One of the biggest challenges facing MSPs is how to solve the issue of staffing while ensuring you get everything done. For cybersecurity alone, around 3.5 million jobs remain unfilled, and there are similar issues with everyday development and technical roles. MSPs rely on having good techs to solve issues, install solutions and troubleshoot, so how do you manage this effectively? The answer: a good set of MSP tools that make life much easier.
MSP Tools: UCaaS Is Your Top Priority
Good MSP tools start with getting a good UCaaS solution, especially if you’re currently focusing on on-prem. We’ve seen how certain vendors have had issues with adapting to the changing marketplace, notably Avaya, Mitel and 3CX, and we believe our MSP solutions are far more versatile and useful for savvy MSPs. That’s why we’re confident that we’re the best MSP software for those looking for quality UCaaS solutions.
The best MSP tools are flexible and easy to install. Wildix delivers on this with its open APIs, streamlining integration opportunities. But even without a need for integrations, why would you spend time on a physical installation when there’s absolutely no need for one? Very few companies need a physical server present in their office, and it’s even worse for mid-sized businesses. After all, if your business is expanding, do you really want to install new servers in each office — especially if the location is a test of market demand?
It’s far easier to add a few lines to a database, spin up a few new accounts and licenses, and take the credit. That way, you don’t have to travel, and nor do your techs.
And it’s travel that’s often the killer for MSPs. Here’s what our CEO, Steve Osler, had to say at our summit:
Imagine being asked to deliver a 10-user system in India as part of a global company 20 years ago. The flights alone would be awful, and you’d charge thousands upon thousands to do that. To capture that business as part of a global deal, you’d need to have staff in that country.
Now, you can do it all remotely, so you can cater to huge organizations without needing to leave the office. And you don’t have to be huge either. Setting up 10,000 users can be almost as fast as setting up 10.
With on-prem solutions, you’re limited to your immediate area and how far you’re willing to travel. That’s the limitation of physical systems. And who really wants to move large server racks?
The best MSP tools are those that you can use quickly and easily — but great MSP software needs to be backed by comprehensive hardware.
MSP Tools: Installing Hardware
Of course, there are times when you need to install something. That doesn’t prevent you from using cloud communications systems such as Wildix, however. Having a UCaaS system connected to physical hardware such as phones and other devices can heavily reduce overall installation costs — especially if hotels are involved.
More critically, it helps when devices are specifically designed to work with your UCaaS licenses. Third-party hardware can be unpredictable, regardless of which system it’s with, and there could be security concerns — one example would be that Yealink devices were caught sending information to Chinese servers. This should give MSPs cause for concern, even now. Not all MSP solutions are built equal.
While many customers do prefer to purchase phones outright, MSPs can sell the benefits of having them as-a-service: any damage or issues and they can be returned and replaced under the standard term.
For an MSP, this means recurrent revenue from the customer. For the customer, this means peace of mind.
It’s a particularly popular option for headsets, as these have batteries that gradually fade. MSPs can get a rapid replacement; the money is paid into their pockets, and the customer always has working devices. There’s no need to wait for a purchase order, get it paid, have the item shipped in and then get it re-installed. All that time wasted when you could just be doing an RMA and getting a new one shipped to you without delay.
Hardware as a service as a key MSP tool helps provide you with a stable income and ensures customers remain happy throughout your contract.
MSP Tools: Integrated Calls
Having everything integrated into one ecosystem is hugely beneficial, and that goes doubly for your SIP trunk. Provisioning phones becomes a lot easier if you can do it all through one interface that you’re familiar with. Added to that is the convenience of a single billing system, one that means you don’t have to worry about where money is going.
When you have multiple providers, it can be a nightmare to track which invoices are going where — and most MSPs will have multiple providers anyway — landlines, mobile, hardware and so on. No vendor offers everything that an MSP might need, at least not in a simple, easy-to-use format. There are always tradeoffs.
But you can make your life easier by minimizing the number of vendors you need to have.
So where Wildix makes it easy is by having a SIP trunk that can be integrated seamlessly into your systems: CLASSOUND. Out of the box, it delivers 3,000 minutes of international calls to over 200 countries and territories, two-way SMS and a host of other features and benefits — it’s a great MSP software option.
This level of convenience makes it the perfect MSP automation tool to streamline their operations — as Thierry Kramis, CEO of Seabix and a critical part of our MSP network in Switzerland, explains:
The decisive factor in choosing Wildix was that our MSP automation platform could be connected to Wildix. For our technicians, we’ve reduced work time by 75%. It’s structured logically, and you can find everything.
Partner Platforms
Every vendor has a partner program of some description. Here’s what our CSO Alberto Benigno has to say about that:
Every one of these vendors claims to have a robust or meaningful partnership program. Yet all compete with you and in some cases, actively take advantage of their solutions to remove you from the equation.
And it’s hard to deny the truth of this. All vendors in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for UCaaS have direct sales to end-users, which conflict with their partner programs. The exception is Wildix. Some, it has been claimed, even use their position to send marketing emails to partners’ clients — something that has been extensively discussed and has even been a reason why some MSPs have jumped ship from a certain Cyprus-based vendor with a mercurial CEO.
So let’s talk about what MSPs should have access to.
Because Wildix doesn’t compete with our partners, we can offer so much more than many vendors. That’s why we have:
- The Wildix Partner Community
- An all-in-one billing platform
- Complete sales program for new partners
- Powerful tech support, including installation support for new partners
- Kanban and ValueSelling training
Ultimately, this goes beyond the best MSP software and into an entire ecosystem that sets partners up for success. It’s the MSP solution you’ve been waiting for.
Wildix Partner Community
This partner community is based on Salesforce, and it’s how we track tech tickets and manage our MSP network. While partners don’t have to use the lead functionality of the community, it’s an incredibly useful tool — especially for smaller MSPs who need something more as they expand. Partner development managers can assist with understanding the data collected, and there are plenty of tools available to expand your own knowledge independently. Ultimately, when you’re looking to understand each possible MSP tool, it’s the best one for understanding how you’re gaining leads and at what stage they’re at, and it makes the perfect MSP automation tool for sales.
Billing Platform
Available for multiple countries, the billing platform lets you bill customers and (in some cases) submit taxes automatically. Depending on where you are, it has different functionalities, but it can heavily streamline the overall billing process. It’s one of the best MSP software platforms you can find.
Complete Sales Program
When you join Wildix, your PDM will help guide you through onboarding, which includes a heavy-duty sales program. These include sales incentives, often as credits applied to your accounts when you hit certain milestones. When you have access to the partner community, you can potentially achieve bonuses that contribute directly to your bottom line and therefore your profit.
Tech Support
As a starting point, our tech support includes assistance with your first two installations — delivering a major boost to your knowledge and your confidence. This can be especially useful when one installation is particularly complicated.
The tech support team is always happy to clarify and assist with technical issues, with even seasoned partners requesting support to attend on-site occasionally.
There are also detailed courses that provide you with the knowledge to install Wildix systems. The starting point is the W-FE program, which takes just two days to complete. Your local tech support team will take your engineers through the basics of setting up the system, common issues encountered and major pitfalls to avoid.
Then there’s the W-FEX program, which is for more seasoned engineers with a number of Wildix installations under their belts. It’s helpful to understand more about how to use the Wildix Blue Ecosystem to maximize efficiency and deliver even better results to your customers — its the ideal MSP solution for advanced telephony companies.
Kanban and ValueSelling Training
These two MSP tools are ideal for understanding
- Your internal processes
- Your sales processes
Kanban is the pioneering process methodology developed by Toyota, and we use it to improve how companies deliver their installations. It focuses on completing items through a subtle change in mindset, helping you make your services even more compelling.
ValueSelling, on the other hand, is for salespeople. It promotes value through a proprietary system, helping you identify what your prospect is looking for, how that aligns with your services and how you can boost your chances of closing the sale. It’s one of the best MSP tools for improving business growth.
What Wildix Offers
As an MSP, you need the tools to help your business grow, and adding UCaaS to your ecosystem is now a must — if you don’t have some solution that’s capable of the level of integration and flexibility that Wildix is capable of, you’re going to miss out on critical sales.
And as far as streamlining your operations, cloud communications does just that. It reduces the amount of dead time your technicians spend traveling, resulting in more installations and more time to deal with any maintenance issues that crop up. While there are many useful tools for MSPs, the reality is that a good UCaaS solution is the most critical for modern telecommunications.
And if you’d like to read more how to improve how your MSP runs, check out our article on building your MSP for lead generation and growth.
For more insights on making your MSP more efficient, subscribe to receive our magazine for free!