How MSPs Provide SaaS, UCaaS, and Network Monitoring

How Managed Service Providers Can Provide More Insights to Clients

With the reliance on cloud computing continuously surging, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are required to deliver a wider range of support services. Efficiently managing Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) has become increasingly difficult but more important.

To meet and exceed their clients’ demands, who depend heavily on these cloud solutions, MSPs need robust Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) tools. These tools are essential for identifying application performance issues, maintaining service quality, and ensuring an optimized end-user experience.

In this blog, we explore the advantages of proactively monitoring SaaS services through Exoprise CloudReady synthetic monitoring and Service Watch Real User Monitoring (RUM). These tools are instrumental in proactively detecting issues and improving SaaS and UCaaS for end users.

SLA Compliance Monitoring: A Crucial Aspect of SaaS Management

A core responsibility of Managed Service Providers is ensuring that Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) are consistently met. To accomplish this, SaaS application performance metrics must be vigilantly monitored, including uptime and response times for compliance reasons. Digital Experience Monitoring tools are leveraged to easily meet these goals.

Service Watch, run from the end-user device, directly monitors the performance of the device, network, and SaaS application allowing MSPs to track critical metrics. This monitoring proactively raises alarms for engineers to quickly address the impacted service or device to prevent SLA violations, maintains quality, and user satisfaction.

Performance Optimization: Unleashing the Power of DEM Tools

Constant monitoring of SaaS applications is critical for identifying performance degradation, latency issues, and inconsistencies and resolving them. DEM tools provide real-time visibility into the performance of applications. These insights empower engineers with the necessary data to quickly resolve issues. Utilizing CloudReady synthetics, MSPs can consistently deliver a seamless user experience, maintain high SLAs, and keep operations running smoothly.

Alerting Mechanisms and Incident Management: Streamlining Operations with DEM Tools

Properly implementing alerting mechanisms is necessary for MSPs to be proactive when issues arise. Integrations into ticketing systems such as ConnectWise PSA and ServiceNow streamline ticket creation for MSPs to deliver prompt and effective support. The real-time alerts and notifications provided by Exoprise empower MSPs to proactively resolve incidents before impacting end-users. Web-hooks are also available for proactive notifications into other ticketing systems.

User-Centric Monitoring: Putting User Experience at the Forefront

Monitoring the end-user experience is fundamental to delivering exceptional service quality. DEM tools empower MSPs to monitor SaaS applications from the user’s perspective, ensuring optimal performance and seamless operation. By prioritizing user-centric monitoring, MSPs can elevate the overall user experience and solidify client relationships.

Capacity Management and Vendor Oversight: Ensuring Scalability and Accountability

Understanding resource utilization and capacity planning for SaaS applications is essential for anticipating scalability challenges and ensuring seamless operations. Equally important is overseeing SaaS vendors’ performance and adherence to SLAs is vital for maintaining. DEM tools, like those from Exoprise, give MSPs a comprehensive view of vendor performance, enabling them to uphold service standards and drive client satisfaction.

Reporting and Analytics: Transparency and Performance Benchmarking

Regular detailed reports and analytics provided to clients enhance transparency and facilitate performance benchmarking. DEM tools offer in-depth insights into the health and performance of SaaS applications, enabling MSPs to showcase their value proposition and demonstrate the tangible benefits of their monitoring services. By leveraging dashboard capabilities within Exoprise, MSPs can provide clients with actionable insights and drive continuous performance improvements.

Challenges and Opportunities in SaaS Management for MSPs

The proliferation of SaaS applications poses unique challenges for MSPs, who must juggle the complexities of managing multiple applications while meeting client demands. By implementing Exoprise as part of their monitoring solutions, addressing these challenges effectively ensures an optimal user experience and recurring revenue streams. Understanding client environments and usage patterns is necessary for MSPs to conduct thorough reviews of applications, gaining deep insights into SaaS and UCaaS usage–even those unknown to either the client or the MSP.

Continuous SaaS Management: A Strategic Imperative for MSPs

For MSPs, SaaS management should be viewed as a continuous process rather than a one-time activity. By incorporating SaaS management into Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and engaging with clients to review usage patterns and address challenges, MSPs can significantly improve the client experience and drive operational efficiency.

Collaborative efforts with clients, virtual Chief Information Officers (vCIOs), and virtual Chief Information Security Officers (vCISOs) can uncover opportunities for optimizing app stacks and reducing unnecessary spending on underutilized licenses. With high level information about SaaS and UCaaS usage, known and unknown, Exoprise CloudReady and Service Watch shine a light on every aspect of these cloud-based applications.

Elevating Client Relationships Through Strategic SaaS and UCaaS Management

MSPs play a pivotal role in shaping the success of clients’ SaaS and UCaaS implementations. By leveraging DEM, MSPs can ensure service excellence, drive operational efficiency, and strengthen client relationships, which are key tenets of successful operations in the digital era. MSPs can monitor all client devices from dashboards, improving onboarding and offboarding of client employees to improve compliance initiatives.

Final Words

The integration of DEM tools, SaaS management solutions, and proactive monitoring strategies is essential for MSPs to thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape. By harnessing the power of tools like Exoprise CloudReady and Service Watch, MSPs can elevate their monitoring capabilities, enhance client satisfaction, and establish themselves as trusted advisors, especially in the realm of SaaS and UCaaS implementation and management. Leveraging technology, strategic partnerships, and client collaboration, MSPs can unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation, and service excellence in the ever-evolving world of managed services.

Managed Service Providers are welcome to contact Exoprise for details about a free trial.

Find out more about Exoprise “Better Together” monitoring including videos, datasheets, papers, and our learning center via the Resource Page.