Channel partner programs, IT management, MSP, Small business

AVG Managed Workplace, MSP Reality Check

Gary Kovacs
Gary Kovacs

When AVG Technologies announces Q4 2015 results on Wednesday, the financial details could shed some important light on the company's MSP- and channel-centric solutions -- including Managed Workplace and CloudCare.

UPDATE, Feb. 24, 2016: AVG SMB Revenues Slip.

AVG acquired Managed Workplace, an RMM (remote monitoring and management) platform, when the company acquired Level Platforms in June 2013. At the time, Managed Workplace was a reasonably popular RMM platform for MSPs. But the deal hit bumps when AVG failed to retain some key Level Platforms talent. Further complicating matters, aligning Managed Workplace with CloudCare and other SMB solutions also hit some bumps.

AVG in November 2015 confirmed 35 job cuts in its SMB business. Multiple channel leaders departed around that time. The company blamed customers (most likely MSPs) for a slower-than-anticipated shift from on-premises to cloud software. But the statement sounded a bit incomplete to ChannelE2E, especially considering the rapid adoption of cloud-based RMM (remote monitoring and management) tools across the IT channel.

Mr. Fix It?

Fred Gerritse

AVG hired Cisco veteran Fred Gerritse in October 2015 to strengthen the company's overall SMB channel strategy. The Q4 2015 earnings results, coming this Wednesday, February 24, could reveal whether those efforts have gained momentum.

Among the big questions: Does AVG continue to closely support and mentor MSPs, or is Managed Workplace mainly resold by distributors to MSPs these days? Moreover, just how large is Managed Workplace's installed base these days -- especially amid continued growth at several of the major RMM software and cloud providers?

ChannelE2E reached out to AVG multiple times in Q4 2015 seeking comment about the SMB changes, but an interview with Gerritse never materialized.

Still, CEO Gary Kovacs and CFO John Little tend to share details about AVG's SMB revenues during earnings call. We'll be listening closely on February 24 -- as will the Managed Workplace installed base.

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.