Barracuda will also resell Avast’s anti-virus solutions to their MSPs, which is a major extension of Avast’s go-to-market, and one they are looking to replicate with other RMMs. They are also planning a major solution announcement around RSA a month from now.
Barracuda and Avast announce a new partnership which adds the ability to resell Avast’s anti-virus solution to Barracuda’s own portfolio. Barracuda will actually acquire the Managed Workplace RMM business, which should be a better fit with their MSP business than it was at Avast. Barracuda also stated its commitment to retain the Managed Workplace presence in Ottawa, where it originally began as Level Platforms.
The new Avast Business Antivirus integrates elements from both the legacy Avast and AVG anti-virus solutions, and is integrated into their Managed Workplace and CloudCare offerings.
Avast is providing the new tool free to its partners, in the belief that going forward they all need to focus much more on security than many have in the past.
The three year deal makes KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada an Avast Elite Channel Partner, and the managed IT services portfolio from AVG Business by Avast will be offered both to KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada’s customers and to their own channel.
While its acquisition by fellow Czech-based security vendor Avast approaches, AVG continues business as usual, completing the final phase of its North American distribution strategy that was first announced months before the acquisition. The deal will also apply in Canada, but has not yet been implemented here.
For the channel, the key issue is what the acquisition will mean to the SMB businesses of both companies, particularly the MSP-focused RMM business AVG originally acquired from Level Platforms. Avast CEO Vince Steckler addresses the issue.
AVG continues its strategy of adding more focused, value-added distributors with EarthBend, which brings an MSP background and experience with AVG’s Managed Workplace solution, as well as a strong regional presence in both the American mid-west and Canadian prairies.
The new version of AVG’s RMM platform reworks the platform around the MSPs business processes, greatly reducing installation time and building customizable customer service plans right into the RMM solution.
New AVG SMB chief Fred Gerritse recently talked with ChannelBuzz about the impact of recent management changes on the company’s strategy and Canadian presence, and about how AVG is now looking to enhance the markets for its SMB solutions and the skills of the partners who sell them.
The big change is the addition of an integrated remote control solution, which will be free to MSP partners, but the new version also improves the integrated backup and disaster recovery, adds a device manager to Mac support, and upgrades its integrated antivirus technology.
AVG’s SMB-focused business unit has added so many new sales and support staff they outgrew their old offices, and they are still in aggressive growth mode, recruiting new partners to sell their managed services.
AVG looks to accelerate the expansion of its managed services unit by creating dedicated resources for enabling and support MSPs on a business level.
AVG is wading into the crowded cloud backup market, offering a service that extends the capabilities of CloudCare and complements Managed Workplace.
AVG’s Managed Workplace takes advantage of new API hooks into iOS and Mac OS X to make Apple devices more manageable for MSPs.
AVG details the integration of its CloudCare service with Managed Workplace, picked up in its purchase of Level Platforms earlier this year.
Vistara offers a promotional deal to MSPs left in the cold when Dell shut down PacketTrap, but switching platforms can be a challenge for MSPs.
AVG will allow MSPs using Dell’s discontinued PacketTrap RMM product to use Managed Workplace free for up to a year and offer switchers priority support.
AVG’s Mike Foreman on bringing CloudCare and Managed Workplace together
