Remote access is a means to extend network accessibility by establishing a connection over a server. It allows users to manage and view the system from remote locations when they’re not able to connect physically. In short, remote access allows users to access their systems and IT infrastructure just by using an internet connection or telecommunication protocol.

Today, businesses rely on the cloud to help with many tasks, from data backup to team collaboration. In fact, Zippia’s 2022 cloud adoption statistics reveal that 94% of enterprises use cloud services, and 48% of businesses choose to store their most important data in the cloud.” Discover the differences between cloud backup vs. cloud sync and storage in this post.

Software patching is the important process of deploying updates. These updates are often released to resolve security vulnerabilities and exploits that could lead to a cyberattack. In fact, many high-profile cyberattacks could have been minimized or avoided altogether if not for unpatched software -- which is why patch management is a critical part of cybersecurity best practices and compliance. As cybersecurity regulations continue to roll out, new standards are being created for patch management.

Over the years I have spoken with many prospects and partners about changing RMM solutions. When I’d ask the question “Why did you change?”, often the answer would be that their previous solution was too noisy when it came to generating email notifications. The sheer volume of notifications that some RMM solutions generate can make it very difficult for users to see the wood from the trees, resulting in important notifications being missed.

2022 was an amazing year for NinjaOne and our partners. This year alone, we released three new products to general availability and delivered over 400 product enhancements and new features for our customers. Most critically, improvements crossed products, use cases, and users to deliver a better IT management experience for all our customers.

This month, I have been delivering a three-part Boot camp series focused on the MSP Sales process. MSPs that I have been speaking with lately, have been telling me that they are starting to gain success with their marketing, and are increasing the volume of leads they are generating. However, they are also telling me they’re struggling with how to move those leads through the sales process and converting them into new, signed, Managed Services contracts at the end.

There’s no doubt that patching is tedious work. However, CNP technologies’ article on the importance of patching points out that “74% of companies say they simply can’t patch fast enough because the average time to patch is 102 days.” Understanding the patch management lifecycle is the first step that organizations take towards optimizing patching processes and creating a more secure IT environment.

Patching is an essential function within any MSP or IT department, so maintaining a successful patch management process is a top priority for organizations. A patch management audit allows organizations to analyze and adjust their patching processes to make them more effective. Use this patch management audit checklist to evaluate and improve your current patch management process.

It’s the holiday season again, which means family gatherings, good food, and plenty of toasts. It also means a lot of online activity—buying gifts, getting promotional offers, booking deliveries—all of which mean a continuous flow of emails sent to your personal and business accounts. With so much going on, even experienced users can accidentally fall prey to one of the many “hooks” that cybercriminals are putting out there.

It’s a great time to be an MSP and almost 100% of MSPs think so. The managed services market in the U.S. was valued at $44.75 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $72.88 billion by 2026. This growth was accelerated by COVID-19, when demand for cloud services and MSP solutions increased. The biggest challenge for MSPs is to channel this short-term boost and leverage it to achieve long-term growth and success.

I’m sure for most of you reading this, you are well aware of just how powerful PowerShell can be. Speaking with partners and prospects over the years who were either using or evaluating our software, I’d often get asked: “Can your products do X?”.

A help desk can be an important and essential component of a successful business. The HubSpot Annual State of Service in 2022 reports, “A remarkable 91% of respondents agreed with the statement ‘our help desk system increases productivity.” Not only do help desks provide service to organizations, they also deliver a lot of value. To capitalize on this value, businesses should look to increase help desk efficiency. One of the best ways to do this is to utilize help desk software.

IT help desk support has been a constant need in organizations from small businesses to enterprises. Then, the pandemic spurred an increase in demand for help desk employees, and the tried-and-true tactics and strategies that were previously used to hire in-house help desk employees don’t seem to work as effectively. Recruiting and hiring for these positions has been very difficult in the current candidate-driven market.

Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 21h1 will go in End of Servicing (EOS) on December 13, 2022, and a month later, on January 10, 2023, they will put Windows 8 in End of Life (EOL)—Windows 8.1 End of Life will also occur on the same date. What does this mean for you as an MSP or internal IT team… should you care? The short answer is “probably”.

If you've felt like it’s been hard to find new tech talent lately, you’re not alone. IT recruiting has been an uphill battle for employers, with inflation causing increased salary requirements and a high number of competing offers for IT professionals. With increased competition, the benefits and compensation you offer is the first step in getting more candidates in the door.

As 2022 draws to a close, I thought it would be a good time to look back at the past 12 months and highlight some of the great new features we’ve seen added in N-central. I got the idea for this blog recently when I was helping a partner and was shocked to find discover how old the version they were running was. Of course, I get that not everyone wants to jump onto the latest release straight away.

“Some things age better with time; unfortunately, the software is not one of them,” iLink Digital explains in their patch management review. Whenever software malfunctions or becomes outdated, enterprise patch management systems come to the rescue. In this overview, we’ll uncover the challenges, benefits, and case studies for enterprise patch management.

MDM Features for MSPs: The benefits of managed services are mostly technical. You can have access to expert help, advice, and implementation if you do not have anyone in-house. MDM solution companies are experts who can reactively guarantee the continuity of your information services in the event of a breakdown or failure. Most of the time, the managed services formulas from MSP solutions include access to technical support 24/7. Troubles can be solved with quick intervention and little downtime.

Recruiting potential job candidates is a huge challenge that IT companies are facing right now. With the tech unemployment rate down to 1.7%, hiring is extremely tough and competitive. Splashtop’s 2022 State of Remote Support Market Trends Report found that 94% of responding organizations have dealt with difficulty in hiring, retention, and skill shortages this past year. What’s more, two-thirds of help desk teams are feeling stressed and burned out.

With 2022 winding down, many MSPs will be using this time to reflect on their performance during the past year, and strategizing on how they can improve in 2023. There are many Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that MSPs should be continuously tracking as part of their normal business activity to help measure the health of their organization. In this blog I’m going outline what I believe the five most important ones are.

It’s always been important for managed services providers (MSPs) to exercise backup best practices but this has become even more important with the pandemic having reset employees’ expectations around remote work. Up to 74% of professionals believe that remote work is here to stay according to Growmotely, while 16% of companies globally are already completely remote and 40% offer hybrid working.