Integrate or Die… A Love Story for the SMB
Last week our team (Nuvotera) proudly launched integration with Autotask, the second act in an ongoing mission to deploy best-of-breed, enterprise-class security into the top PSA platforms. Integration is a cornerstone for Nuvotera, first launching with Connectwise last fall. Nuvotera's integration with Autotask creates immediate access to the entire McAfee SaaS portfolio—a big win for customers.
Last week our team (Nuvotera) proudly launched integration with Autotask, the second act in an ongoing mission to deploy best-of-breed, enterprise-class security into the top PSA platforms. Integration is a cornerstone for Nuvotera, first launching with Connectwise last fall. Nuvotera’s integration with Autotask creates immediate access to the entire McAfee SaaS portfolio—a big win for customers. For us, the key is to provide increased visibility, billing and management controls without taking away from the primary functions of the solution itself. This is a big step forward for our team and the McAfee community.
Among all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the launch (which took place at the Autotask Live event June 8 in Miami) there are much larger questions: Have MSPs been choosing solutions purely based on platform integration? Has lack of integration options forced providers toward choices they would not have otherwise made? More importantly, is there change on the horizon?
What started off as a foot race has turned into a high-speed chase of vendors adapting software and UI to make them fit into tiny dashboard windows, literally jamming round (full-featured) pegs into square holes. The leaderboards in this initiative have reflected smaller OEM vendors, typically getting in early, packaging services and enticing MSPs with unified billing and sexy console widgets. The rest of the pack has been largely defined by solution providers struggling with the balance of where their technologies end and RMM/PSA management begins. Within the vendor ranks, it’s been a controversial play for management mostly because development resources are expensive. Vendors now must innovate in their own technology, make solutions extensible enough to integrate openly and support diverse platform options.
As this race moves into the next stage it is an awesome time to be a service provider. MSPs are firmly in the driver’s seat and the benefits are sweet. The buying power of the SMB has not gone unnoticed. In managed security, we have already seen the shift in top-tier vendors launching deeper integration initiatives, partnering with the development community and listening to SMB buyers. As we move forward, I am excited about technologies previously reserved for enterprise now making their way into the ranks of the PSA/RMM. Let this serve as a salute to our vendors, stepping outside of the hallowed halls of their own dashboards and allowing buyers to choose how to interact with the technology. Thank you for understanding that the needs (increased visibility and access) should not come at the sacrifice of usability or efficacy.
MSPs will have a host of credible, proven, security, threat management and continuity options in coming months. Reliable technologies, readily manageable in the platform of your choice. #partnerwisely
Eric Pinto is product manager at Nuvotera. Guest blog such as this one are published monthly and are part of Talkin’ Cloud’s annual platinum sponsorships.
