Autotask, Avast, SolarWinds MSP Upgrades Target RMM, Security, Backup -

Mark Cattini, SVP of field service, Salesforce — Autotask CEO Mark Cattini

In separate moves, Autotask, Avast and SolarWinds MSP each have launched key MSP software upgrades that address multiple automation needs.

The moves included:

The latest Autotask Endpoint Management release, which competes in the RMM (remote monitoring and management) sector, features real-time monitoring status, network discovery, network monitoring redesign and tighter integration with Autotask's PSA (professional services automation) software. Indeed, MSPs and IT service providers gain "detailed activity data about completed remote control sessions" in Autotask PSA, the company says.

The new release comes as Autotask CEO Mark Cattini urges partners to increasingly focus on three things: Security, specialization opportunities and tool consolidation.

Avast AVG Managed Workplace

Avast, meanwhile, has updated AVG Managed Workplace -- the RMM platform that AVG acquired from Level Platforms in 2013. The new Managed Workplace includes security assessment capabilities to help MSPs "easily identify, communicate and resolve security risks for businesses," the company claims. The security assessment capabilities have four components:

A site security dashboard across all of the sites MSPs manage;
site security assessment, which can analyze the status of antivirus software, password management policy, patch management; and more;
site security score based on vulnerabilities at specific sites; and
site security reporting to help MSPs demonstrate their value to customers.

The new Managed Workplace arrives roughly 13 months after Avast acquired AVG -- united the two antivirus giants. At the time of the Avast-AVG deal, I openly wondered if the new owner would maintain its Managed Workplace R&D efforts. However Avast CEO Vince Steckler in July 2016 assured me that the company remained sincerely interested in the SMB security and management sector.

SolarWinds MSP Backup Documents

Meanwhile, SolarWinds MSP has launched Backup Documents. The company positions the tool as a "practical, secure, and automated document recovery solution for all business workstations" that reduces downtime from hardware failures, accidental deletions, or even ransomware—with fast restores from the cloud.

I assume the Backup Documents offering works with the full-blown SolarWinds Backup platform -- which provides file and full system, workstation and server, on-premises and cloud recovery options. In contrast, Backup Documents locates and backs up all documents on every workstation. It offers a fully automated backup of unlimited files twice a day, SolarWinds MSP says.

Greg Lissy, VP of product management, SolarWinds MSP, positions Backup Documents as an ideal way to mitigate ransomware.

In some ways, it sounds like Backup Documents attempts to compete with Autotask Endpoint Backup. Both companies are striving to compete more aggressively vs. MSP-centric data protection platforms like Datto, eFolder and StorageCraft, among others.

Additional reporting by Ty Trumbull.