‘We’ve become more than just partners. We’ve become friends’: BeMSP’s partners react to MSPCON
French partners discuss their relationship with the VAD, the MIP model transition and the importance of community
While MSPCON offered BeMSP’s leaders the opportunity to share their vision for the future of the French channel, the conference also provided a chance to hear directly from the MSPs at the heart of the community.
On the day, CRN spoke with the VAD’s partners to better understand their experience working with the company, their thoughts on this year’s edition and how they would like to see the partnership evolve.
From AI adoption and compliance requirements to community building and the MIP transition, here is what French MSPs, including Quietic, ITAIA, Dhala Cyberdéfense, Itcom Services and Easy Service Informatique took away from the Paris-based gathering.
Can you tell me more about your partnership with BeMSP?
“We founded the company in 2018 with an MSP model, and from the very beginning we developed a very strong relationship with BeMSP.
“We adopted the MSP model largely thanks to their guidance. They brought real-world experience, practical tools and proven methodologies rather than just theory.
“One of the most valuable things they provided early on was help orchestrating our toolset.
“Over time, we built a relationship based on trust. If I am unhappy with a product, I can explain why and remove it without damaging the relationship.
“Honestly, BeMSP has almost become a parent company figure for us. We are a bit like sister companies.
“That relationship allowed us to deploy a full catalogue of products quickly.
“After eight years working together, I would happily say we could do another ten years together.”
What are your biggest takeaways from this year’s event?
“I come to events like this to gain a broader market perspective.
“I want to understand what is happening in the world, which trends are worth following and which may be worth avoiding.
“Everyone is talking about AI right now. It is a strong market. But is AI really as ready for businesses as people claim?
“People say AI saves time. I do not see it replacing people today. These are the kinds of conversations we need to have with customers.
“What really stood out to me is how BeMSP continues to attract more people every year.
“That reinforces the MSP model we chose. It makes you feel less isolated and creates opportunities to discover new products.”
Is there anything BeMSP could do to further improve your relationship?
“We’re very close, and that’s one of the strengths of the partnership.
“Of course, there will always be areas for improvement, but those improvements do not necessarily depend on BeMSP alone.
“They depend on vendors, product roadmaps and the wider ecosystem.
“I genuinely wish them a long future because they’ve built something valuable.
“What I appreciate most is that we’ve become more than just partners. We’ve become friends.”
Can you tell me more about your partnership with BeMSP?
Moulis: “I’ve known them since BeMSP was founded.
“When I changed companies and launched a new business with my associate, we already knew we wanted to work with them.
“They don’t just sell tools; they sell the MSP philosophy and MSP value.
“They provide technology monitoring, insight into new tools and now Circle as well, which I think is a very good initiative and brings the community to life.
“That’s what makes the relationship so valuable.”
Barjhoux: “The stack that BeMSP offers is good.
“You don’t have to buy all your tools through them, but the overall strategy makes sense.
“One thing I particularly appreciate is that BeMSP acts as an intermediary for Kaseya.
“If I have a technical issue, I can call Olivier [Conte, Autotask PSA consultant at BeMSP] or Thomas [Bresse, co-founder of BeMSP} and they’ll help.
“We’ve worked together for many years now and overall we’re very happy.”
What are your biggest takeaways from this year’s event?
Moulis: “What BeMSP does very well is monitor what’s happening in the US market and bring those ideas back to France while adapting them to our reality.
“Obviously AI is the big topic; we all understood that before coming here.
“But selling AI to customers is where things become more complicated.
“For me, the biggest challenge isn’t technical, it’s commercial.
“I don’t know how to price it yet, I don’t know where the limits are, I don’t know how much time it’s going to cost us. That’s really the issue.
“The legal side was also very interesting.
“They’re warning us that regulations are coming whether we’re aware of them or not.
“Some of our customers are already subject to regulations such as DORA. Others may not realise they’re affected by these changes yet.
“What I appreciate is that BeMSP provides both technology intelligence and legal intelligence.
“There’s also the chance to meet the people who are further ahead than us, which is incredibly valuable.”
Barjhoux: “For me, AI is both fascinating and frightening.
“Everyone keeps telling us there’s a market opportunity to capture.
“The reality is that we’re already extremely busy and our existing work is stressful enough.
“We hear a lot about jobs disappearing because of AI, but the reality is that many users still struggle with very basic technology.
“Some people still don’t know how to use a mouse properly or understand what a USB key does.
“Tomorrow they’re suddenly supposed to use AI?
“That said, if we don’t embrace AI, somebody else will.
“If we don’t do it, we’ll eventually become the people who only install antivirus software and replace screens and mice.
“BeMSP is ahead of the curve because they see what’s happening in the US and bring it to us before it hits France.
“A lot of what they’re talking about today is what we’ll be dealing with ourselves over the next two or three years.”
Is there anything BeMSP could do to further improve your relationship?
Moulis: “I’d actually like to see even more peer-to-peer exchanges.
“The strongest value I get from BeMSP isn’t necessarily the tools; it’s the community, it’s the ability to talk to other MSPs, to understand what they’re doing, to compare notes, to learn from their mistakes and successes.
“If anything, I’d encourage them to continue investing in that side of things.
Barjhoux: “Honestly, I don’t have much to complain about.
“What I like is that they’re transparent. If a product has weaknesses, they’ll tell you. If something isn’t ready, they’ll tell you.
“That’s quite rare. Most organisations only talk about strengths.
“My main request would simply be; keep doing what you’re doing.
“Don’t become too corporate. Don’t lose that direct relationship with partners.”
Can you tell me more about your partnership with BeMSP?
“BeMSP has supported me since I founded my company.
“Before working with them, I tried other companies, other ticketing systems and other remote management solutions.
“What I realised quite quickly is that the tool itself is only about ten per cent of the challenge. Integration is the other 90 per cent
“With other providers, I often felt like they were simply selling licences and then telling you to read the documentation or contact the American support team.
“[BeMSP’s] catalogue continues to grow and the solutions they add are usually very relevant. Sometimes they’re solutions I’d already chosen myself, which reassures me that I made the right decisions.
“Overall, it’s a very healthy and very valuable relationship.”
What are your biggest takeaways from this year’s event?
“What I really take away is the MIP concept.
“BeMSP almost does the technology watch on our behalf, because we’re so busy running our businesses, managing customers and dealing with contracts.
“When they introduce a new tool or start talking about MIP, it’s usually because they’ve identified something important.
“We’re going to have to make that transition. If we don’t, our customers will make it without us.
“The other thing that really stood out was compliance. From a growth perspective, it’s become essential.
“All the buzzwords and trends I was seeing in the US are now appearing here as well.
“It’s almost getting to the point where we don’t need to travel anymore because BeMSP is bringing that knowledge and proximity to us.
“Beyond that, MSPCON is also about seeing friends and peers.
“Events like this are a chance to reconnect.”
Is there anything BeMSP could do to further improve your relationship?
“For me, it’s mainly a question of scale.
“The more successful BeMSP becomes, the harder it will be to maintain the proximity that makes the relationship special.
“What I appreciate today is that I can pick up the phone and speak to people directly.
“I hope they manage to preserve that as they grow because that’s really what differentiates them from larger organisations.”
Can you tell me more about your partnership with BeMSP?
“It’s a long-standing relationship that we have been part of for many years.
“[BeMSP] has never fallen into the trap of simply trying to sell us more products or more layers of services.
“They have always remained in a consulting role, helping us grow our MSP business model.
“As a business owner, I have never felt that traditional distributor mentality of constantly trying to upsell.
“Instead, it has been a relationship built on trust for the past 13 years.”
What are your biggest takeaways from this year’s event?
“There is something that strongly connects BeMSP and me, or more specifically [Bresse], Frédéric [Navarro, co-founder of BeMSP] and myself: the idea of community, networking and knowledge sharing.
“That is one of the main reasons our relationship works so well.
“Running a business can be a very lonely experience.
Encouraging business owners to talk, share experiences and learn from one another is incredibly valuable.
“I am a huge supporter of that philosophy.
“Events like MSPCON are where you really see it come to life.
“Thanks to BeMSP, we have built a core community where people openly share pricing, margins, values, service offerings and, over time, genuine friendships.”
Is there anything BeMSP could do to further improve your relationship?
“Between the community, MSPCON and the overall commercial approach, I genuinely feel the relationship is very balanced.
“It delivers exactly what we need.
“Honestly, I am happy with things as they are.”
Can you tell me more about your partnership with BeMSP?
“We’ve been working with BeMSP for around two years and the relationship has been very positive.
“We appreciate their vision and their desire to help structure both the French MSP market and the wider MSP community.
“When we implemented Autotask, for example, we received excellent support, which isn’t always the case with these types of projects.
“That’s what we’re looking for from a company.
“It’s the same thing with our own customers. They’re not just buying software licences, they’re buying advice, support and a strong human and technical relationship.”
What are your biggest takeaways from this year’s event?
“If there’s one message I took away, it’s the MIP discussion.
“One thing I’d like to see in future editions is content adapted to different levels of MSP maturity.
“Not necessarily based on company age, because some younger MSPs are more mature than older ones, but it could be useful to have different tracks depending on where companies are in their journey.
“Overall, it’s a great event.”
Is there anything BeMSP could do to further improve your relationship?
“Honestly, I’d like more segmentation based on MSP maturity.
“That’s probably the biggest opportunity.
“You have companies that are just beginning their MSP journey and others that have been operating that way for years.
“The expectations aren’t always the same.
“Sometimes the more mature MSPs are looking for strategic discussions while newer MSPs are still looking for operational guidance.
“I think there could be opportunities to create different tracks or communities around that.”