When Kaseya Traverse (a SaaS-based cloud and network monitoring tool) launched today, I reacted with plenty of questions. Kaseya responded with some clear answers for MSPs (managed services providers) and MSPmentor. Here’s how the company is both (A) launching new products based on acquisitions and (B) likely converging its products and cloud-based dashboards over the long haul.

As you may recall, Kaseya acquired Zyrion and its Traverse platform in July 2013. In a prepared statement today, Kaseya said the new Traverse “is a powerful solution, now delivered as SaaS, that delivers enterprise-class network performance monitoring, business service management (BSM) and predictive analytics for cloud, on-premise, hybrid, virtualized and distributed environments.”

MSPmentor Questions

But I wondered: Is the “new” Traverse nothing more than the same “old” Zyrion software repackaged under Kaseya’s brand? 

Jeff Keyes, senior product marketing manager, told MSPmentor that this is a new SaaS-based service. There is also simplified pricing, though we didn’t discuss the dollars and cents information. Here’s what else we covered (Keyes’ responses are paraphrased).

MSPmentor: Does Traverse integrate with Kaseya’s traditional MSP and IT automation platform?

Keyes: Not yet but that’s certainly part of the roadmap. 

MSPmentor: Are there any special incentives for Kaseya’s existing MSPs and customers to adopt Traverse?

Keyes: A limited-time offer gives customers and MSPs a 20 percent discount on Traverse.

MSPmentor: What about Kaseya MSPs that use Kaseya’s existing Network Monitoring tools, and technologies acquired from the Intellipool buyout? Is there a path forward for them?

Keyes: Kaseya is not abandoning Kaseya Network Monitoring (which is separate from Traverse). Traverse is a much deeper play and a higher-end solution. Kaseya Network Monitoring upgrades will continue as well. Longer term, Kaseya’s solutions will increasingly converge.

R&D Amid Reorganization

The Kaseya Traverse release debuts only a few days after Kaseya cut at least 50 employees and reorganized the company around three U.S. hubs. Kaseya CEO Yogesh Gupta says the company had its strongest Q3 bookings ever, but the reorganization was necessary to help consolidate offices and speed R&D.

Insight Venture Partners acquired Kaseya, Zyrion and Rover Apps in mid-2013. Gupta succeeded former CEO Gerald Blackie at the same time. Gupta has since recruited several new executives to the company to oversee marketing, R&D and more. The Kaseya moves come amid multiple M&A deals in the MSP software market.