Passportal has deep respect for IT Glue's management, business and partners. But there's no avoiding the fact that the MSP-focused software companies are now competitors, according to Passportal CEO Colin Knox.
The back-story goes something like this: Passportal has specialized in password management and security services that MSPs can consume and also offer to their customers. IT Glue offers a documentation platform that allows MSPs to build and automate their knowledge bases. For more than a year or so, Passportal has held meetings with IT Glue to pursue an integration, Knox says. As part of those meetings, Passportal provided APIs to IT Glue's team, according to Passportal President Dan Wensley.
Passportal thought IT Glue would develop the integration but nothing ever materialized. IT Glue CEO Chris Day says he doesn't consider such an integration to be a priority. Also, IT Glue has its own password management capabilities, Day adds.
Passportal and IT Glue: Rivalry Emerging?
Instead of waiting on a potential integration, Passportal has extended from its password management & security services to documentation management -- essentially setting the stage for more competition between the companies.
"We respect IT Glue and we applaud their people and their success so far," says Knox. "But we do see ourselves as competitors and the market will see us as competitors. We now have a robust, healthy alternative to IT Glue."
"We have a ton of mutual partners," adds Wensley. "We did this because the market requested either we integrate or we introduce our own content management in Passportal."
Moreover, the Passportal team believes their password management and security capabilities are far superior to potential alternatives, particularly in terms of the security and automation features that MSPs can consume and/or extend out to their end customers.
