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ConnectWise IT Nation 2019: Will SOCaaS for MSPs Go Mainstream?

Numerous Security Operations Center as a Service (SOCaaS) options will be on display during ConnectWise IT Nation Connect 2019, which kicks off October 30 in Orlando, Florida. The big question: Will a particular company emerge as a de facto SOCaaS standard for MSPs (managed IT services providers)?

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More Info: ConnectWise IT Nation Connect 2019

Frankly, the SOCaaS market is highly fragmented. Dozens of software companies and MSSPs now promote SOCaaS to MSPs and IT consulting firms. And the offerings come in numerous forms. For instance, SOCaaS can involve such business models as:

  • A software company delivering SaaS-based cybersecurity applications to MSSPs and MSPs.
  • A hybrid software company/MSSP delivering SaaS-based cybersecurity applications and co-managed services to MSPs.
  • An MSSP building and running a SOC that contains third-party cybersecurity applications. The MSSP, in turn, extends the power of that SOC (talent and technology) to MSPs.
  • Note: What SOCaaS models did we fail to mention? Please email me your thought. [email protected].

SOCaaS for MSPs: Challenges and Progress

No doubt, it has been a challenging year for MSPs in the cybersecurity market. Many MSPs struggled or failed to develop profitable cybersecurity services. Others failed to mitigate risks in their own companies -- leaving the door open for MSP-centric ransomware attacks.

Still, thousands of MSPs are starting to gain traction with SOCaaS consumption models, based on aggregated adoption and deployment figures MSSP Alert has heard from Arctic Wolf Networks, Infogressive, Netsurion, Perch Security, SKOUT and others. (ConnectWise, by the way, owns a stake in Perch.)

Each of those companies -- and dozens of additional cybersecurity vendors -- will be on hand at IT Nation. Will any one company emerge as the de facto standard for SOCaaS in the MSP sector? It's too early to say. But we expect multiple product, partner and business milestones to surface at the conference. Check MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E for daily updates from the conference.

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.