Auvik Networks has acquired Talaia, a software startup focused on network traffic analytics, the companies confirmed this morning. Auvik will leverage the technology to provide MSPs (managed services providers) with deeper network traffic visibility capabilities, CEO Marc Morin tells ChannelE2E.
At first glance, it's a small tuck-in deal. But take a closer look and it shows Morin's ambitions for the MSP software supplier. Auvik, which develops network-centric RMM (remote monitoring and management) software, has been in growth mode. The company raised roughly US$15.5 million in funding earlier this year to fuel organic growth as well as acquisitions. Talaia is Auvik's first acquisition.
So what's next? Within a few months, Talaia’s technology will surface in Auvik’s network management system as a component called TrafficInsights, the firms say. With TrafficInsights, "MSPs will be able to see all traffic flows across enabled network devices, including traffic by application, protocol, IP address, and port; traffic going to and coming from malicious sites; and visual representations of where traffic is going once it leaves the network," the company says.
A light integration of Talaia technology into Auvik will be available as a TrafficInsights beta to selected Auvik partners in November 2018, the company adds. Ongoing details about the work will surface here.
Auvik CEO Marc Morin Explains Talaia Acquisition
In an email interview with ChannelE2E, Auvik Networks CEO Marc Morin provided more details about the deal.
ChannelE2E: When and how did Auvik spot Talaia as a potential acquisition? How did conversations start, and how quickly did they focus on M&A?
Morin: Early in 2018, we went looking for a standalone SaaS-based NetFlow solution we could acquire to give us maximum flexibility for integration and development. We didn’t find much, let alone multi-tenanted solutions for MSPs, so when we came across Talaia, it really piqued our interest. The conversation moved to acquisition very quickly. Both sides knew it made sense.
ChannelE2E: Is Talaia multi-tenant for MSPs, or will you need to build that functionality?
Morin: Yes, Talaia is multi-tenanted and architected for scale. Auvik will need to expand on Talaia’s foundation but a lot of the heavy lifting is done. And as we integrate Talaia into Auvik, the technology will pick up Auvik’s multi-tenancy capabilities.
ChannelE2E: How many employees does Talaia have, and are they all joining Auvik?
Morin: Talaia has a small team of developers and product managers with skills in machine learning, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and computer science. All eight of them are joining Auvik. So Auvik now has a Barcelona office!
ChannelE2E: When did Talaia launch its commercial product?
Morin: Talaia was founded in 2013 and launched its product in 2015.
Auvik and Talaia: Next Moves, Emerging Competition?
Poke around the Talaia website, and you'll notice that the company has also positioned its software for network intelligence, DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack mitigation, and threat mitigation capabilities.
Today's official Auvik-Talaia announcement touched on the ability to analyze traffic going to and coming from malicious sites, but is a deeper managed security strategy on the way? I suspect so, but that's purely my speculation.
Meanwhile, Auvik continues to line up partnerships and new integrations -- including a new IT Glue connection). Competition also seems to be emerging. Kaseya, for one, increasingly positions its RMM software for network-centric use cases. Also, NinjaRMM has network-centric capabilities and recently surpassed 2,000 MSP deployments.
Auvik is privately held and doesn't disclose specific revenue figures (i.e., actual dollars and cents). However, the company's monthly newsletter typically reveals strong growth metrics for the company. For instance,Auvik generated 420 percent revenue growth in Q1 2017 vs. Q1 2016, and 36 percent growth in customers on a quarterly basis, the company said earlier this year.
