DS Tech drives growth with specialized industry solutions powered by ConnectWise

Quality – More accurate and actionable alerts have shrunk open tickets to 1/10 the previous average

Revenue – EBITDA has doubled in a single year, with revenue up 16 percent

Business – Able to provide enterprise-level services at SMB prices, DS Tech can win larger customers and sign larger deals

Challenge

To help its customers achieve key business objectives, DS Tech needed to spend less time dealing with signal noise and RMM platform management.

Solution

DS Tech leverages comprehensive ConnectWise services to deliver high-quality support and protection around the clock.

Results

DS Tech has doubled its EBIDTA in a single year by delivering enterprise-level services at an SMB price point.

“Customer compliments are way up and we’re getting more referrals than we’ve ever seen. Our customers are happy to have that conversation, and we’re signing MSP deals with companies we’ve never worked with before.”

- Eric Wakkuri, President, DS Tech

Like many MSPs, DS Tech got into the managed services business with the goal of providing proactive support to help its customers achieve key objectives. “We wanted to give customers better uptime and make their lives easier so they could focus on what matters for their business,” says DS Tech President Eric Wakkuri. The company hoped to find a partner who could do the same for their own business—but that initially proved challenging.

“Our old platform did a few things well, but there was a lot we needed to improve on,” says Wakkuri. “We were seeing a lot of ticket noise and false positives, and we had to spend a lot of time managing the RMM product instead of doing higher-value work with customers. We needed a solution that could improve the efficiency of our techs, and we also wanted to add a 24/7 network operations center (NOC) for more responsive service.”

In researching its alternatives, DS Tech checked in with its peers in the Technology Assurance Group (TAG), an organization of leading MSPs across the U.S. and Canada. The consensus was clear: ConnectWise was the way to go. “Other companies were singing ConnectWise’s praises as a partner who delivered what they promised,” says Wakkuri. “Many RMMs are feature-rich, but we were more interested in being able to reduce noise, improve scalability, and work with our customers instead of fiddling around with the RMM. By spending less time managing the platform, we can spend more time helping customers.”

In addition to ConnectWise Command™, formerly a Continuum solution, DS Tech uses ConnectWise BCDR, formerly a Continuum solution, ConnectWise Cybersecurity Management, formerly a Continuum solution, ConnectWise SOC Services™ (SOC) for advanced security, Integrated Expert Services, formerly a Continuum solution, ConnectWise Dedicated Technician™ embedded within ConnectWise NOC Services™, and has also worked with ConnectWise Project Assistance™ to deliver several customer projects.

Better alerts and round-the-clock coverage free DS Tech for higher-level work

With its previous RMM platform, DS Tech averaged over one thousand open tickets at any given time. With ConnectWise RMM™, that number has shrunk to fewer than 100. “By getting fewer alerts, but better and more actionable information, we can become more proactive in solving customer issues,” says Wakkuri. Instead of beginning each day with a backlog, DS Tech sees the tickets that the NOC has been fixing overnight, from login issues to service updates. “During work hours, that gives us time to focus on more important customer priorities and project work.”

ConnectWise BCDR and ConnectWise Cybersecurity Management help DS Tech reduce risk for its customers. “With our old vendor, we spent a lot of time fixing broken backups; we didn’t feel like we could trust those products. The ConnectWise NOC takes the lead on testing our backups to make sure they work and fixes any issues that come up,” says Wakkuri. “With ConnectWise Cybersecurity Management, we know that any threat won’t just trigger an alert—the SOC team will clear it out right away.”

Revenues and earnings soar

“We’ve doubled our Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) in a single year, revenue is up 16 percent, and a lot of that is due to our ConnectWise partnership,” says Wakkuri. Able to focus more effectively on value-added services, DS Tech has created vertical industry solutions for the financial, manufacturing, and medical markets. “We’re making our customers’ jobs easier by helping them achieve challenging objectives, like meeting demanding compliance requirements. That makes them happy to sign larger and more profitable managed services deals with us.” ConnectWise Project Assistance helps DS Tech deliver customer projects more quickly at a fixed cost. “You get a team and a lead who follows through to the end. We’ve been impressed with the service, especially for Microsoft Exchange migrations.”

Enterprise-level services go head-to-head with larger competitors

“Through our NOC and SOC partnerships, we’re providing enterprise-level services at an SMB price. That means we can go after bigger companies at a competitive price point,” says Wakkuri. Rich security auditing tools help DS Tech plot out the areas where its customers are most vulnerable and where its cybersecurity services can help, and that walkthrough becomes a driving force for new business. “Our customers want to feel secure that all their data will be safe, and that they won’t lose everything they’ve worked for due to natural disaster, ransomware, or other risks. We can now offer that assurance.” The company is currently developing new cloud and digital workspace services into its offerings to help customers achieve greater mobility, business agility, and cost efficiency.

Looking ahead

With ConnectWise’s help, DS Tech is able to fulfill its promise of high-quality service and high-value customer relationships. “Customer compliments are way up and we’re getting more referrals than we’ve ever seen,” says Wakkuri.

Remote Monitoring & Management Software with Proactive Services

ConnectWise Command is a scalable remote monitoring and management (RMM) solution with built-in NOC services providing technology solution providers (TSPs) with the tools and services they need to exceed end-user expectations and grow their businesses. Intelligent alerting and ticketing, intuitive scripting and automation, and certified NOC technicians empower TSPs to provide proactive, high-value support across any device or environment, including servers, desktops, networks, and mobile devices.