GFI Software has added new NOC services into its GFI Max RemoteManagement RMM tool, giving managed service providers the ability to better monitor client networks around the clock.

The services will be provided by a NOC team from Cloud Services Depot, which specializes in network management. MSPs can leverage the NOC team to provide extra resources for after-hours support and remediation or through peak times when the MSP might be short-staffed, said Dr. Alistair Forbes, general manager of the GFI Max business unit.

"It gives you the ability to get specialist resources to supplement your internal team. It's a combination of giving extended cover and additional capacity," Forbes said. "It's very consistent with our theme talking with customers about increased business agility. One thing we have always sought to do is work with customers to not tie them to a set of commitments that can't change. The idea of a flexible resource model seemed like a good fit for us."

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For example, MSPs can leverage Cloud Services Depot for overnight alerts to help ensure that customers' networks are fixed by morning, Forbes said. In addition, MSPs can automatically set up notifications to be contacted should an alert be escalated beyond a certain point.

"The MSP will specify the activity at that level of remediation they should attempt. If it doesn't succeed, it escalates to the MSP who might want to handle it themselves," Forbes said.

The NOC team configures GFI MAX RemoteManagement software on each supported device to continuously monitor servers, workstations and other network devices. Cloud Services Depot can perform basic system administration, managing Microsoft operating systems and application patches and service packs and updating third-party applications, such as Adobe and Java, according to Clearwater, Fla.-based GFI.

GFI chose Cloud Services Depot as its NOC provider after speaking with its own customers that have used Cloud Services Depot as well as Cloud Services Depot customers that are not currently GFI partners, Forbes said.

"A number of NOC services have been offered over the years, some bundled with big iron, some agnostic. It was not a capability that we had ourselves or had been able to recommend a partner," Forbes said. "There are a number of providers out there and the feedback [on Cloud Services Depot] has been very good."

The NOC services are the first of what Forbes said will be several major enhancements to GFI Max over the next few months. For example, the company expects to expand beyond the Windows platform to Macintosh and Linux. "We'll also look to deploy to do mobile device management. You'll see a lot of new functionality released in the product itself," Forbes said.

PUBLISHED NOV. 29, 2012