What a difference an S makes (going from MSP to MSSP)
Most of us have accepted that customers expect more and more from their technology partners. Where once, being an MSP was good enough, MSSP is now becoming the benchmark for a trusted partnership.
The problem, of course, is that for many MSPs, it’s a struggle to become an MSSP because security vendors have a hard time adapting to what small partners need. Namely, low or no commitment on licenses, flexible subscriptions, and consumption-based billing.
But let’s back up a bit first and go over the difference between an MSP and an MSSP.
Spot the difference: MSP vs MSSP
The critical difference is the extra S – which stands for security.
As an MSP (Managed Service Provider), you are equipped to ensure your customers’ systems are operational – so they perform to expectation. IT management offerings can be topped up with cybersecurity services (think firewalls, email filtering, and endpoint protection), but few MSPs can offer comprehensive, round-the-clock protection.
As an MSSP, you take a proactive 24/7 approach to ensuring customers’ systems are also safe, secure, and compliant. So, you can prevent, detect, and respond to threats across customers’ infrastructure, networks, and applications, and align their security with their compliance frameworks on their behalf. An MSSP often replaces a customer’s internal security operations centre (SOC).
So, that additional S represents a significant difference in the services you can provide and how your customers perceive you.
Making the leap
To become an MSSP, you need more than just software. You need an entire cybersecurity package, specialist expertise, and end-to-end support built from the ground up. Or you could buy an existing MSSP business. Or ramp up your capabilities by taking out a subscription to a third-party MSSP platform that offers everything you need on a user pays basis.
So, if choosing the MSSP platform model, what matters?
1. A configurable, world-class solution and tailored services
2. Best cybersecurity practice from start to finish
3. Platform stability
4. A great UX (user experience)
5. Cost-effective
6. Organisational effectiveness (it does what it says on the packet)
7. Always-on specialist skills and experience
8. Proactive detection and automatic response
9. Amazing and highly responsive 24/7 support
10. Outstanding communications
11. Visibility
12. An in-depth understanding of regulatory standards (that go above and beyond the ASD Essential 8 and the recently amended Critical Infrastructure Bill)
13. A big thumbs up from other customers
Step up the MSP ladder
SentinelOne and Exclusive Networks have made it easier for MSPs to take that MSSP journey.
As an MSP, you can subscribe to SentinelOne’s Singularity XDR products through Exclusive Network’s MSSP platform and pay as you go. Subscribing through our platform removes the minimum purchase requirement of 100 licenses and provisions Level 2 and Level 3 support through Exclusive Networks and SentinelOne. So, the ramp-up time to subscribe, sell and configure SentinelOne XDR to your customers’ needs is reduced.
The benefits? Consumption-based monthly billing, cut and deploy from a single license into your customers so you can bypass the 100-license minimum order, discounts that grow alongside your customer base, automated invoicing and payments, and easy ordering and provisioning. And once onboard, you can manage your own tenants through the Exclusive Network’s MSSP portal.
The move from MSP to MSSP is a natural evolutionary step. With SentinelOne at the heart of our MSSP programme and Exclusive Networks at your side, that other S is assured.
Success!