Syncro CEO: MSPs Joining Us Because They’re ‘Frustrated By Lack Of Innovation From Their Current Providers’
‘More and more MSPs are leaving the big legacy players behind for a more modern, flexible solution. The industry is shifting, and there’s a new generation of MSPs that expect better technology, lower costs and simpler platforms,’ says Michael George, Syncro CEO.
In the wake of Kaseya’s leadership shakeup, the future of the MSP industry is in the spotlight with competitors like Syncro eyeing a larger share of the market.
Last month, Miami-based Kaseya announced that CEO Fred Voccola was stepping down in an unexpected move that shocked the MSP community. The move came more than 10 years after Voccola took the helm of the IT service management provider and had become the face of the company.
Syncro, a Kaseya competitor, has built a reputation as a modern, customer-focused alternative to traditional MSP platforms, which its CEO said has put the company in position to capitalize on the shifting dynamics. According to Michael George, Syncro CEO, the evolving MSP landscape is ripe for disruption and the company’s emphasis on simplicity, automation and customer success makes it uniquely positioned to lead the charge.
“It’s a sign that the industry is in flux,” George told CRN. “Leadership changes like this don’t happen without reason, and Kaseya has been growing through acquisitions for years. Now, the challenge is to consolidate that growth into a coherent, modern strategy.
“MSPs are increasingly leaving behind the big legacy players for more modern, flexible solutions,” he added. “The industry is shifting, and there’s a new generation that expects better technology, lower costs and simpler platforms.”
Syncro, which traditionally has served larger, more sophisticated MSPs, is now seeing an expanding customer base due to the shifts in the market.
“We’re seeing more companies realize they don’t need to deal with the complexity of the ‘big three’ vendors [Kaseya, ConnectWise and N-able]. The move toward a simpler, more integrated platform is accelerating our rise and we’re confident we’ll be in the top three in the next two years, if not sooner.”
CRN spoke further with George about Syncro’s vision of a streamlined, cost-effective solution and its signal that the future of MSPs will be shaped by platforms built with modern expectations in mind.
What was your initial reaction to the leadership change at Kaseya? Did you see it coming?
I didn’t see it coming, but I’m not terribly surprised. Fred’s been at Kaseya for 10 years—that’s a significant amount of time in a fast-evolving industry. There’s an old saying, ‘There’s never a perfect time to make a big change,’ and I think Kaseya has reached a point where this was the right time. Fred’s leadership was a driving force behind Kaseya’s incredible growth, but with all the acquisitions and product overlap, the next leader will need to rationalize that complex portfolio. It’s going to be a tough task but not an insurmountable one.
How do you think this leadership transition will affect the dynamics in the MSP space?
Kaseya has become one of the largest vendors in the space—no doubt about it. Under Fred, they grew from a small player to a $1.5 billion ARR company with a broad portfolio. However, with that growth came the challenge of managing multiple competing products, especially after acquisitions like Datto and Autotask. Whoever takes over will have to figure out how to streamline and rationalize those overlapping products. That’s no small task. It could take years to get it right, and in the meantime MSPs are going to be looking for more innovative solutions.
So do you see this leadership change as an opportunity for Syncro to differentiate itself?
Absolutely. We’ve always prided ourselves on being focused and modern. Unlike many legacy players, Syncro was born in the cloud and designed to be simple yet powerful. We’ve been solving real pain points for MSPs by offering a streamlined platform with fewer complications. We’re not bogged down by legacy systems or products, which means we can innovate quickly and pass those benefits on to our customers. This leadership shakeup at Kaseya might accelerate the shift we’re already seeing from MSPs who are tired of clunky, outdated platforms.
Are you seeing any significant increase in MSPs switching from Kaseya to Syncro?
Definitely. Over the past year, we’ve noticed a steady increase in customers from Kaseya and other legacy vendors joining Syncro. Many of these customers are frustrated by price hikes and lack of innovation from their current providers. At Syncro, we’ve held our pricing steady and, in some cases, we’ve even reduced costs for customers. More importantly, we’ve been focused on helping MSPs reduce the biggest cost in their business: labor. By automating tasks and leveraging AI, we’re cutting the time it takes to complete tech support and management tasks by up to 50 percent. That’s where the real savings are.
How does Syncro address the common complaints MSPs have about larger vendors?
First and foremost, we don’t engage in the practice of constant price increases. We’ve kept our pricing predictable and affordable. But where we really differentiate ourselves is in the way we approach automation. As MSPs’ largest expense is often labor costs, we’ve been focused on delivering automation tools that help them reduce that. If we can help MSPs automate 20 [percent] to 50 percent of their daily tasks, we’re dramatically lowering their cost of service delivery, allowing them to grow more profitably. And unlike larger companies, we’re not constantly pushing sales. We offer a self-service model where MSPs can try our platform, and if they need help, they raise their hand. It’s a much more respectful and modern approach.
With the leadership transition at Kaseya, do you think there’s an opportunity to capture more market share?
We’re already seeing it. More and more MSPs are leaving the big legacy players behind for a more modern, flexible solution. The industry is shifting, and there’s a new generation of MSPs that expect better technology, lower costs and simpler platforms. The traditional sales-heavy approach doesn’t appeal to them. They want to discover products on their own, try them out, and if they need help, they reach out. It’s the same mindset you see in other industries, like when people buy cars on Carvana—no salespeople, just an easy, self-guided process. That’s the future of MSP software, and Syncro is leading that charge.
It sounds like Syncro is capitalizing on a shift in both technology and customer expectations. Can you speak more about how your approach is aligned with these trends?
There’s been a major shift in the way MSPs operate. The average age of an MSP is now in the mid-30s, and this younger generation is looking for simplicity, speed and control. They don’t want to sit through a long sales pitch or be forced into long-term contracts. We’ve embraced that by creating a self-serve environment where MSPs can easily try our product, get up to speed and decide if it’s right for them. Our product is modern, cloud-native and doesn’t come with the baggage of legacy systems. And we’re investing in AI and automation to give MSPs the tools they need to be more efficient and profitable. That’s how we’re setting ourselves apart. There’s a major tectonic shift happening in the market right now. I’m confident that the leadership transitions we’re seeing are part of a bigger transformation.
The industry is evolving rapidly. If you look at the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to rapidly transition to remote work, which created a huge boom in demand for MSP services. But as businesses scrambled to adapt, many MSPs ended up with overcomplicated tech stacks. They had to buy more tools, layering complexity on top of each other. Now that complexity is becoming a problem. The shift we’re seeing now is about simplifying that tech stack. MSPs want to reduce the number of vendors they work with and streamline their operations. We’re leading that charge with our new product, which will help MSPs reduce complexity, increase security and cut down on unnecessary tech sprawl.
The future is about reducing the number of products and simplifying the tech stack. When you start gluing products together, especially in the security space, you’re introducing vulnerabilities. When two security products work in parallel, it creates a gap—a weak point where security can be breached. We want to help MSPs eliminate those gaps and create a secure, simplified environment by consolidating solutions into one comprehensive offering.
Given the competitive landscape, what’s your message to MSPs considering a switch to Syncro?
Without getting too ahead of ourselves, we’re releasing a product in April that will do exactly what I just described: simplify the tech stack, eliminate unnecessary complexity and provide a more secure environment. Our existing customers will get automatic upgrades to this new version, and it’s designed to significantly reduce the number of tools they need to monitor, manage and secure their customers’ environments. It’s a game-changer in terms of both efficiency and security and heralds a new category of software.
We don’t focus on badmouthing competitors. We believe in letting the product speak for itself. Our platform is built for simplicity and power. We encourage MSPs to try it out, compare it to their current tools and see for themselves how much more efficient and secure their operations can be with Syncro. The leadership changes at companies like ConnectWise and Kaseya may accelerate this transition for some, but ultimately, the decision to switch comes down to experience. If MSPs are looking for an easier, more streamlined solution, we’re confident that Syncro can deliver.
The big shift I mentioned earlier toward simplicity and fewer tools plays directly into our strengths. As more MSPs start recognizing the benefits of simplifying their tech stack, we’re seeing a growing demand for our product. Our customer base has traditionally included larger, more sophisticated MSPs, but we’re now seeing a broadening of that base as more companies realize that they don’t need to deal with the complexity of the ‘big three’ vendors [Kaseya, ConnectWise and N-able]. The move toward a simpler, more integrated platform is helping Syncro rise rapidly in the ranks. I believe we’ll be in the top three in the next two years, if not sooner.
Lastly, what is your message to MSPs going forward?
We’re in a really exciting time for the MSP market. It’s a period of significant change, and Syncro is proud to be at the forefront of that transformation. We’re focused on creating solutions that make life easier for MSPs and we’re confident that as we roll out our new product and continue to grow, the industry will see a fundamental shift toward simplicity and security.