It’s a sad but common truth that not all network devices are built with security in mind. Some ship with default credentials like admin / admin, with SNMP set to public, or with operating systems that haven’t been updated in years. As with any other device, it’s important to practice good hygiene when managing network devices. Good hygiene means things like keeping firmware up to date, changing credentials away from the defaults, and refreshing end-of-life hardware and software.

When you’re a small managed service provider (MSP), the owner is the main salesperson, primary technician, head bookkeeper, and office manager. As your company grows, you begin to delegate tasks. Often, the first task to be delegated is bookkeeping because you loathe it. Once you find a bookkeeper to handle your day-to-day accounting tasks, it becomes very tempting to hand it all over.

OnPage and ConnectWise has come a long way from when we first announced our integration 3 years ago. Today the integration supports the day to day workings of over 3000 MSPs with more and more being added to the number. Here at OnPage we love our MSP customers because they are an active bunch who work with us to create better solutions. Many of their suggestions have been incorporated in to our latest release of the OnPage + ConnectWise Manage integration. OnPage+ConnectWise 3.0 !!!

I regularly speak with managed service providers (MSPs) and one of the biggest challenges I hear them share is selling the concept of managed services to prospects. Many small and medium-sized businesses have yet to move past the concept of break-fix—only paying an IT company to fix things when they break. They don’t fully appreciate the value of the proactive approach that is managed services.

A new year means an opportunity to start fresh. Whether you’re determined to succeed in a new service desk manager job or you’re looking to improve your game in an existing role, it’s always good to get some tips from those who’ve been there and done that. Here are eight tips from experienced service desk managers to help you make the most of your fresh start and flourish at your MSP.

Another year is in the books. In 2018, Auvik published 50 blog posts—each one packed with what we hope is rich content to help you manage networks or build your MSP business efficiently and profitably. Which pieces hit home? These were our top 10 blog posts, as measured by traffic. Thanks for reading!

I’ve lived in the virtualization and cloud world for a really long time. During that time, I’ve also seen the impacts on users when you don’t have a good performance monitoring and troubleshooting system in place. That said, what if you have managed services? Do you understand what challenges managed services providers (MSPs) face when working without a monitoring and troubleshooting tool? How are you effectively resolving common VDI performance as well as connectivity issues?

The sprint to the end of the year can be crazy for MSPs—new maintenance templates have to be made, calendars and expenses need to be updated in the PSA, and everyone has to mentally prepare for the in-laws to visit. Don’t let the Most Hectic Time of the Year affect your bottom line or the health of your team. These nine gadgets will help boost personal productivity, reduce stress, and eliminate distractions so you can help everyone stay focused and productive.