Software for Small MSP Businesses: 5 Tools You Should Consider

on November 19, 2020

Today’s managed services providers (MSPs) face an increasing number of challenges as they work to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology, changes in business practices, and the continuous advancement of cybersecurity threats. To overcome these challenges and safeguard business continuity and security, it is crucial that MSPs—especially small MSPs—are leveraging the right software.

This guide will provide a brief overview of five of the best MSP software for small businesses available today. Each of these tools can help you improve your MSP’s efficiency, profitability, and security in a cost-effective way. Many of these options leverage automation to reduce the number of hours spent protecting, managing, and monitoring every aspect of your business—allowing your team to easily complete repetitive tasks and concentrate on activities that add value.

5 Tools small MSP businesses should consider

  • All-in-one monitoring for small MSPs: N-able RMM
  • Cloud-based email protection software: N-able Mail Assure
  • Rapid and secure remote access software: N-able Take Control
  • Cloud-based backup solution: N-able Backup
  • Password and IT documentation management software: N-able Passportal

  • The following MSP software for small businesses was selected because they are best able to help you overcome the challenges faced by MSPs today, while simultaneously helping you improve security and ensure business continuity for your customers.

    All-in-one monitoring for small MSPs: N-able RMM

    If you’re a small MSP serving a few customers and workstations, time is money. What little time you do have should be spent on client acquisition and delivering excellent customer service, rather than tedious and repetitive monitoring activities. Because of this, it’s important for small MSPs to leverage an all-in-one monitoring solution. An all-in-one solution can save MSPs a significant amount of time by minimizing the need for software maintenance and updates, in addition to centralizing all relevant data so you don’t have to jump between tools. Choosing a single, one-stop-shop solution like N-able® RMM can also save you money by bundling essential tools into a single solution with one, all-inclusive price tag.

    N-able RMM is the ideal tool for small MSPs because it lets you get started quickly and scales with you as you grow. It offers a comprehensive suite of RMM tools in one, consolidated dashboard—giving you access to everything an MSP might need to serve clients instantly. N-able RMM includes patch management, managed antivirus, risk intelligence, and much more. A 30-day free trial is available for MSPs interested in learning more.

    Editor’s note: Looking to learn more first? Be sure to read our article on what RMM is.

    Cloud-based email protection software: N-able Mail Assure

    N-able Mail Assure is a cloud-based email security tool that offers 24/7 email continuity solutions, long-term email archiving, and collective threat intelligence. These features help keep both your inbound and outbound email secure from potential email-borne threats. Because smaller MSPs are less likely to have advanced security systems than larger businesses and enterprises, they’re often a prime target for cybercriminals—which means having a robust and reliable email security solution like N-able Mail Assure is critically important for small MSPs.

    Mail Assure is a good MSP email protection software option for small businesses because it offers highly advanced, cost-effective email security. Mail Assure utilizes proprietary email filtering technology that incorporates input from mass volumes of email data, all of which feeds into the unique Intelligent Protection and Filtering Engine. This real-time pattern threat recognition and machine learning technology make it one of the most sophisticated cloud-based email MSP security tools on the market today. A 30-day free trial is available for download here.

    Rapid and secure remote access software: N-able Take Control

    N-able Take Control helps MSPs provide faster, more intuitive, and more secure remote support services to customers. As a small business, a strong remote access tool can differentiate your MSP from the competition by allowing you to securely and efficiently deliver industry-leading support. Alongside easy remote access, Take Control offers deep diagnostics that give technicians everything they need to deliver excellent customer support.

    This solution can simultaneously connect to devices in just a few seconds, while also enabling advanced security measures such as automatic clipboard deletion, AES 256 encryption, and multi-factor authentication. The user experience is intuitive and brandable, helping you make sure your MSP is always top of mind with customers. With live chat and rapid file transfers, this remote support and access software is a comprehensive option for small MSP businesses. Take Control also offers native iOS and Android applications that allow your technicians to provide support and troubleshooting capabilities from a mobile device. You can access a 14-day free trial of Take Control here.

    Cloud-based backup solution: N-able Backup

    N-able Backup is a cloud-based backup solution that offers an all-in-one, web-based dashboard that’s well-suited for MSPs of all sizes. This highly versatile backup software supports backups for documentation, servers, Microsoft 365, and workstations. N-able Backup also offers virtual disaster recovery and bare metal recovery for rapid restoration. Its features allow you to check backup statuses, schedule backup jobs in advance, and recover data for maximum productivity.

    As a small MSP, it’s crucial you have access to effective backup software, allowing you to prevent data loss and help ensure rapid recovery for your customers. In the event of a disaster, backup software can help ensure business continuity, which is why it should feature prominently in every disaster recovery strategy. A free 30-day trial of N-able Backup is available.

    Password and IT documentation management software: N-able Passportal

    N-able Passportal is an extremely efficient password and IT documentation management solution designed specifically for MSPs. As your company grows, things like account credentials and documentation practices can multiply and become increasingly overwhelming—which is why it’s important to implement a password and IT documentation management tool early on. A password management tool like Passportal will help you consolidate and centrally manage all your credentials in a secure way.

    This software offers credential injection, auditing, password change automation, reporting, and privileged client documentation management capabilities. Passportal enforces password management best practices for MSPs, with credentials stored in an encrypted password vault. For enhanced security, the vault is also protected by role-based permissions and multi-factor authentication. To learn more, request a demo of Passportal here.

    Identifying the software your small MSP business needs

    As small MSPs endeavor to keep pace with evolving technologies, threats, and working practices, having access to the right software becomes more important. The tools listed in this guide can help MSPs deliver secure, effective, and efficient services to their customers. Doing so will go a long way to protecting their brand reputation and ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty. If you’re hoping to offer robust security and business continuity to your growing roster of clients, these tools come highly recommended.

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