Attracted by the broad security capabilities of N-able’s cloud-first Cove Data Protection platform, MSP consortium group The 20 entered a strategic partnership with N-able earlier this month to expand Cove’s availability to a wider range of MSPs and their customers.
Under the deal, N-able joins The 20’s expanding network of linked MSPs that offer a diverse range of critical IT services to customers. The 20 is a platform that was built for MSPs so they can broaden their service and revenue footprints across North America.
N-able’s Cove Data Protection delivers streamlined, cloud-first backup and disaster recovery for customers across physical and virtual servers, workstations, and Microsoft 365 data. Through The 20 partnership, Cove Data Protection services will now be available to all the MSPs within The 20’s consortium and their customers.
“With Cove in play at the core of The 20’s security stack, members can gain greater confidence in their managed security protections and more resiliency when it comes to ransomware and other attacks,” Frank Colletti, chief revenue officer at N-able told ChannelE2E. “The 20 is a well-established and reputable peer group led by [CEO and founder] Tim Conkle, a force in our field.”
What N-able Gains in the Deal
While this is the first time that the two companies have formally worked together, said Colletti, N-able already has key partners within The 20, “which means they can go deeper faster and share success with other members in real-time.”
At the same time, both N-able and The 20 “value our professional relationships and network and want what is best for our MSPs,” added Colletti. “The leadership at The 20 and within N-able have a long-standing commitment to investing in the success of this community and doing what is right for our partners.”
Joining The 20 organization will bring benefits and growth to N-able by learning new techniques for growing its business, said Colletti.
“The 20 helps MSPs learn, grow, and pivot faster through better practice sharing across business and tech,” he said. “Joining the right peer group is a big decision and can really help MSPs scale their businesses, improve operational efficiency, and retain and grow employees. With the right business fundamentals, practices, and technology solutions in play, peer groups like The 20 give MSPs the confidence needed to be bold, create more value, stay competitive, and stand out in a crowded field.”
Jack E. Gold, founder and principal analyst for J. Gold Associates LLC, told ChannelE2E that he sees the arrangement between N-able and The 20 as a trend that will continue to be seen in the MSP market.
“This is another example of second-tier offerings being extended through partnerships to better compete with the first-tier MSPs,” said Gold. “Even smaller companies, where the second-tier MSP providers play, are looking to minimize the number of different tools they need to operate. A hodgepodge of various specialized tools, each for limited functions, is giving way to comprehensive and single vendor approaches for simplicity and cost optimization. So, this is a way for The 20 to expand its capabilities under one roof.”
How The 20 Will Incorporate N-able’s Cove Data Protection
Under the partnership, The 20 will offer Cove to MSPs as part of its standard security stack, incorporating Cove capabilities, including image-based backups, ransomware resilience, and a unified and easy-to-use interface. Cove offers fast and automated data recovery, which enables customers to swiftly resume operations in the event of data loss or disruption.
Ciera Cole, chief experience officer for The 20, told ChannelE2E that the company acquired MSP platform vendor Collabrance in August of 2024 and that Collabrance already had an established relationship with N-Able and its N-central agent, along with ConnectWise Manage as part of their standard model.
“With the acquisition, The 20 is now able to support MSPs across the Kaseya, ConnectWise, and N-Able tool stacks,” said Cole. “Prior to this, our model exclusively supported MSPs through Kaseya BMS and VSA. This collaboration enhances our ability to offer a comprehensive, best-in-class portfolio of solutions and resources for MSPs of all sizes.”
The partnership now designates N-able as a preferred vendor of The 20, including product vetting, discounted pricing, and streamlined support for The 20 members, she said. “While a few members had already started purchasing Cove, this agreement now opens the floodgates for wider adoption.”
The 20 will resell the products and provide support directly to its members under the partnership.
No Further News on 2024 N-able Sale Rumor
Interestingly, back in May of 2024, a Reuters news story reported that N-able was exploring a sale by its private equity investors, Silver Lake and Thoma Bravo, but no further progress has been reported since then. N-able is publicly held and has two private equity investors, each holding one-third of the company.
