10 Cool New Tools For MSPs From IT Nation 2013

There's A Tool For That

Itching for a new product for your MSP business for the coming year? From data backup to management platforms, CRN breaks down 10 tools, updates and channel programs announced at ConnectWise's 2013 IT Nation Partner Summit in Orlando, Fla.

ConnectWise

In his keynote address at IT Nation 2013, ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini spoke about many upcoming improvements to its IT management platform.

In the first quarter of 2014, the company will roll out the beginning of a series of dashboards, starting with a services dashboard, that are individually customizable by each MSP employee. ConnectWise also will add baselining to its platform, so MSPs can make sure to stay on track, as well as a new ticketing interface that makes it easier to edit and follow client tickets. Other improvements include making the program faster while using only one-fifth of the bandwidth, and the ability to access it on any browser.

OpenDNS

OpenDNS revealed Wednesday the integration of its Umbrella for MSPs security service with ConnectWise's service management software. It is part of a recognition by OpenDNS of the channel's push toward a single-pane-of-glass system, Dima Kumets, OpenDNS MSP product manager, told CRN at IT Nation. Kumets said that his company has seen "exponential growth" in its MSP business and the partnership announcement shows how the company is working with its partners to provide a better, more seamless security solution.

"If we can help our partners be better off and grow faster, we will absolutely do that," Kumets said.

The product will help those already using ConnectWise, the most popular managing platform with OpenDNS partners, to be more proactive than reactive in the cloud marketplace, Kumets said.

Vembu

Vembu offers MSPs a single solution for data backup, disaster recovery and file sharing. The latest update to the solution, Vembu v 6.1, adds encrypted block-level storage, reverse incremental backups and WAN accelerated backups, among other features, under a centralized platform. Len Srinivasan, Vembu vice president of channel development, said that Vembu helps MSPs develop and package a cloud solution for their clients with backup and file-sharing capabilities. The product also can be offered as a white-box product, Srinivasan said.

"That's an opportunity for MSPs to bet on [something] that puts together a solution on top of cloud to make a value-added difference," Srinivasan told CRN at IT Nation.

The product is aiming to be available to partners in Jan. 2014.

ConnectWise

The ModernOffice Communicator, the first pieces to be launched early 2014, will allow MSPs to communicate better with their clients through chat and remotely fix their problems, making the IT process "personal again," ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini said in his keynote address. The Communicator will allow you to see what devices are active, giving MSPs the ability to know if their clients are at their desk to solve a problem or if the device is available for some downtime.

"We really care about your success. We work very hard to create ways for you to be more successful," Bellini said.

Bellini said that ConnectWise hopes to add video and voice capabilities to the product soon to further improve communication capabilities.

LogicMonitor

Santa Barbara, Calif.-based performance monitoring platform LogicMonitor has made its Netflow traffic monitoring functionality, and a lower solution provider price for current customers, designed to increase the use of the product by MSPs and cloud service providers, a press release said.

"What we do is becoming more and more relevant for MSPs," CEO of LogicMonitor Kevin McGibben told CRN at IT Nation 2013.

The deal will be available for current LogicMonitor customers for at least the remainder of 2013.

AVG

Internet and mobile security provider AVG Wednesday released CloudCare with Online Backup. Launched a year ago, administration platform CloudCare has received a lot of uptake from resellers, and integration of the online backup system into the platform.

"One big thing for us is that it reinforces our commitment to being all under the same pane of glass," Luke Walling, vice president of sales and operations for SMBs at AVG, told CRN at IT Nation 2013.

Walling said that partners can see 300 percent to 500 percent margins on the product. He said CloudCare makes it easier for the partner because it consolidates the backup solution regardless of what the end-user customer is using themselves. CloudCare is designed by partners and for partners, Walling told CRN, and will not be available for purchase by the end user.

Webroot

Cloud-based security intelligence company Webroot has integrated with the LabTech RMM software. In doing so, it allows MSPs to simplify their work and gain security intelligence through a single-pane-of-glass system, Charlie Tomeo, vice president of channel and technical sales at Webroot, told CRN at IT Nation.

The move represents Webroot's turn toward the MSP market, Tomeo said. Webroot previously has experience selling in the channel, and Tomeo said that he believes the LabTech connection will open a lot of doors into the MSP market through the popular RMM software.

"Now we feel like the natural progression is the MSP space. It's definetly a great place we can do a great job of supporting," Tomeo told CRN. "I think it's really going to be a game-changer for us."

Xerox

Xerox now offers an integration of a plug-in for printer discovery and monitoring capabilities with LabTech RMM software to help partners easily deliver a print-monitoring service as part of their portfolio. The LabTech integration is the first RMM to incorporate Xerox into its solution, though Chris Iburg, Xerox's director of managed print services for the North America resellers group, told CRN that Xerox plans to expand to other RMM platforms as well.

"They can now manage these in the same way they manage everything else. It integrates into how they manage their business," Iburg told CRN about the announcement. "That's been a big growing market for a long time."

eFolder

Cloud data protection company eFolder Wednesday released its eFolder BDR Upgrade Program. The program helps make it easy for partners to switch from a legacy BDR to eFolder by giving partners a $1,000 credit toward a new eFolder BDR if they trade in a decommissioned BDR appliance.

eFolder will accept trade-ins of Datto Siris (except Siris Lite), Datto Viridian lines, SonicWall CDP, Zenith Infotech and other similar competitive BDR products.

BrightGauge

BrightGauge Software now has an update to its business-analytics platform. BrightGauge 3.1 allows MSPs to delve deeper into their business analytics and utilize the data to make more informed business decisions, the company said in a press release.

The update adds customizable dashboards with rapid data refresh rates, with the ability to publish dashboards on mobile devices, monitors and TV screens.