ConnectWise launched a standalone version of CloudConsole, which allows technology solutions providers (VARs, MSPs, CSPs) to manage Microsoft Office 365, Azure and other cloud services without having to purchase the rest of ConnectWise's software suite.
However, if VARs, MSPs and CSPs want to upgrade CloudConsole to use ConnectWise's other tools (Sell, Manage, Automate, Control), then there's a simple upgrade process, according toChief Product Officer Craig Fulton.
But that's only part of the story. Take a close look at the new CloudConsole standalone edition and you'll notice it features some basic ticketing and CRM capabilities. Want more details? Ask Fulton about the microservices software development strategies.
More Services On the Way
Also, ask him about central services that tie together the company's software -- including single sign on (SSO), user management, heuristics, in-app messaging, ecommerce, automated integration, and more updates for partners to more easily consume and navigate ConnectWise tools. Partners will be able to click to get more agent or user licenses and even third-party tools. "We'll make click and buy easier," he says.
More details should emerge at IT Nation 2017 in November.
In the meantime think of it this way: Microservices are like small pieces of software code -- Legos if you will. For an example, think of the spell checker in Microsoft Word. That spell check code can be used over and over again in Excel, PowerPoint and more. Microsoft doesn't need to rewrite the code from one application to the next. With that approach in mind, ConnectWise is exploring ways to roll out applications more rapidly to MSPs and their end-customers, Fulton says.
What CloudConsole Does for VARs, MSPs and CSPs
The new CloudConsole initially supports Office 365 and Azure -- allowing partners to manage, monitor, and bill customers for those services. Listen closely and you'll potentially hear chatter about CloudConsole supporting Amazon Web Services and... wait for it... potential Cisco-oriented capabilities at IT Nation 2017 later this year, Fulton says.
The ConnectWise CloudConsole announcement surfaced this morning at ConnectWise Automation Nation in Orlando. Roughly 1,000 ConnectWise partners and technology vendor executives are on hand for the event.
