Kaseya 2 SaaS tools

The three forthcoming Kaseya SaaS offerings are…

How soon will the three SaaS tools arrive? I had expected them to debut back in October 2009. Then, January 2010. But now I think Kaseya is set to debut the SaaS efforts as part of a Kaseya 2 launch sometime this week.

Kaseya Executive VP Jim Alves offered an overview of the Kaseya 2 framework in early January 2010. Since that time, I’ve been speaking with beta testers about Kaseya 2 as well as Kaseya’s SaaS efforts.

Pricing, Positioning — and PSA?

Like a growing number of MSP software providers, the Kaseya 2 platform leverages a freemium strategy.

A prime example: A free version of Kaseya IT Toolkit supports desktop access, FTP access, and communications (video, voice and instant chat). The free version (IT Toolkit Free) is designed for only one administrator. Step up to the paid version of IT Toolkit ($9.95 per account; $1.50 per computer) and MSPs gain a range of features, including hardware and software inventory, according to documentation viewed by MSPmentor.

In contrast, Kaseya IT Workbench (for up to 100 computers) appears to be a step-up from Kaseya IT Toolkit. IT Workbench ($19.95 per account/month and $4.00 per computer/month) includes help desk capabilities that allow MSPs to “track, respond and resolve issues quickly and efficiently.” Is that Kaseya terminology for Professional Services Automation (PSA) software? I’m not sure.

Still, it’s clear to me PSA functionality lives somewhere within Kaseya’s SaaS efforts — most likely involving Kaseya IT Workbench and/or Kaseya IT Center (up to 1000 computers; $12.00 per admin/month; $99.95 per account/month; $6.00 per seat/month).

The info above is based on my January 2010 interview with Alves plus some documentation I’ve been reviewing in recent weeks.

Relationships (and Competition) Coming?

Meanwhile, sources say Kaseya is working on a range of relationships with hardware, distributor and software companies. Other than publicly announced deals — such as the ASCII Group relationship — I haven’t been able to confirm specific companies with whom Kaseya intends to work. But I hear at least one big distributor-type deal is in the works.

Ultimately, the Kaseya 2 platform launch is noteworthy for multiple reasons.

Ultimately, the MSP space is a subset of Kaseya’s ambitions. The company’s management team seems to see the Kaseya 2 platform as a modern-day ERP solution designed for IT administrators and service provides, from SOHO situations all the way up to large enterprises — potentially competing with everyone from LogMeIn to HP OpenView along the way.

Of course, it’s important to keep Kaseya’s lofty ambitions in perspective. Kaseya is making some very big statements and promises about the quality of the Kaseya 2 platform — both on-premise and SaaS. Can Kaseya deliver the goods? I expect some answers to start materializing later this week.