Barracuda Networks CEO BJ Jenkins has opened his arms to Intronis and the cloud backup provider's MSPs. In an email from Jenkins to those Intronis channel partners, Jenkins assured partners that the two companies "share a commitment to the channel that is remarkable, and we aim to make that evident in everything we do." But that's not all.
Jenkins' note to Intronis partners, viewed by ChannelE2E, arrives a few weeks after Barracuda completed its buyout of Intronis. In theory, the deal will give partners a broader portfolio of security and business continuity solutions. The deal could also help Barracuda partners to embrace recurring revenue models pioneered by Intronis.
Still, competition looms around every corner. Mergers, acquisitions and funding deals have been accelerating in the MSP software market. Datto, for instance, just raised $75 million in Series B funding and is generating profits. And eFolder has been diversifying its data protection revenue streams with partners.
Barracuda and Intronis
So where are Barracuda and Intronis heading? Jenkins offered a few clues in his email to Intronis partners. In one area he stated:
"Intronis has built a strong reputation for delivering a platform designed to help MSP partners meet those evolving customer needs. I am particularly excited about the opportunity we have to extend that platform to other services, such as Office365 security and compliance bundles and many other Barracuda offerings. With Barracuda’s expansive portfolio of solutions, and flexible deployment options available in on-premises, virtual, cloud-only, or hybrid, we are able to meet a broad set of customer challenges. We believe that together we have the ability to meet more customer needs, and enable our MSP partners to manage your customers’ complete line of network, security, and data protection needs."
Meanwhile, the Intronis executive team continues to surface at channel-centric events. For instance, Intronis CEO Rick Faulk and Channel Chief Neal Bradbury met with MSPs last week during IT Nation 2015 in Orlando. During an impromptu catchup with ChannelE2E, Faulk and Bradbury sounded upbeat about Barracuda's ownership of the company so far.
Challenges and Opportunities
Even so, not all MSP-oriented software buyouts work out. For instance, AVG Technologies' purchase of Level Platforms in 2013 has stumbled, triggering job cuts, leadership changes, at least one resignation and an SMB reorg in recent weeks.
Still, the AVG-Level Platforms business combo attempted to meld a freemium consumer business with a high-touch, niche MSP software business. That's certainly not an easy business combination to navigate. In contrast, both Intronis and Barracuda focus heavily on channel engagements in the business market.
