MSP Operations
Stacking Three Microsoft Incentives to Reach 47% Margin on New 365 Seats
As of April 2019, Shift, Silver Competency, and Sky's the Limit stack on the same net-new 365 customers. Here is the math that pushes margin to 47%.
Nick Ross
Nick is not just a CEO, he's a respected thought leader and influencer in the MSP space. Tens of thousands of MSPs learn through his YouTube channel, T-Minus365. Nick has been honored as a three-time Microsoft MVP for his educational content; his expertise and influence are the backbone of our mission, ensuring that you are in the best hands when it comes to security.
Nick joined Pax8 in 2017, where he would ultimately oversee product management for PSA and Microsoft integrations. Following his tenure at Pax8, Nick has continued to demonstrate his leadership prowess as an executive at various MSPs, culminating in his most recent role at Sourcepass.
Nick holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Florida State University, as well as a Minor Degree in Entrepreneurship. In his free time, Nick is an avid hiker, reader, and fitness-junkie.
MSP Operations
Why Any MSP Billing $2,500/Month in Microsoft Should Be a Silver Partner
Microsoft competencies are a kickback program in disguise. As of April 2019, four net-new customers and a $1,670 fee can net an MSP $1,030 a year on the 6% rebate alone.
Nick Ross
Device & Endpoint Security
Rolling Windows 7 Fleets to Windows 10 at Scale Without Touching Every Machine
The Microsoft 365 Business upgrade right covers Windows 7 Pro and 8.x, not Home. Here is how to scan, image, and pilot a broad Windows 10 deployment using free Microsoft tools.
Nick Ross
Device & Endpoint SecurityMSP Operations
Provisioning a Full Intune Baseline in One PowerShell Command
Configuring Intune by hand across a client base is slow and error-prone. A PowerShell runbook can stamp out compliance policies, BitLocker, and required apps in a single command.
Nick Ross
MSP Operations
Should You Move a Client From E3 to M365 Business? A Decision Checklist
M365 Business gained features that close the security gap with E3. As of April 2019, the deciding factors are user count, Intune adoption, Windows 10 upgrades, and RDS.
Nick Ross
Device & Endpoint Security
Standing Up Intune From Scratch on M365 Business: The Onboarding Sequence
A clean Intune build follows an order: device groups, autoenrollment, policies and profiles, apps, platform enrollment, then a test device. Here is the sequence for M365 Business.
Nick Ross
Email & Collaboration Security
Sharing SharePoint and OneDrive Files With Outside Organizations Safely
External sharing is on by default across SharePoint Online. Here are the four sharing modes, how authenticated and anonymous external sharing actually work, and where to lock it down.
Nick Ross
Data Protection & Compliance
Building a HIPAA DLP Policy in the Office 365 Security & Compliance Center
Office 365 DLP can find and protect PII like credit card, SSN, and health records across Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint. Here is a HIPAA policy built from template to report.
Nick Ross
Email & Collaboration Security
Office 365 ATP Is Half-Off by Default: Turning On Safe Attachments and Safe Links
Office 365 ATP ships with Safe Attachments and Safe Links switched off. Here is what each feature does and the step-by-step config to turn them on.
Nick Ross
MSP Operations
Before You Migrate G Suite to Office 365: What Breaks and How to Grant API Access
A G Suite to Office 365 migration with BitTitan fails at the source if API access is wrong. Here is what cannot move and the exact Google Admin steps to authorize MigrationWiz.
Nick Ross
Data Protection & Compliance
Scoring a NIST 800-171 Assessment in Office 365's Compliance Manager
NIST 800-171 has 109 requirements. Microsoft's Compliance Manager turns them into a scored, assignable assessment inside Office 365. Here is how to build it.
Nick Ross
Email & Collaboration Security
Two Ways to Let Office 365 Tenants Share Calendars: Sharing Policies vs. Org Relationships
Inter-tenant collaboration in Exchange Online comes down to two controls: user-level sharing policies and organization relationships. Here is what each one does and where to set it.
Nick Ross