Field Effect Field Effect MDR

Field Effect MDR is a technology-agnostic managed detection and response service built on the Covalence platform.

Key Facts:

• Founded in 2012, headquartered in Ottawa, Canada
• 99.9% noise reduction with elimination of duplicates and false positives
• Starting at $99/user/month
• 24/7 SOC with real analysts investigating every alert
• Full integrated coverage: endpoint, cloud, network
• Two packages: MDR Core (SMB) and MDR Complete (larger organizations)

Coverage Limitations

• DNS Firewall: "DNS firewall provides minimal coverage when laptops are outside office buildings, and reports cannot be generated in these situations"
• Limited visibility for remote/mobile devices outside corporate network

Performance Issues

• ARO Response Times: "ARO (Action Recommendation of Observations) responses are sometimes slower than preferred"
• Slower than ideal response times for some recommendation workflows

Integration and Features

• Third-party integrations:

  "Limited third-party integrations with other MSP tools and cloud applications like Office 365, Azure, and Salesforce"

• While core integrations exist, breadth is limited compared to enterprise MDR providers
• Automatic updates: "Need for improving automatic updates to agents and enhancing patch management capabilities"
• Missing patching: "Missing patching functionality"
• No email filter: "No email filter system included"

Visibility and Data Access

• Backend logs: "Limited visibility into backend data where logs are stored"
• Customers cannot directly access raw log data

Usability Challenges

• Bulk actions:

  "Cannot bulk select and resolve or dismiss multiple duplicate ARO recommendations at once"

• Manual burden for administrators handling multiple similar alerts
• Alert management: Tag and alert response process could be simplified

Support and Cost Concerns

• Support hours: "Support hours could be extended to 24/7 or 24/5, especially for security-related issues"
• Cost: Some users express concerns about high cost despite $99/user entry point

Platform Constraints

• Primarily North American market focus
• Limited global SOC coverage compared to enterprise providers
• SMB/mid-market focus may not suit enterprise needs

Recent User Experiences (2025)

Service Quality:

"Customer service is highly responsive and knowledgeable, with quick and effective responses even during emergencies. Initial setup is straightforward, often completed in a few hours."

• PeerSpot reviews, 2025

Coverage Limitations:

"DNS firewall provides minimal coverage when laptops are outside office buildings, and reports cannot be generated in these situations. Limited visibility into backend data where logs are stored."

• PeerSpot user review, 2025

Integration Needs:

"Limited third-party integrations with other MSP tools and cloud applications. Need for improving automatic updates to agents and enhancing patch management capabilities. Missing patching functionality and no email filter system included."

• G2 review compilation, 2025

Usability Feedback:

"Cannot bulk select and resolve or dismiss multiple duplicate ARO recommendations at once. Tag and alert response process could be simplified to reduce manual burden on administrators."

• Customer feedback, 2025

Support Concerns:

"Support hours could be extended to 24/7 or 24/5, especially for security-related issues. Some users express concerns about high cost."

• PeerSpot reviews, 2025