ConnectWise Automate GM Brett Cheloff keynotes Tuesday.ConnectWise Automation Nation 2017, the company's annual gathering of RMM (remote monitoring and management) partners, is expected to attract several hundred technology solutions providers, MSPs and IT service providers when the conference kicks off June 19 in Orlando, Fla.
ChannelE2E has already arrived on the scene. Stay tuned for live blogs this week. Among the key topics expected to take center stage: The technology talent gap, and the pressing need for partners to address cybersecurity for SMB customers.
Indeed, more than a dozen cybersecurity-centric companies are set to attend the conference. Among the pressing questions on my mind: How many MSPs will launch dedicated managed security services provider business practices in the weeks and months ahead?
Anecdotal evidence is everywhere. During the TruMethods Schnizzfest and Ingram Micro SMB Alliance conferences last week, we heard from multiple sources about their dedicated MSSP plans (more on that soon). Now, we're onto Automation Nation 2017.
20 Cybersecurity Moves to Watch:
Among the 20 ConnectWise and cybersecurity partner moves to watch:
1. ConnectWise: The company has quietly partnered with EC-Council, a well-known cybersecurity certification organization, to promote partner training. Also during the conference, watch for a major Patch Manager workshop for ConnectWise Automate (formerly LabTech). And, perhaps we'll hear about more security integrations involving some of the companies below...
Visit MSSP Alert for the latest on managed security services providers.2. AlienVault: The MSSP-friendly company, which specializes in unified security monitoring (USM) and threat intelligence, recently expanded its AlienApps strategy to include Palo Alto Networks, ServiceNow and Carbon Black. The result: AlienVault's USM Anywhere cloud security monitoring platform now works more closely with those third-party offerings.
3. AppRiver: The company posted a 22 percent increase in channel partners and a 19 percent increase in partner customers between 2015 and 2016. Much of the growth involves Office 365 deployments for MSPs. But keep a close eye on AppRiver. The company has introduced a 30-day trial of its cybersecurity solutions.
4. BitDefender: The security company is well-known within channel partner circles and has a growing base of MSPs. MSSP Solutions: BitDefender’s cloud-managed security solutions have integrations with ConnectWise, Kaseya, and SolarWinds MSP, among others.
5. Cisco Umbrella: The former OpenDNS is partner of a companywide Cisco security channel initiative. For more details, check out this podcast with Cisco’s Monika Gupta -- in which she discusses the evolving threat landscape; Cisco Umbrella’s threat intelligence technologies; and key considerations for MSPs.
6. Cylance: Which is promoting CylanceOptics, a new, MSP- and MSSP-friendly AI-powered endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution that augments its Protect platform. Several MSSPs -- including Infogressive -- leverage Cylance solutions for partner programs that extend out to MSPs.
7. The Email Laundry: True confession. I had never heard of The Email Laundry until reading about them in the conference guide. They're focused on email security services. We'll find out more this week.
8. ESET: The company turned heads last week with a major malware warning about potential attacks against the U.S. electric grid. Key MSSPs including N-Dimension Solutions took note, stood up and vowed to protected customers from such risks.
9. IBM: Keep a close eye on IBM's MaaS360 business, and the company's emerging relationship with ConnectWise...
10. Intronis MSP Solutions by Barracuda Networks: Barracuda and its MSP business unit (Intronis) have been blending the lines between backup, business continuity and security. Among the company's big areas of focus: Launching virtualized versions of its firewalls, which partners can try for free on Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.See page two for items 11 through 20 plus some bonuses from additional markets like business continuity, distribution, network operations centers (NOCs) and more.
Welcome to page two of two. Here are items 11 through 20 -- several of which connect the dots between security, business continuity, distribution, NOCs and more.
11. Kaspersky Lab: After several years of dabbling in the MSP market, Kaspersky Lab launched a more formalized MSP partner program in April 2017, Around the same time, the company made a "No More Ransomware" push with partners.
12. MalwareBytes: The company, which specializes in anti-malware, anti-ransomware, anti-exploit and malicious website protection, just introduced a single-agent cloud platform for business. We'll check into learn the potential partner implications.
13. MicroFocus: The company continues to invest in identity and access management (IAM), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), endpoint security and more.
14. Sophos: From the company's Intercept X technology to the Sophos Central dashboard for MSPs, the company has gained serious momentum with managed IT services providers over the past two years or so.
15. VIPRE: For more proof that SMB customers may be focused on the wrong security priorities, check out the VIPRE survey results from May 2017.
16. Webroot: One of most MSP-centric security companies, Webroot has relationships with most of the major MSP software providers. During a recent six-month window, the company gained 1,900 new MSPs onto its platform.
17. Business Continuity and Security: Admittedly, you can't have a security and ransomware mitigation conversation this year without mentioning business continuity. Not by coincidence, a lengthy list of business continuity companies is here in full-force. Names to watch include Acronis, Datto, eFolder, Intronis (mentioned on Page One, Item 10), Infrascale, StorageGuardian, StorageCraft and Veeam.
Among the two major sub-plots to track:
Datto vs. Veeam: Yes, the predicted showdown is starting to come into focus...
18. Documentation and Security: Not exactly a security platform, documentation tools still play key roles in proper cybersecurity strategies. Keep an eye on players like IT Glue and IT Boost, in particular.
19. Distributors and Security: Distributors with security know-how also are on hand. Players to watch include Core3 Technologies, Ingram Micro and Pax8. Ingram, by the way, now has 10,000 security partners in its ecosystem. Also, upstart Pax8 offers multiple security solutions for MSPs, including options from BAE Systems, DataMapt, IBM Maas360, Infrascale, Sophos and Symantec.
20. Network Operation Centers and Security: ProvalTech and IT By Design are on hand. The outsourced NOC (network operations center) provider specializes in ConnectWise Automate support for MSPs. But here's the thing: Some NOC providers are evolving to offer security operations centers. The prime examples include Continuum and NetEnrich. Will ProvalTech and IT By Design do the same? We're checking.
What Did We Miss?: Plenty, I'm sure. Got questions about the conference that you need answered? Email me: [email protected]. I'll be working a range of reader questions into my conversations over the next two days.
Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.
Visit MSSP Alert for the latest on managed security services providers.
