MSP providers and actual MSPs are tackling the immaturity of the overall market by combining forces to broaden their offerings. For instance, instead of a customer going to a discrete remote monitoring and management (RMM) vendor, then integrating that with a different solution, partnerships allow for one source for both.
The latest union involves independenceIT (iIT) and N-able technologies, the latter of which offers RMM and service automation.
indepenceIT, meanwhile, is a company built to help channel partners, offering its Cloud Workspace, with includes virtual desktop-style services in a virtual workspace environment. This way, a service provider can access files, applications and e-mail over a private MPLS network or the Internet.
Applications include Microsoft Exchange and Office.
Under the terms of the deal, iIT will train MSPs who to use N-able tool to develop fixed fee services aimed at hybrid IT environments.
“Cloud-based technologies are growing exponentially and challenging MSPs to adapt their IT services delivery model to embrace cloud services and more advanced solutions including mobile and virtualized IT solutions,” said JP Jauvin, President and COO, N-able Technologies. “By working together with iIT, we are formally extending our business acumen and partner development services to include best practices around cloud services marketing, sales, deployment and management.”
On the technical side, “iIT’s nPanel and Cloud Workspace Suite will soon be integrated with N-able’s N-central platform and easily managed by N-able’s Automation Manager IT delivery solution. The upcoming integration will allow MSPs to manage several products from a familiar, single, easy-to-use interface, while at the same time automating price management, quote creation, ordering and provisioning,” the companies said.
An MSP weighed in on the new deal. “The market and demand for cloud services has radically expanded these past few years,” said Michael Drake, CEO at masterIT. “The only way to keep up with demand and balance ongoing management requirements is with collaborative tools such as those from iIT and N-able. These two companies make it possible for us to proactively and efficiently meet our clients’ every need – including cloud-based technologies and services – while enabling us to grow as a company.”
Deals Abound
Another recent independenceIT alliance involves hosting management company Autotask, Corp., which has a line of hosted IT business management wares it sells to service providers such as project management, tech scheduling, service desk, project management, customer relationship management (CRM), and billing and reporting.
Autotask “provides real-time service delivery intelligence to help users understand the factors that drive their business and their profitability,” the company said. "Autotask is committed to helping IT and managed services providers run their businesses more efficiently and more profitably," said Len DiCostanzo, Autotask senior vice president of community and business development. "Building deep integrations with best-in-class solutions like independenceIT's nPanel and Cloud Workspace Suite make it easier for our clients to manage and deliver a broader range of services and increase their value to their end customers."
N-able RMM competitor LabTech has also been busy making deals. It just struck a deal with ConnectWise to add LabTech’s RMM service to ConnectWise’s service management offering.
indepenceIT believes the overall market is in its favor. “Industry analyst firm Gartner has said repeatedly that the current IT services model is changing. In fact, they state that IaaS (infrastructure as a service) and BPaaS (business process as a service) will grow 13.1 percent and 47.3 percent in 2013,” said Jim Lippie, EVP, business development, iIT. “With that in mind, it is easy to see how important it is for MSPs to quickly establish new recurring revenue streams based around providing cloud services. Our mission is to provide the expertise and solutions that help MSPs grow their recurring revenue and profits during a disruptive time in the market.”
Edited by
Braden Becker
