owner Craig Sharp of Abussi.
Sharp writes on his experiences using Domotz to provide Network Monitoring solutions for his MSP client’s, and how they’ve proved to be highly beneficial to his business.
#4 I Hired and Fired My MSP
A video that caught my eye was Heather Johnson of Gozynta on “I Hired and Fired My MSP.”
Through some fun storytelling, Johnson, walks through the process with the client of an MSP to better understand the selection process from the clients perspective.
#5 VISION ’23: Take your MSP from Good to Great!
And finally, Vision ‘23 takes places on Aug 22-25th in Dallas, TX.
If you want to take your MSP business from good to great, then this event, organised by The 20 MSP, may be for you!
The event promises to provide insights on MSP growth, cybersecurity, M&A strategy, marketing, and more!
Tubbservatory Round-Up #20: August – Week 3
#1 Little Big Vets Podcast
A podcast that caught my ear recently was the Little Big Vets podcast. In this series, Nick Haley talks to former Armed Forces veterans who have started to run their own businesses. Taking on a different kind of challenge and using their skills to succeed.
There are some really inspiring stories in these episodes, so they’re well worth a listen.
#2 How Outsourcing Helpdesks Can Improve MSPs’ Scaling Efforts
When it comes to scaling up your MSP business, securing the operational footholds and managing resources can be quite a challenge. In this latest article from Pax8, they explain how outsourcing your helpdesk can give you the room you need when you’re onboarding new clients.
While you focus your energies on where they’re needed, you can add value through strategic partnerships in a cost-efficient way, while maintaining the quality and scalability of your business.
#3 New Products & Powerful Platform Upgrades Empower MSPs with M365 Security
Recent additions to the SkyKick cloud manager platform have introduced an intelligent new cloud backup and a revamped security manager, as well as some improvements to their migration suites.
This comes as part of their most significant update yet. Including smart insights and intelligent sync technology.
These improvements have been developed in response to adoption trends and customer feedback.
#4 5 Common Mistakes SMBs Should Avoid in Privileged Access Management
One of the responsibilities that SMBs share with their managed service providers is that of access management and password administration to their privileged accounts.
Leaving security gaps or failing to monitor access to these accounts properly could be disastrous, say CyberQP in this article for ChannelE2E. A robust PAM strategy can help MSPs avoid the 5 common mistakes and keep their client’s systems safe.
#5 The MSP Finance Team BTCC Brands Hatch 2023 Meetup
On Friday 6th October the MSP Finance Team are hosting another BTCC Meetup at Brands Hatch Circuit in Kent.
In association with Team EXCELR8, the day includes five 15 minute educational partner sessions, a Q+A with Tom Ingram, a garage and car tour and lots of MSP networking opportunities.
Register your spot today!
Tubbservatory Round-Up #20: August – Week 4
#1 Kerry Veitch, Co-Founder, Reveela.com
An interview that caught my attention was The Female CEO magazine speaking with Kerry Veitch of Reveela, a cutting-edge technology solutions provider for media industries worldwide.
Veitch talks about her experiences of being a female CEO in a male-focused industry, striking a balance between logic and creativity, and handling criticism.
This is an inspiring interview.
#2 Is Delegation a Better Term than Outsourcing?
Now, outsourcing is a phrase that can provoke strong reactions from many in the Managed Services industry.
But Jason Kemsley of Uptime Solutions makes an interesting point in his latest article — what if we referred to delegated IT services rather than outsourcing?
Delegation implies a deliberate and strategic assignment of tasks to competent external partners, says Kemsley.
What do you think? Is outsourcing an outdated term?
#3 Microsoft Inspire 2023 Recaps
It’s been a busy Summer conference season for the MSP industry, and one of the biggest events was Microsoft Inspire 2023.
If you missed Inspire, then never fear — the team at Pax8 have put together some awesome recap videos and session summaries, plus Pax8 Microsoft experts answer your questions and share their key highlights and top takeaways.
#4 Elon Musk’s 10 Biggest Fails Since the Twitter Takeover
Now I’m not normally one to highlight the negative, but I’m not alone in shuddering at some of the changes that Elon Musk has made since acquiring social media platform Twitter.
Tom Allen of Computing Magazine spotlights Musk’s 10 biggest fails since the Twitter takeover, and to no surprise, it starts with the X rebranding.
I’m intrigued as to your Twitter thoughts since the Musk takeover. Leave a comment below!
#5 The Managed Services UK 2023 Summit
And finally, London is the destination for the Managed Services Summit UK 2023 on September 13th.
Celebrating its 13th year, the event will feature presentations by leading independent industry speakers, a range of sessions exploring technical, sales and business issues by leading specialists in the sector, and extensive networking time to meet with potential business partners.
Registration is now open.
Links to the Resources Mentioned in this Round-Up
From Week 1
- SmarterMSP
- To Infinity with Beyond
- Real Use Cases for Network Monitoring
- I Hired and Fired My MSP
- VISION ’23: Take your MSP from good to GREAT
Mentioned in Week 2
- Think You Know Ransomware?
- Announcing New Global Sites, New Cloud Computing Services, and Improved Performance
- Meta releases Llama 2 LLM, free for commercial use
- The AI future is here – make the right choices for your MSP business
- CompTIA EMEA Member & Partner Conference 2023
Week 3
- Little Big Vets Podcast
- How Outsourcing Helpdesks can Improve MSPs’ Scaling Efforts
- New Products & Powerful Platform Upgrades Empower MSPs with M365 Security
- 5 Common Mistakes SMBs Should Avoid in Privileged Access Management
- The MSP Finance Team BTCC Brands Hatch 2023 Meetup
And Week 4
- Kerry Veitch, Co-Founder, Reveela.com
- Is Delegation a Better Term than Outsourcing?
- Microsoft Inspire 2023 Recaps
- Elon Musk’s 10 Biggest Fails Since the Twitter Takeover
- The Managed Services UK 2023 Summit
How You Can Help
And that’s a wrap for Tubbservatory Round-Up #20!
Got something incredible to share? Whether it’s an awesome tool or a mind-blowing resource, we want to hear all about it!
Drop it in the comments below, and let’s keep the knowledge flowing. Your input means the world to us!
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I'm a small business owner, technical writer and blogger, with 15 years experience in corporate IT. I frequently attend MSP peer groups and create content relevant to IT service providers and business owners.
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