MSP Roundup: Salesforce.com Integration, Oki Data Managed Print And More

Managed Services News Roundup

It's been a busy week for MSP vendors. Here's a rundown of some of the latest announcements from companies including Level Platforms, N-able Technologies and Kaseya.

Level Platforms Adds Salesforce.com Integration

LPI Level Platforms has added a new Salesforce.com Service Desk Module that "provides full two-way case and device synchronization" between LPI's Managed Workplace platform and the Salesforce.com cloud, according to the companies.

Managed service providers can now sync information between devices and coordinate service ticket and case assignments. LPI's Managed Workplace platform automatically collects relevant data and feeds it into Salesforce.com, where issues from trouble ticket identification and resolution to billing and reporting can be addressed, according to Gordon Rielly, CTO of Level Platforms.

N-able, Bitdefender Ally For Stand-Alone Solution

N-able Technologies has partnered with security vendor Bitdefender on a new stand-alone security solution, to be available spring 2013, for MSPs using N-able's N-central and cloud-based technologies, according to N-able.

The new Security Manager - AV Defender solution complements N-able's N-central platform and existing Security Manager - Endpoint solution, according to N-able, by providing a cloud-based management console that is designed to proactively protect clients' server and desktop end-points, as well as Microsoft Exchange email systems. Users will have access to anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, Trojan/rootkit detection and two-way personal firewall with intrusion detection, according to Shaun Donaldson, director of alliances at Bitdefender. "Our alliance with N-able creates a significant opportunity for MSPs to deliver their solutions through cloud technologies knowing that the security is built specifically for those environments," he said in a statement.

Kaseya Creates Customer, Partner Advisory Councils

Kaseya has created its first global partner advisory council, which meets this week in Amsterdam. The Lausanne, Switzerland-based MSP platform vendor is concurrently launching a customer advisory council too. Both councils are expected to advise Kaseya on the state of the market and development of Kaseya's solutions, according to the company.

Partner council members were chosen based on their expertise, knowledge and understanding of Kaseya's market, ability to acquire new customers and technical skills in delivering a product/service like Kaseya, according to Kaseya.

Oki Data Expands Managed Print Offering

Oki Data Americas will introduce a new print-as-a-service solution at the ASCII Success Summit in Chicago this week.

The new service provides MSPs with a predictable and recurring revenue-based service model for print while also removing barriers associated with printed document output, according to Oki Data. The Mount Laurel, N.J.-based company will also present its Total Managed Print solution, a modular offering that can be sold turnkey as a complete managed print offering or by adding any of nine individual components to an existing offering, according to Christopher DiReda, national sales director of managed print services for Oki Data Americas.

Passportal Delivers Mobile Password Management

Passportal, based in Calgary, Alb., has introduced a new service for MSPs to securely manage client passwords. Passportal MSP is a hosted, cloud-based solution accessible through a Web portal and a new mobile interface.

Passportal stores passwords for domain admin, firewall, database, public DNS, spam filters, VOIP and other line of business applications with four levels of encryption, according to Colin Knox, Passportal CEO. "More than 85 percent of technicians carry a mobile device, and they need secure access to the passwords they need, when they need them" said Colin Knox, Passportal CEO.

Monthly pricing starts at just $49 per MSP. The mobile solution supports iOS, Android and other mobile devices and includes search access for client notes, URLs and passwords, with a comprehensive password history and management permissions by user, client and device.

Nixu Cloud IP Suite Helps MSPs Provision

Application deployment company Nixu Software has launched Nixu Cloud IP Suite, which helps managed service providers automate the IP provisioning process, reducing the time it takes to get up and running without replacing current infrastructure, according to the Boston-based company.

Nixu Cloud IP Suite allows IT departments and MSPs to automate the manual steps associated with cloud application release, which can reduce the delivery time of cloud application deployment from weeks to milliseconds, according to Juha Holkkola, managing director of Nixu. "Relying on manual processes is no longer feasible, because that can take up to several weeks. Our solution enables reliable automation of these workflows in multi-tenant cloud environments," Holkkola said in a statement.

CentraStage Integrates With ConnectWise

CentraStage, a cloud-based remote monitoring, management and IT automation company, has completed integration of its system with ConnectWise's services automation platform, according to the companies.

CentraStage's agent-based software leverages the cloud to deliver an on-demand, pay-as-you-go platform capable of supporting thousands of user and millions of devices, according to the Buckinghamshire, U.K.-based company. The new integration will improve IT service delivery and workflow by linking customer profiles and companies between the two systems, synching future changes, and automatically updating when customer profiles are created or edited, according to Christian Nagele (pictured), CEO of CentraStage.

Autotask Expands HQ

Autotask has expanded its corporate headquarters by about 4,000 feet, or 15 percent, to house additional product support, implementation, training and documentation teams, according to the East Greenbush, N.Y.-based company.

The new area will accommodate 43 employees and continues the growth of the company, which has opened offices in London and Sydney, Australia, and expanded its office in Beijing in the last 12 months. Since January, Autotask has hired about 100 new employees, according to CEO Mark Cattini (pictured).

"In 2011 we assessed our market potential in the Americas and around the world, and scaled our operations, and our product, to meet the anticipated demand," Cattini said in a statement.

CodeLathe Launches Google Drive Alternative For Business

CodeLathe, an Austin, Texas-based cloud software and services company, has launched Tonido Cloud, a private cloud storage and sync solution for medium businesses, managed service providers and enterprises.

CodeLathe Tonido Cloud users can access, share and sync company files and documents from anywhere on any device, according to the company. The service connects to several types of back-end storage systems including local disk, NAS/SAN, Amazon S3 and OpenStack and makes data available to PC, Mac and Linux users as well as iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows 7.5 mobile users, according to Madhan Kanagavel, CEO of CodeLathe.

GFI MAX Customers Up 30 Percent in 2012

GFI Software said the number of MSPs using its GFI MAX RemoteManagement solution has increased 30 percent in 2012 to 6,500 customers. At the end of 2011, GFI said its customer base had doubled to 5,000 in two years. The recent launch of GFI MAX's Managed Online Backup has helped increase customers, said Alistair Forbes, general manager of the GFI Max business unit.

Other milestones reached by GFI this year include: more than 2.5 million automated maintenance tasks, more than 175 million monitoring checks running each month and 500,000 threats quarantined each month by GFI MAX Managed Antivirus, according to the Clearwater, Fla.-based company. "As we continue to grow, we are focusing our energies on keeping in touch with our users," Forbes said in a statement. "Our senior executives will be traveling extensively over the next few months to meet and discuss the future of GFI MAX with over 700 customers attending the upcoming GFI MAX customer conferences." GFI Max plans to host conferences this fall in the U.S., UK, Germany and Australia.