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SolarWinds MSP Presents Pinot With Pag Episode 1: MSPs Navigate COVID Pandemic

Welcome to a new and candid series we’re calling Pinot with Pag and Panettieri. Brought to you by SolarWinds MSP, this video interview is a free flow conversation about the increasingly important role of the MSP and the market trends influencing and impacting business success.

Got a question for SolarWinds MSP President John Pagliuca and/or ChannelE2E Editor Joe Panettieri? Post it in the comment section below. We'll either reply online or cover your question in our next quarterly conversation. Now, here's the conversation:

Video link

In this edition we cover:

  • 0:00 - Intros
  • 0:48 - Today's first Pinot is...
  • 3:10 - MSPs -- "We call them the Seekers..."
  • 3:40 - The state of MSPs: Why John has a glass half full mindset.
  • 5:02 - How the coronavirus pandemic forced MSPs to take action & transform.
  • 6:45 - The MSP customer conversation.
  • 7:20 - How MSP technology consumption evolved as the pandemic spread.
  • 8:15 - Two years of digital transformation -- in two weeks.
  • 9:10 -- Which technology paths will MSPs take forward? (UCaaS, security and more).
  • 10:20 - Flexible workforce -- the trend that's here to stay, and what it means for MSPs that need to protect users.
  • 11:58 - Pricing pressures, talent and expanded services: Where MSPs should focus next.
  • 15:00 - How MSPs can measure customer experience (CX) and customer success.
  • 19:30 - The top quartile of MSPs with high profit margins vs the rest of the IT solutions provider market: What's the difference -- and where does automation fits in?
  • 23:31 - Pinot Number 2: The Crusher
  • 25:30 - What technology vendor traits do MSPs value most?
  • 30:42 - MSP mergers and acquisitions (M&A): Reality check, latest trends and where private equity can fit in.
  • 33:55 - What MSPs should strive to achieve over the next three months: Set goals, revisit your mission and build a plan to achieve those goals.
  • 36:33 - Conclusion.

Reminder: Post your questions or comments below, and we'll either reply online or cover your question in our next quarterly conversation.

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.