Full Report
Our partners at United Systems and F1 Solutions talk about their respective journeys with our Managed Microsoft Defender solution.
Analysis Summary
# Industry News: MSPs Shift to Managed Microsoft Defender via Huntress Platform
## Summary
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) United Systems and F1 Solutions have transitioned their endpoint security strategy to leverage Huntress’ Managed Microsoft Defender. The move reflects a broader market shift toward consolidating security stacks by utilizing native Microsoft tools enhanced by third-party managed detection and response (MDR) services.
## Key Details
- **Date:** December 21, 2021
- **Companies Involved:** Huntress (Security Platform), United Systems (MSP), F1 Solutions (MSP)
- **Category:** Product Adoption / Strategic Partnership
## The Story
The announcement highlights the real-world application of Huntress’ Managed Microsoft Defender, a solution designed to provide a centralized management layer over the native Windows Defender engine. Traditionally, MSPs relied on third-party antivirus (AV) software, often viewing Defender as insufficient or difficult to manage at scale across multiple clients.
Partner testimonials from Jeff Harlan (United Systems) and Jennifer VanderWier (F1 Solutions) indicate that Microsoft Defender has reached technical parity with—and in some cases, exceeded—traditional AV performance. By integrating this native tool with Huntress’ 24/7 Global SOC and new features like Host Isolation, MSPs are now able to provide enterprise-grade security without the overhead of maintaining multiple disparate licenses and agents.
## Business Impact
### For the Companies Involved
- **Huntress:** Solidifies its position as a critical orchestration layer for MSPs, increasing "stickiness" by managing native OS tools.
- **United Systems & F1 Solutions:** Reported improved bottom lines by utilizing tools already included in Microsoft licensing while maintaining high security standards.
### For Competitors
- **Traditional AV Vendors:** Face increasing pressure as MSPs realize they can achieve comparable or superior results using native tools managed by an MDR provider, potentially leading to churn in the standalone AV market.
- **MDR Competitors:** Huntress gains a first-mover advantage in specifically "managing" the built-in Microsoft ecosystem for the SMB/MSP channel.
### For Customers
- **End Users:** Benefit from reduced system overhead (fewer agents) and faster incident response times via Huntress’ SOC and Host Isolation capabilities.
### For the Market
- **Consolidation Trend:** This signals a move toward "Security Stack Simplification," where performance and management ease are prioritized over brand-name diversity in security tools.
## Technical Implications
The transition leverages the maturation of the Microsoft Defender engine, which has consistently scored high in independent tests (e.g., AV-Test). The "Managed" aspect is technically significant because it solves the multi-tenancy visibility gap that often prevents MSPs from using Defender effectively across diverse client portfolios.
## Strategic Analysis
- **Market Positioning:** Huntress is positioning itself not just as a tool, but as a force multiplier for the existing Microsoft ecosystem.
- **Competitive Advantage:** Lowering the total cost of ownership (TCO) for MSPs by eliminating redundant AV licensing fees.
- **Challenges:** Heavy reliance on Microsoft’s ecosystem means any vulnerabilities or updates in the Windows OS could directly impact the managed service's efficacy.
## Industry Reactions
- **Analyst Opinions:** The shift to "Managed Native Security" is viewed as a pragmatic evolution for the mid-market and SMB sectors, where cost-efficiency and labor shortages are primary drivers.
- **Market Response:** Rapid adoption by partners like United Systems (moving 1,200 endpoints immediately) suggests high confidence in the stability of the Huntress/Microsoft integration.
## Future Outlook
- **Predictable Growth:** Expect more MSPs to drop traditional AV vendors in favor of "Managed Defender" models to increase margins.
- **Watch For:** Integration of managed services for other native OS security features, such as firewall management or identity protection, into the Huntress platform.
## For Security Professionals
Practitioners should note that the efficacy of "native" security is now considered enterprise-grade when paired with professional monitoring. For those managing SMB environments, the focus is shifting from *which* tool is used to *who* is watching the alerts generated by those tools.