It is hard to believe that it has been 3 years since we announced our “MSP 4.0” model to the world. Our partnership with CloudJumper has been one of quiet resiliency over the last three years. But we have been taking a close look internally at the service and if it has been worth it to our partners who have used it since day one.
CloudJumper promised a transformative model to MSPs who are tired of struggling with the constant back-and-forth with clients. Less support and more income. It is a simple service to maintain.
The big benefit to a cloud desktop solution that we touted from the beginning was that support was nearly hassle free. And, thankfully, this has been true across the board. Some days it is easy to forget that CloudJumper is a service that we offer. It has worked reliably for years now and I could count on one hand the number of support tickets that we have received about the service.
From a price standpoint, it seems that most of our partners have settled on spending in the ~$65 range per user. This wraps in a copy of Microsoft Office, along with a few extra upgrades to the servers so that they are a bit snappier for the end-users. In three years, we have had very few cancelations (less than five). The people who fit the bill for a Cloud Desktop solution know who they are and they stick with it forever once it is setup for them.
So what has been the hurdle for CloudJumper?
I think the challenge is the same as it was 3 years ago. The startup time investment is high. You’re essentially front-loading the effort to support your client. Some of our partners have added a startup fee to their offering to pay for this extra time and it has made the transition easier cause they can really focus on getting their client up and running.
But the larger struggle is that the CloudJumper business model tends to cannibalize the standard MSP model. Many of the products that we offer tend to work together. For example, Intronis Backup is complimentary with our Go!Manage Kaseya program. They both fit together like puzzle pieces. But CloudJumper replaces both of those offerings since they cover backups and management of the server. So MSPs have had a hard time “easing into” the MSP 4.0 model.
It is basically an all-or-nothing approach because you can advertise Cloud Desktops or Managed Services but it is difficult to do both. So the conversation has to be guided to one or the other right from the beginning.
So Why Would An MSP Choose Cloud Desktops?
If the earlier mentioned promise of fewer support tickets wasn’t tempting enough, CloudJumper has offered an incredible stickiness with clients. It fits the bill for what we like to term a “beachhead service”.
Basically, a service offering that is very difficult for a client to part with. Email hosting is another such service offering. When you have a beachhead service with a client, then there is a high level of pain for them to move to another service and so they tend to stick with you even if they aren’t 100% satisfied with your service.
While I fully believe in offering top tier service to your clients, beachhead services are a no-brainer to take some of the pressure off to always be performing at 100%. Mistakes happen, and sometimes clients just like to shop around. CloudJumper stops that dead in its tracks, since the migration to another service would be so disruptive to your client’s business and how it operates that they’re willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
CloudJumper is also are the gateway into HaaS (Hardware as a service). Several of our partners have gotten into the game of leasing hardware to their end-users. Companies these days are trying to reduce their assets and run as lean as possible. Leased hardware is a great way for clients to stay nimble in a fast-moving workplace. They can predict their expenses much more reliably (without throwing in a few thousand dollars every time they bring on a new employee) and you can earn monthly income off of their desire to run with few assets.
So it has been a success… with a caveat
CloudJumper, for those who have jumped on board, has been a success. But those who are fully committed to the All-you-can-eat plan of Managed Services may have a hard time selling against their own offerings. CloudJumper replaces standard Managed Services, it doesn’t typically compliment it.
You may want to reconsider offering a cloud program, though. The companies that want it REALLY want it and you may find yourself enjoying the freedom from trying to deliver daily support to clients who cannot seem to properly control their network.
Interested in finding out more?
Reach out to us with any questions you might have. We’re always happy to have a conversation about CloudJumper or any of our other offerings!
