Making MDR Mandatory for Every Customer
Tecnova is a WatchGuard Platinum Partner known for its proactivity, strategic mindset, and creativity in developing campaigns that drive new business. With a strong focus on delivering value beyond technology, they have consistently demonstrated an ability to anticipate customer needs and turn cybersecurity challenges into growth opportunities.
Their success has been built on close collaboration, commitment, and consistent effort alongside WatchGuard—making this story not just about technology, but about the power of a true partnership.
With 23 years in business across Costa Rica and Guatemala, Tecnova has seen firsthand how the threat landscape has evolved and where traditional approaches fall short. For the past 12 years, they have been an exclusive WatchGuard partner, building their business entirely around the WatchGuard platform.
Alejandro Quesada, General Manager of Tecnova, explains that Tecnova learned the hard way the importance of Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Now, instead of leading with other point solutions, Tecnova now leads with MDR for every customer.
What Is the Gap Between Detection and Action?
For years, Tecnova sold endpoint protection, firewalls, and other security tools. While the technology worked, they knew something was missing and that customers were still at risk, because no one was acting on the detections.
Alerts were generated but often ignored, leading to missed threats and, in some cases, preventable incidents.
“We learned that customers don’t give alerts the importance they should,” Alejandro said. “That was a turning point for us; realizing that without someone there to respond, even the best security tools fall short.”
What Happens When You Try to Solve This Problem Internally?
To address the gap, Tecnova began monitoring alerts themselves, building a small, custom MDR approach using their own engineers. They began monitoring alerts across customer environments, investigating suspicious activity, and stepping in when needed. This hands-on approach delivered immediate results.
“We started monitoring alerts ourselves and prevented at least five major cyberattacks.” Alejandro said. In several cases, patterns spotted in one environment helped stop attacks in another. What might have looked like a low-priority alert turned out to be the early sign of something much bigger.
But success came at a cost. As alert volumes increased, the model became harder to sustain. Their engineers were stretched thin, working through growing queues of alerts, without full visibility or 24/7 coverage.
“We started to receive so many alerts, and when that happens, you begin to miss things or not give them the priority they deserve” Alejandro explained. Without automation or scale, the effort became expensive and difficult to maintain. What worked in the short term wasn’t built for long-term growth.
How Did Tecnova Solve This Problem?
Tecnova adopted WatchGuard MDR to solve both the customer challenge and their own operational constraints, giving them a scalable way to deliver continuous monitoring and response.
MDR is now the starting point for every engagement, replacing endpoint-first conversations with a service-led approach. “We don’t sell just antivirus or EDR anymore. We sell a complete service.” Alejandro said. “Having MDR is mandatory!”
For Tecnova, MDR defines the baseline for security. Without it, they know customers are left exposed. With MDR in place, Tecnova changed how it delivers security. Instead of spending time reviewing large volumes of low-value alerts, their team now focuses on what matters. High-priority threats are surfaced quickly, allowing engineers to spend more time on investigation, response, and proactive improvements across customer environments.
At the same time, customers benefit from continuous monitoring and faster response. What used to depend on internal resources and availability is now consistent, around-the-clock protection.
How Does Tecnova Deliver More Than Just Technology?
Tecnova combines WatchGuard’s MDR service with its own local expertise.
They deliver MDR as a monthly service, making it easier for customers to adopt and budget. In addition, they include dedicated time with their engineers to review security posture, address gaps, and focus on prevention. “MDR has no face. We add the face via our local engineers,” said Alejandro.
This approach brings together the scale of a 24/7 SOC with the trust of a local partner. Customers not only gain continuous protection but also have someone they can rely on for guidance and support.
What Impact Did MDR Have on Customers and the Business?
For customers, the change was immediate. Security was no longer dependent on whether someone was available to respond. With continuous monitoring in place, threats are identified and addressed faster, reducing the risk of something small turning into something much bigger.
Instead of reacting after the fact, Tecnova is now able to focus more on prevention. Customers experience fewer disruptions and gain greater confidence that their environments are being actively protected.
At the same time, Tecnova strengthened how it operates and grows the business.
Moving from selling tools to delivering a managed service created a more consistent and scalable model. MDR now sits at the center of every engagement, giving Tecnova a clear point of differentiation and a stronger foundation for long-term customer relationships. As Alejandro explained, “Having MDR is like having a SOC, but at a much lower cost.”
What began as a response to a gap has evolved into the foundation of how Tecnova delivers security.
Tecnova sees MDR as the foundation of modern cybersecurity and a key driver of future growth. Their strategy is to transition all existing customers to MDR, ensure new customers start there, and continue expanding into AI-driven detection and response.