Twintel Stays at the Cutting Edge of Technology With Datto
Founded in 2008, Twintel Solutions is a leading managed services provider (MSP) from Garden Grove, California. They started as a non-profit-focused MSP servicing some large non-profits in the Orange County area. While they continue to do that even today, they have expanded their business to a for-profit model, providing IT consulting and support to small and midsize businesses (SMBs), enterprise-level corporations and the government sector.
Twintel is a one-stop, full-service tech shop offering v(CISO) services, project management, reactive support, procurement and third-party vendor management to clients. They are global in their approach, with a network operations center in Garden Grove and their Chief Technology Officer working out of the Philippines to provide remote support after hours to clients in the U.S. and customers worldwide.
We spoke to Mark Johnson, Director of Managed Services at Twintel, about how Datto solutions enabled the company to offer more personalized customer service and access to the latest technology. Twintel’s expertise, coupled with Datto solutions, propelled the company to the top, allowing it to expand its customer base and become a leader in the industry.
- Company: Twintel Solutions
- Industry: IT MSP
- Location: California
- Established: 2008
- Interviewed: Mark Johnson, Director of Managed Services
“We’ve always been very satisfied with the bread and butter of each Datto product.”
Director of Managed Services, Twintel Solutions
Providing comprehensive IT service to a large and diverse client base comes with its own unique set of challenges. Twintel had to ensure it had the right personnel and infrastructure to handle the complexities of the endeavor. To be able to quickly respond to customer needs, provide 24/7 support and ensure the safety and security of customer data were just a few items on the list.
During the conversations, Mark remarked that although several IT solutions are available in the market, not many are designed with the needs of an MSP in mind. He said that’s where Datto excelled. Datto solutions are designed from the ground up with MSPs in mind, and were able to provide Twintel with the flexibility, scalability and security they needed to impress their clients.
“I know that alternative products (BCDR Solution) were evaluated, but at that point, there wasn’t a product with the support services as outstanding as that provided by Datto.”
Director of Managed Services, Twintel Solutions
Twintel’s partnership with Datto dates back almost 12 years, shortly after the MSP was established. Their first solution from the Datto portfolio was the Datto full-service backup solution. After evaluating several options, they concluded that none offered support services comparable to Datto. “It is very unnerving to do disaster recovery tasks. Despite knowing the process, having an actual engineer take the call, hold our hands through the process and provide reassurance makes all the difference,” said Mark. For Twintel, Datto’s reliable and top-notch customer service has been a huge source of confidence.
Over the years, Twintel has extensively invested in several Datto and Kaseya solutions, like Datto RMM, Datto SaaS Protection, Autotask PSA, IT Glue, Powered Services and ConnectBooster. They were also one of the earliest adopters of Datto Secure Edge, a cloud-managed secure access solution for MSPs, to provide fast, simple and secure access to business applications located in the cloud or on-site to clients remotely.
Twintel shared an interesting story about how Datto Secure Edge, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) for MSPs, helped them reduce downtime for a client — a large staffing agency. Twintel managed their headquarters while another service provider supported their branch offices. As a result of poor support from the other service provider, Twintel decided to take full control of their client’s requirements to provide better customer service.
For this, they used Datto’s Secure Edge to facilitate migrating over 200 staff members from 12 offices simultaneously. With any other solution, the migration could have been a nightmare. Datto Secure Edge helped Twintel ensure business continuity for their clients with minimal disruptions while their network was being overhauled from end to end. It was a win for all.
“It was tremendous that (Secure Edge) allowed our clients to continue working while we did a completely end-to-end network overhaul, resulting in a positive customer experience.”
Director of Managed Services, Twintel Solutions
Twintel is excited about the market opportunity that Datto Secure Edge presents. Traditionally, VPN services come tied to the hardware. Replacing the hardware meant repurchasing a new license, and relocating the hardware meant reconfiguring all client connections. This makes it impossible to accurately track how often VPNs were used and for which accounts, making billing customers challenging. It was cumbersome and costly.
However, that changed with Datto’s Secure Edge. Previously, it would have taken an astronomical amount of work to reconfigure VPN clients. Now, they can set up a client in a new location with a single site-to-site VPN from Datto Secure Edge to the client’s new site. They can invite clients via email and manage their VPN services from a centralized dashboard. Twintel can now bill customers per VPN user session each month and scale up or down more efficiently while ensuring a consistent experience for the client.
Twintel relies on Datto and Kaseya to stay at the cutting edge of technology solutions. They have long wanted the ability to send server backups directly to the cloud, and now they have it with Datto. The Datto and Kaseya stack is constantly evolving and innovating, which helps Twintel fill in gaps for their clients. Whether it’s EDR or some other requirement, Twintel knows it can rely on Datto and Kaseya for MSP-centric solutions that help capitalize on market opportunities.