When LogicNow recently acquired iScan Online, it begged a few questions: What's the path ahead of managed security services? Or more precisely, how will this deal potentially propel LogicNow and its MSP partners beyond the classic "endpoint security" conversation?
Some answers emerged this morning, during a ChannelE2E call with Alistair Forbes, GM of LogicNow. Ahead of the deal, LogicNow offered endpoint security solutions. But iScan's technology -- which will re-emerge as Max Risk Intelligence -- offers some new wrinkles to the security conversation.
Getting Started
When MSPs are onboarding customers, for instance, Max Risk Intelligence will help to discover and quantify various risks. Over time, it sounds like the technology will help MSPs to actually put a dollar value on the risks -- stating the potential financial damage a customer faces if certain risks or vulnerabilities aren't addressed.
It sounds like MSPs will use Max Risk Intelligence every few weeks or months for each customer -- providing updated risk assessments at regular intervals. In other words, I don't think it's a day-to-day security monitoring tool.
So, What Potentially Changes?
With those thoughts in mind, LogicNow is potentially pushing its MSP ecosystem forward in three ways:
1. Network Assessments: Most successful MSPs already offer network assessment services. Max Risk Intelligence potentially puts a specific dollar figure on the security risks uncovered during those assessments. In theory, that means MSPs can potentially move up-market to customers with compliance officers, CISOs and other executives who are willing to spend on risk mitigation.
2. Beyond Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware: Anti-virus services are old news. Moving forward, a growing number of modern IT security systems (OpenDNS by Cisco, Webroot, etc.) now leverage data driven platforms to potentially keep MSPs a step ahead of the bad guys. Max Risk Intelligence is another example of this data-driven approach.
3. The Data, The Data: Watch for LogicNow to connect the dots between Max Risk Intelligence and LogicCards -- the company's machine learning platform.
More Than an MSP Play
It also sounds like Max Risk Intelligence will extend beyond the MSP market. It's a safe bet LogicNow will promote the platform to IT professionals working within enterprises, especially those that are outside of the traditional MSP/SMB landscape.
And if I had to guess, I don't think LogicNow is done making acquisitions...
