Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

[mcjack]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

Thank you for sharing your experience bkendall. I couldn't decide which one to go for until I read your comments. I havent' used either of them but as you said GFI is easier to use and does good job, less is more, I will start my trial from today.

[MachTen]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

We have pretty much decided on GFI after a personalized demo provided by the GFI staff. They were very helpful and answered lots of questions for us.

Their road map into the middle of next year looks like it will hit all the important things we are looking for...

They also seem to have GFI and CommitCRM working together - Maybe it's not them but someone does. At least in a limited fashion which is fine for us at this point.

[I-Netcs]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

Thanks bkendall...........i dind't mean to call you out, forgive me if it came across wrong. I guess i'm just a cynical NY'er. sorry pal.

[raycollazo]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

That is the first time I have heard something positive about GFI. Also the pricing of GFI is MUCH higher than LabTech. We tried GFI and found that it was lacking in alot of areas. Also, since Labtech came out with the HTTPS connectivity, connecting to and performing any task is faster than any web based product out there. I can log in, launch a script, view a log file and run a report in less than a minute.
With a web app, this would take at least 5 times longer. Yes you have to have the client on the machine, but you can also take it with you on a USB and launch it from any windows machine.
In short I would much rather pay less and get way more than pay more to get much less. Its like buying a car thats Fully loaded for less than what the base model costs.

Lets face it, most people use CommitCRM because it costs much less than Autotask or Connectwise. We are all looking for value and lower cost options. Labtech is the best bang for the buck, plus no minimums, and you can buy 1 license at a time later if you wish.

[MachTen]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

@raycollazo

More expensive? Perhaps in the long run, but with labtech you need to either own your own hardware or get someone to host it. Also the per unit cost for workstations is much lower with GFI at least on what we were quoted. Servers work out to be more (twice as much?) over the long haul. 0 upfront costs with GFI vs. labtech.

Don't get me wrong labtech software seems like a winner with features.

[bkendall]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

@MachTen - No problem, glad to help. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any more questions.

@I-Netcs - I like cynicism, it helps me think clearer. There is nothing wrong with a debate!

As far as the cost of GFI vs Labtech, this is more of a SaaS vs on-premise software argument. GFI is a lot cheaper to get up and running, but in the long run it MAY cost you more. Labtech requires an upfront investment (albeit a lot smaller than Kaseya!).

For me, I like a low upfront investment. It allows you to try out a service without paying too much. Make it a lot easier to pull the plug if it isn't working for you or your clients.

Brad Kendall
www.bradkendall.ca
bkendall@ccrtech.ca

[raycollazo]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

@Machten Hmm..where are you running yourCommitCRM? Are you a 1 man show? Just asking because you can run Labtech on the same machine asCommitCRM. It can be a Workstation even. Also, yes I am assuming you are going to be managing Servers for your customers. If you are going to monitor mostly Workstations then GFI may have a lower startup cost. But always in the end in my opinion Labtech will end up costing you less. You can get a hosted Virtual machine pretty cheap too if you do not have your own.

[bkendall]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

I wrote a blog post comparing Labtech and GFI Max if anybody is interested: http://bradkendall.ca/?p=321


Brad Kendall
www.bradkendall.ca
bkendall@ccrtech.ca

[natrat]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

Nice one, good info.

[danrcf]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

How about shockeymonkey its free.

[jim@dsolutionsgroup.com]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

Here is a link to a quick video demo of GFI Max (Hounddog) linked with CommitCRM account and being accessed in real-time on iPhone via our Interlink iPhone web app.

Watch Video

[bkendall]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

Great stuff Jim! I would love more information on your Interlink app.


Brad Kendall
www.bradkendall.ca
bkendall@ccrtech.ca

[jim@dsolutionsgroup.com]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

Thanks Brad, you can get additional information at www.dsgdevstudio.com or send an email with any questions to jim@dsolutionsgroup.com.

Jim Watt
Dynamic Solutions Group

[networkconcepts]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

We have been with LPI since 2005, they are good guys and we are able to license customer sites for a good markup, unfortunately now you need to get to 25 sites for a price break. Sean and Rob Rae assist partners to help build up business and they are a great asset especially during the Road Show you can go talk with them as they travel. Level Platforms was much better than all of the other MSP software providers we tried over the years. I will admit we have not shopped this out in a while, but I can guarantee you will not lose money going with Level Platforms and you will learn a few things from these guys, also the integration with CommitCRM is easy.

[bkendall]

Re: Which MSP would you guy's reccomend?

I have heard a lot of good things about MW2011 as of late and I actually have a demo arranged for Friday! It is nice to have so many options, isn't it?

Brad Kendall
www.bradkendall.ca
brad@bradkendall.ca