While a low price will create a minor margin opportunity for the MSP, the main MSP benefit will be the better use of their time that will come from having the ASV scan capability integrated directly in the compliance module.
Mark Winter, RapidFire Tools’ VP of Sales
AUSTIN – Atlanta-based RapidFire Tools has announced an upgrading of their Network Detective PCI Compliance module. They have partnered with Clone Systems, an ASV [Approved Scanning Vendor], to add external PCI compliance scans to Network Detective. They made the announcement at the CompTIA ChannelCon event here this week.
“We have a number of different modules, one of which is this PCI Compliance module,” said Mark Winter, RapidFire Tools’ VP of Sales. “MSPs use it to perform deep PCI compliance for their customers. Anyone who takes a credit card has a regulatory requirement to have an attestation of compliance that their network is secure. Depending how the data flows through network, a merchant has to have one of several self assessment questionnaires. Most have 140 plus questions, and the onerous ones require a certified ASV scan.”
Until now, an MSP using Network Detective would have to contract with a third party ASV to get a scan done and keep their client compliant. The new capability lets MSP do the scans in-house.
“It’s a major benefit for the MSP to have everything from one vendor,” Winter said. “Having a single source means that Network Detective itself does the required quarterly scans without the MSP having to bring in another party.”
While the time saving for the MSP is the big deal here, Winter said that the low cost also lets the MSP make a little money.
“We bill the MSP $40 per IP address per quarter, which is less than the ASVs charge, so the MSP can bill the customer and make the margin,” he stated. “We deliberately made it affordable so the MSP can make some margin, but that’s not the main point of it.
“If there are problems, the MSP can charge for the remediation and rerun the scan again, to have that clean compliance for their customer,” Winter added.
The OEM relationship with Clone Systems is transparent.
“It actually says Clone on the attestation of compliance,” Winter said.
Winter acknowledged this is very much a niche product, but pointed out that it’s very significant for any MSP that works in that niche.
“For anyone doing PCI, it is very important,” he stated.
Winter was pleased by the reaction of MSPs to the new Network Detective capability at ChannelCon.
“We have seen a lot of customers about this at the show, and the reaction has been very favorable,” he said. “Those MSPs who are involved or interested in PCI came by to learn more about it.”
