In the rapidly evolving managed services provider (MSP) landscape, the complexity and diversity of digital tools have become both a blessing and a burden. MSPs are expected to operate with utmost efficiency, deliver secure and seamless IT services, and respond to business customers’ ever-growing needs for cloud solutions—yet, as they’ve historically turned to stacks of Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM), Professional Services Automation (PSA), and Microsoft 365 management tools, many find themselves mired in “tool sprawl.” The launch of Syncro’s new Extended Monitoring and Management (XMM) platform, forged in close collaboration with Microsoft, could mark an inflection point in how MSPs consolidate, secure, and scale their operations with dramatically reduced friction.
The Tyranny of Tool Sprawl: A Persistent MSP Challenge
For years, MSPs have faced a paradox of abundance: a bounty of best-of-breed tools, yet persistent headaches from their lack of integration. The promise of RMM tools, task automation, ticketing, and cloud management often falls short due to the complexities involved in making disparate products work together. Integrating separate RMM, PSA, and Microsoft 365 management solutions demands substantial investments in time and money, not to mention the ongoing risks of configuration errors, security gaps, and inefficiencies. According to multiple industry surveys, MSPs cite tool integration as a top operational pain point, directly impacting both service quality and the bottom line.
Dee Zepf, Syncro’s chief product officer, highlighted these realities in the ChannelE2E briefing: “Most solutions today force MSPs to juggle a stack of loosely integrated tools… XMM changes that. It is a unified solution that is built from the ground up to work together. XMM simplifies deployment, reduces operational complexity, and strengthens security, helping MSPs deliver more value with less effort.” This feedback-driven approach underscores Syncro’s responsiveness to market needs: the XMM platform’s development was guided directly by MSPs’ frustrations—tool sprawl, manual configuration, integration gaps, and rising security risks.
What Makes Syncro XMM Different? A Deep Dive
At its core, Syncro XMM is a unified platform that wraps together three mission-critical service categories for MSPs:
- Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM): Enabling continuous tracking, proactive maintenance, and policy enforcement for client endpoints and infrastructure.
- Professional Services Automation (PSA): Automating workflows, ticketing, billing, and client communications to ensure efficient operations.
- Microsoft 365 Multi-tenant Management: Providing MSP-specific control and monitoring across multiple client organizations’ Microsoft 365 environments, bolstered by security, compliance, and risk management tools.
The platform distinguishes itself by native, deeply integrated connections to Microsoft Secure Score, Defender Antivirus, and Entra ID (the service formerly known as Azure Active Directory). This Microsoft collaboration is not just a superficial tie-in—unlike traditional third-party plugins or APIs, these integrations are described as “built-in,” giving MSPs confidence that the core functions will be interoperable and compliant with Microsoft’s evolving standards.
Built-In Security and Compliance Tools
Security remains a dominant concern for MSPs and their business customers. According to Syncro and independent analysts, XMM automates Microsoft 365 compliance monitoring, orchestrates security hygiene tasks, and generates risk assessments—functions that, when managed across disconnected systems, often fall through the cracks. With real-time monitoring of Secure Score and Defender Antivirus, MSPs are positioned to deliver proactive, up-to-date reporting and threat response across their customer base.
Additionally, Entra ID integration facilitates granular access control and identity management in multi-tenant environments. Given the rise of cloud identity attacks, this marks a significant value-add in securing clients’ digital perimeters.
Operational Efficiency Through Unification
Syncro XMM’s consolidation of RMM, PSA, and Microsoft 365 management promises dramatic efficiency gains over legacy multi-tool setups. By centralizing functions such as device discovery, user management, ticketing, and compliance reporting, MSPs can reduce the administrative drag that comes with toggling between different dashboards, maintaining separate logins, and double-entering customer data. Notably, April’s update introduced built-in network discovery, enabling faster onboarding and effortless visibility into customers’ connected devices.
Moreover, service automation runs deep: ticket creation, escalation, and resolution can be tied directly to events identified during monitoring or compliance checks. This automation not only accelerates response times but also improves accuracy in tracking SLAs and documenting service outcomes.
The Analyst View: Integration as Value and Risk Reduction
Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group, frames Syncro XMM’s unified approach as a powerful answer to longstanding industry headaches. “Bringing products together like this means Syncro is assuring the integration between them, removing the integration risk for everyone else,” he told ChannelE2E. This is critical, Enderle notes, given Microsoft’s own reputation for requiring extensive effort by MSPs to make its various products work together seamlessly.
Enderle’s critique of the status quo is notable: “The separate products would have also required a lot of expensive custom and unbudgeted work to reach an acceptable level of performance and interoperation.” By packaging and pre-combining the core MSP toolset, Syncro enables MSPs to make a simpler, more trustworthy value proposition to their business customers while reining in costs and uncertainty.
This pre-integration also plays a vital role in the ongoing campaign to improve security in the face of growing threats. Enderle points out that successful cyberattacks increasingly reach boardroom attention; companies are spending more on security, but incompatibility and siloed tools often diminish returns. MSPs, under pressure to demonstrate strong security outcomes, understandably favor platforms that guarantee interoperability and minimize overlooked vulnerabilities.
How Syncro XMM Works: Key Features for MSPs
A closer examination of XMM’s feature set reveals several critical advancements for MSP operations:
Unified Dashboard and Automation
- All major operational tasks—monitoring, ticketing, compliance reports, user changes—are accessed via a single, customizable dashboard.
- Built-in automation can trigger tickets based on security alerts, non-compliance, or device anomalies.
- Microsoft Secure Score is tracked and addressed automatically, with remediation workflows integrated into MSPs’ regular service schedules.
Multi-Tenant Microsoft 365 Management
- MSPs can now manage multiple clients’ Microsoft 365 deployments without switching contexts or maintaining parallel data sets.
- Entra ID support enables fine-grained identity and access management for each client, improving both security and auditability.
- Defender Antivirus status and configurations are accessible alongside core RMM features, eliminating blind spots.
Discovery and Scalability
- The recent addition of network discovery equips MSPs to inventory devices, map network topologies, and identify shadow IT without requiring third-party tools.
- As client bases grow, XMM’s centralized policy application and automation workflows scale fluidly, without the need for manual scripting or batch jobs across systems.
Security and Compliance Automation
- Continuous compliance monitoring against Microsoft’s standards, with customizable reports for MSP and customer consumption.
- Automated hygiene checks flag outdated software, misconfigured devices, or access anomalies, reducing the likelihood of breaches or audit failures.
- Risk assessments and remediation recommendations are embedded in workflows, supporting both regulatory requirements and best-practice frameworks.
Notable Strengths: Advancing the MSP Value Proposition
Syncro XMM’s launch is timely for several reasons, each underscoring tangible value for MSPs:
- Reduced Tool Sprawl: By combining three essential functions under one umbrella, MSPs minimize the overhead of managing (and paying for) multiple platforms.
- Assured Interoperability: Native integrations with core Microsoft services guarantee a level of reliability and support that piecemeal solutions struggle to attain.
- Security at the Core: Automation of compliance, risk assessment, and antivirus orchestration addresses both the operational need for efficiency and rising client demands for robust security.
- Faster Time to Value: Streamlined onboarding through network discovery and unified ticketing/account management allows MSPs to win more clients and deliver immediate results.
- Scalability: As MSPs expand their footprint, centralized policy management and automation avert the need to constantly retool backend processes.
- Customer Confidence: End customers gain peace of mind, knowing that their service provider’s toolset is validated by Microsoft and architected for seamless operation.
Potential Risks and Points of Caution
No technology solution is without trade-offs, and while Syncro XMM’s integration-centric approach solves many entrenched problems, it introduces new considerations:
Vendor Lock-In
With deeper unification comes increased dependence on a limited set of vendors—in this case, Syncro and Microsoft. MSPs that adopt XMM may find it difficult to revert to best-of-breed or open source tools should their needs change or should Syncro’s roadmap diverge from industry trends. While this risk is inherent to many “all-in-one” platforms, careful attention to exit strategies and data portability remains crucial.
Pace of Integration Updates
As Microsoft’s cloud tools and APIs evolve rapidly, Syncro will need to continuously update XMM’s integration layers to ensure compatibility and feature availability. Any lag could put MSPs at a disadvantage, particularly if critical Microsoft 365 features or security updates take time to appear in the Syncro ecosystem.
Customization Limits
While pre-integration streamlines most workflows, some MSPs—especially those serving niche industries or requiring bespoke processes—may chafe at rigid workflows or a lack of customization offered by an all-in-one approach. Syncro’s long-term success will depend on balancing native features with extensibility and third-party ecosystem support.
Unverified Claims
Some of XMM’s purported benefits, such as “dramatically improved security” or “complete elimination of integration risk,” warrant scrutiny. While analyst commentary and initial user feedback are positive, real-world results will depend on implementation quality, ongoing support, and platform transparency. MSPs are encouraged to conduct pilot projects and demand comprehensive documentation before wholesale migration.
Industry Impact and the Future of MSP Platforms
Syncro XMM exemplifies a broader shift in the MSP platform market toward unified, cloud-native, integrated solutions. Vendors across the spectrum—from giants like ConnectWise and Datto to specialists focused on cybersecurity or automation—are investing in tighter integrations and preconfigured bundles aimed at reducing operational friction and improving service outcomes. The rationale is clear: as digital operations become more complex, the cost (and risk) of manually linking disparate tools with scripting, APIs, and professional services becomes increasingly unmanageable.
XMM’s distinctive advantage lies in its close, collaborative development with Microsoft—a partnership that, if maintained and expanded, will allow Syncro to remain at the forefront of newly released features, compliance mandates, and security innovations. MSPs, in turn, stand to gain both operational savings and enhanced credibility with clients, positioning themselves as strategic advisors rather than mere tool operators.
Final Thoughts: A Calculated Bet on Simplicity and Security
For MSPs, the decision to adopt a unified platform like Syncro XMM is more than a tool selection—it’s a strategic investment in future-proofing their service delivery. By collapsing tool silos, automating compliance and security, and harnessing Microsoft’s dominant presence in business IT, Syncro offers a compelling modernization path for providers keen to scale without sacrificing quality or efficiency.
But, as with any new technology, cautious optimism and due diligence are warranted. Proactive MSPs should engage with Syncro’s pilot programs, request clear roadmaps, and assess integration extensibility before committing to wholesale migration. The promise of eliminating tool sprawl and strengthening security must be backed by robust technical support, transparent updates, and clear avenues for customization.
Ultimately, Syncro XMM’s launch reflects a maturing MSP market—where business value is measured not by the number of tools in play, but by the seamless, secure, and scalable experiences those tools enable. If the platform delivers on its goals and remains aligned with the needs of the MSP community, it could serve as a blueprint for the next generation of managed IT service infrastructure—one where simplicity and integration become the foundation for innovation.
Source: ChannelE2E
Syncro’s New XMM Platform Aims to Help MSPs Reduce RMM and PSA Tool Sprawl
What is XMM?
