N-able’s Security Revenue Faces Decline as License Portability Undercuts MSP Margins

The episode details a structural shift for MSPs and IT service providers: the separation of security license resale from the value of human-led security services, and the resulting pricing and margin risks. Companies like N-able, SentinelOne, and SonicWall exemplify how technology offerings and delivery mechanisms are forcing providers to re-examine what differentiates their services beyond the products they resell.

N-able’s financial results illustrate the risk of relying on product-based security revenue. The company reported a drop in annual recurring revenue, driven by lower renewal rates in Unified Endpoint Management and Endpoint Detection and Response lines—both of which relied on reselling portable licenses, notably SentinelOne’s product. In contrast, revenue from services tied to human expertise—through the acquired Adlumen’s managed detection and response (MDR)—grew, according to both N-able management and analysts. The episode states that when customers can move licenses without losing service continuity, price becomes the only differentiator, undermining provider margins.

Related developments reinforce this dynamic. SonicWall launched a combined antivirus and EDR solution available as both a product and a managed service—explicitly marketed for MSP resale—where SonicWall’s analysts handle detection and response. Additionally, Proofpoint expanded its managed services platform, providing security, backup, and compliance through an MSP-oriented, multi-tenant console. These offerings blur the line between manufacturer-managed services and traditional MSP-delivered security work, increasing vendor competition at the service layer.

For MSPs and IT leaders, these shifts expose the risk in revenue models that bundle security services with third-party product resale, particularly when those products are easily substitutable. The transcript urges providers to re-evaluate their pricing strategies: separating human service from license cost, justifying it independently, and moving away from device- or seat-based billing. The clear risk is that failing to articulate and defend the value of human-led activities will leave providers vulnerable to vendor undercutting and margin erosion, as seen in recent N-able outcomes.

00:00 Recurring Revenue Went Backwards
03:24 They Stopped Saying RMM
06:04 You Already Own It
09:18 Why Do We Care?

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