Why MSPs Switch
Sophos Isn’t “Bad” - the Friction Is Operational
Sophos and WatchGuard are two of the few vendors that can genuinely cover endpoint, network, identity, and managed detection for SMB environments.The difference isn’t capability. It’s how efficiently MSPs can operate, scale, and monetize the stack. As tenant counts grow, small inefficiencies turn into margin leakage.
Time Lost
- Too many alerts requiring manual correlation
- Engineers context-switching instead of resolving incidents
Operational Drag
- Too many “this customer is different” configurations
- Internal decision trees that slow onboarding and response
Margin Pressure
- Billing models that don’t track seat volatility cleanly
- Rising labor costs that outpace revenue growth
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Support Experience & Channel Reality: The Sophos MSP Experience
Sophos Deep Dive: Broad Coverage, High Operational Noise.
Sophos offers broad protection, and many MSPs use it. But as you manage more tenants, the gap between detection capabilities and operational needs becomes clear. The table below shows where MSPs most often notice this gap.
| Challenge | Why It Matters to MSPs | Sophos | WatchGuard | MSP Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal Quality vs Alert Volume | Coverage doesn’t scale if analysts are drowning | Broad detection, higher alert volume requiring manual correlation | Correlation-first incidents reduce alert-to-incident ratios | Faster containment with less noise |
| XDR & MDR Economics | MDR only works if it scales profitably | Investigation effort can grow linearly with tenants | Repeatable response actions and automation | Sophos scales protection; WatchGuard scales margin |
| Platform Consistency | Every exception becomes a ticket | Multiple deployment paths create decision trees | Opinionated, repeatable architecture | Faster onboarding, fewer errors |
| Remote Access / ZTNA | Inconsistent access models slow standardization | Cloud and on-prem gateways introduce variation | FireCloud Total Access delivers a consistent SSE + ZTNA model | Easier templating across tenants |
| User & SaaS Visibility | Users don’t live behind the firewall | Visibility depends on deployed controls | Agent-first, cloud-first policies follow users everywhere | Consistent policy and visibility |
| Billing & Margin Predictability | MRR depends on predictable COGS | Commitment and timing friction | FlexPay + service control | Cleaner, more predictable margins |
| Network + Endpoint Context | SMB networks are messy; speed matters | Strong integration | Unified telemetry feeding XDR | Faster lateral movement detection |
Why WatchGuard Is Different
Fewer Support Loops
Faster Resolution
More Time to Grow Your Business
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Switching Without the Pain
As a channel-first vendor, we’ve built partner programs that help with all aspects of changing vendors. We understand the challenges of overlapping contracts, migration efforts, and cash-flow management, and we're here to help!
For Partners
Talk To Us About Sophos Switch Incentives
Understand contract overlap options, platform bundle rebates, and migration support tailored to your client base.
Book a Sophos Risk & Economics Review
Quantify technical gaps, after-hours load, and margin upside from consolidating on WatchGuard.
For Customers
Request a Joint WatchGuard + MSP session
See a tailored risk assessment, review a low-disruption migration path, and get clear expectations on cost and ROI.