Category Archives for "Managed Services News"

D&H Distributing just launched its new Modern Solutions Business Unit. The new unit aims to help channel partners develop practices and create solutions in various technology categories. Those include hybrid-based business applications, infrastructure, collaboration and security. 

D&H’s Dan Schwab

“D&H Distributing has always worked hard to respond to both the market and its partners’ needs,” D&H co-president Dan Schwab told Channel Futures. “As environments become more complex, partners need more specialized end-to-end support to accommodate new hybrid models across multiple clientele. The new unit will provide the streamlined support, solutions, and delivery methods to address the evolution of the workplace.”

The Hybrid-Based Approach

The new unit will support the design and deployment of end-to-end solutions based on how partners want to deliver them. Naturally, it will also cater to how their end-customers want to consume these technologies. 

Jason Bystrak is VP of modern solutions at D&H.

D&H’s Jason Bystrak

This go-to-market model “knocks down the walls of traditional distribution business units,” said Bystrak. This will revitalize how D&H’s channel partners will deliver technology based on trends like XaaS, hybrid cloud and remote collaborative environments.

“Most distributors bounce customers around to different teams to develop a complete solution,” added Bystrak. “The D&H difference is providing a single team that handles everything from technical design to delivery model to flexible financing options for a true end-to-end solution.”

Supporting Modern Business Environments

As part of this new hybrid-based approach, D&H has assembled a team of experts to support all hardware, software, services and components sales. This involves flexible delivery and financing models incorporating cloud, hybrid, managed services and XaaS. Importantly, D&H designed this strategy to customize the delivery of these offerings. The focus, all the while, is on how new, modern business environments use technology. 

The goal? To help partners rise to the challenges of the changing workplace. These are environments where cloud-based and hybrid infrastructures combine with new XaaS-based consumption models. This, of course, requires a sophisticated breadth of technical expertise and product knowledge. 

“The convergence of mobile devices, high-speed connectivity and virtualization have enabled comprehensive cloud computing for businesses, shifting the burden of managing all this technology to managed service providers, VARs and MSSPs,” said Bystrak. “The role of the solution provider continues to evolve. [This will give] them more responsibility as unique consumption models like XaaS create new challenges. D&H formed the Modern Solutions Business Unit to provide bespoke solutions, services and go-to-market support to help these partners address market developments and profitably meet customer demand in a complicated, high-tech landscape.”

We are now well into the second quarter of 2022, and M&A activity is as white-hot as ever. It’s the new gold rush, with money pouring into and out of pockets everywhere you look.  

The growing number of MSP mergers and acquisitions most certainly reflects the interests of private equity in the channel. Put simply, managed services are good business, and we are starting to see larger organizations and investment firms take an interest. Take the recent Kaseya/Datto acquisition, for example. No small exchange there, one might say. 

We combed through and pulled together some of the big deals over the last few months. Deals have spanned the gamut, from names like cBEYONData and Krish Compusoft Services to players such as Perception Point and Scantron Technology Solutions.

Scroll through the images above to see a sampling of the latest and greatest M&A and investment deals in the IT/MSP channel this quarter.

AT&T has unveiled its Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) with Cisco Meraki.

The managed service is for SMBs that want to provide wired and wireless access to their customers and employees, or stand up remote sites. It helps organizations improve network performance, enable access and defend sensitive data.

In addition, it helps protect against unauthorized use and loss.

AT&T SASE with Cisco Meraki combines services to provide businesses access and with cloud-based security and SD-WAN capabilities to help protect users from malicious web-based threats.

Danessa Lambdin is vice president of AT&T Cybersecurity.

AT&T Cybersecurity’s Danessa Lambdin

“In network connectivity and security, there is often little margin for error,” she said. “For many businesses, the expertise to get it right is hard to come by. AT&T SASE with Cisco Meraki is a completely managed service that puts our experts in the driver’s seat, giving growth-oriented businesses an integrated solution that can address their needs today, and scale up right alongside them going forward.”

SASE Portfolio Expansion

AT&T SASE with Cisco Meraki further expands the AT&T SASE portfolio. It creates a solution that also includes indoor/outdoor access points, network switches, cellular gateways and teleworker appliances.

The service allows almost any business to connect, protect, manage and scale its network without in-house expertise. It also accommodates businesses needing to expand or add more devices to their network.

In addition, it helps businesses defend their sensitive data against unauthorized use and theft.

Cisco Meraki’s Lawrence Huang

Lawrence Huang is vice president of product management at Cisco Meraki.

“Businesses looking to deploy cloud security across distributed locations must be able to do so in a simple, scalable and reliable way,” he said. “The AT&T SASE with Cisco Meraki service offers customers a seamless onramp to their SASE journey with a fully integrated networking and security offering, ultimately protecting users against internet-based threats both on and off the network.”

Leaders from some of the biggest names in the channel took the CP Expo stage at once last month.

We invited channel leaders from AT&T, ThreatLocker, Cisco and Microsoft to talk shop during the same keynote. Dubbed the “Ultimate Channel Power Panel,” it’s a new Channel Partners Conference & Expo tradition that started last fall.

These leaders discussed how partners can unlock their potential in the coming year. They also touched on the biggest market challenges and the type of partner they believe will be most successful. And that’s just for starters.

Missed the keynote? We have it for you, in its entirety, here.

Cybercriminals have targeted at least 30 MSPs using their remote management tools over the last few days, according to ThreatLocker.

The company has seen a large increase in these attacks on companies and MSPs. In most of these cases, the remote management tools had dual-factor authentication. However, attackers were still able to access them and use them to launch cyberattacks.

Using these tools, the attacker may issue commands to reboot the machine in Safe Mode with Networking. That’s a feature available in many RMM tools. Rebooting a machine can get into Safe Mode and remove security software.

Total Impact Remains Unknown

Sami Jenkins is ThreatLocker’s COO and co-founder.

“We do not know the total number impacted,” she said. “We saw about 30 MSPs have the attack attempted, which is about 25% of the largest MSP breaches.”

The largest breaches tend to affect more than 120 MSPs.

It’s unlikely the attackers were able to get around dual-factor authentication, Jenkins said.

“It is not uncommon to see ransomware from remote management tools,” she said. “The dual-factor configuration was confirmed by MSPs, not by ThreatLocker independently. But also, it is not uncommon for attackers to get in other ways, such as API keys. I do not believe this is a vulnerable RMM or management tools. [These] more likely are isolated attacks based on weak keys, or in some cases no dual-factor. The pace of the attacks seemed to increase over normal attack attempts. It is also worth noting that it is heavily swayed towards remote access (remote control) tools versus RMMs.”

ThreatLocker’s Recommendations

ThreatLocker recommends all users consider ringfencing their remote management tools. Ringfencing allows granular control over how applications can interact with other applications and data, and how and whether they can connect to the internet.

In addition to this, ThreatLocker has also added a new suggested policy: Deny bcdedit.exe. It recommends adding it at the global level, should BCDedit not be needed. This will block the execution of BCDEdit across all environments.

“BCDedit is just a program that is part of Windows,” Jenkins said. “It is used to reboot in safe mode. If you do not need it, it is better to block it from running completely, only to enable it when it is needed. In some cases, you cannot block it because you have applications that need it. If that is the case, you can ringfence your RMM and block it from calling BCDEdit.”

ThreatLocker blocks the execution of all unapproved programs whether pushed out by a remote management tool or run by users.

“Attacks seem to go up and down, but the average attack amounts have increased year over year,” Jenkins said. “I do not expect any reduction, especially with what is happening in Russia. The tools attackers use will always change. [That’s] why it is important to block as much software as possible and ringfence permitted software to limit its permissions.”

Cisco and other IT/telecommunications vendors have recently updated their channel partner strategies.

The business technology channel continues to court the indirect sales channel and accommodate various partner revenue models. Reseller, MSP, agent and systems integrator partners all saw announcements related to them in April.

Cisco has reorganized the relationship between its SMB and distribution units, in addition to launching new incentives in sustainability. AWS unveiled new competencies. Connectivity and fiber provider Zayo is addressing conflict between direct and indirect sales. One TSB launched a partner loyalty program. And many other vendors tweaked their channel programs or launched new ones.

Scroll through the images above to see the latest updates to partner programs.

You can also check out the March edition of new and changing programs.

D&H Distributing just launched its new Modern Solutions Business Unit. The new unit aims to help channel partners develop practices and create solutions in various technology categories. Those include hybrid-based business applications, infrastructure, collaboration and security. 

D&H’s Dan Schwab

“D&H Distributing has always worked hard to respond to both the market and its partners’ needs,” D&H co-president Dan Schwab told Channel Futures. “As environments become more complex, partners need more specialized end-to-end support to accommodate new hybrid models across multiple clientele. The new unit will provide the streamlined support, solutions, and delivery methods to address the evolution of the workplace.”

The Hybrid-Based Approach

The new unit will support the design and deployment of end-to-end solutions based on how partners want to deliver them. Naturally, it will also cater to how their end-customers want to consume these technologies. 

Jason Bystrak is VP of modern solutions at D&H.

D&H’s Jason Bystrak

This go-to-market model “knocks down the walls of traditional distribution business units,” said Bystrak. This will revitalize how D&H’s channel partners will deliver technology based on trends like XaaS, hybrid cloud and remote collaborative environments.

“Most distributors bounce customers around to different teams to develop a complete solution,” added Bystrak. “The D&H difference is providing a single team that handles everything from technical design to delivery model to flexible financing options for a true end-to-end solution.”

Supporting Modern Business Environments

As part of this new hybrid-based approach, D&H has assembled a team of experts to support all hardware, software, services and components sales. This involves flexible delivery and financing models incorporating cloud, hybrid, managed services and XaaS. Importantly, D&H designed this strategy to customize the delivery of these offerings. The focus, all the while, is on how new, modern business environments use technology. 

The goal? To help partners rise to the challenges of the changing workplace. These are environments where cloud-based and hybrid infrastructures combine with new XaaS-based consumption models. This, of course, requires a sophisticated breadth of technical expertise and product knowledge. 

“The convergence of mobile devices, high-speed connectivity and virtualization have enabled comprehensive cloud computing for businesses, shifting the burden of managing all this technology to managed service providers, VARs and MSSPs,” said Bystrak. “The role of the solution provider continues to evolve. [This will give] them more responsibility as unique consumption models like XaaS create new challenges. D&H formed the Modern Solutions Business Unit to provide bespoke solutions, services and go-to-market support to help these partners address market developments and profitably meet customer demand in a complicated, high-tech landscape.”

We are now well into the second quarter of 2022, and M&A activity is as white-hot as ever. It’s the new gold rush, with money pouring into and out of pockets everywhere you look.  

The growing number of MSP mergers and acquisitions most certainly reflects the interests of private equity in the channel. Put simply, managed services are good business, and we are starting to see larger organizations and investment firms take an interest. Take the recent Kaseya/Datto acquisition, for example. No small exchange there, one might say. 

We combed through and pulled together some of the big deals over the last few months. Deals have spanned the gamut, from names like cBEYONData and Krish Compusoft Services to players such as Perception Point and Scantron Technology Solutions.

Scroll through the images above to see a sampling of the latest and greatest M&A and investment deals in the IT/MSP channel this quarter.

AT&T has unveiled its Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) with Cisco Meraki.

The managed service is for SMBs that want to provide wired and wireless access to their customers and employees, or stand up remote sites. It helps organizations improve network performance, enable access and defend sensitive data.

In addition, it helps protect against unauthorized use and loss.

AT&T SASE with Cisco Meraki combines services to provide businesses access and with cloud-based security and SD-WAN capabilities to help protect users from malicious web-based threats.

Danessa Lambdin is vice president of AT&T Cybersecurity.

AT&T Cybersecurity’s Danessa Lambdin

“In network connectivity and security, there is often little margin for error,” she said. “For many businesses, the expertise to get it right is hard to come by. AT&T SASE with Cisco Meraki is a completely managed service that puts our experts in the driver’s seat, giving growth-oriented businesses an integrated solution that can address their needs today, and scale up right alongside them going forward.”

SASE Portfolio Expansion

AT&T SASE with Cisco Meraki further expands the AT&T SASE portfolio. It creates a solution that also includes indoor/outdoor access points, network switches, cellular gateways and teleworker appliances.

The service allows almost any business to connect, protect, manage and scale its network without in-house expertise. It also accommodates businesses needing to expand or add more devices to their network.

In addition, it helps businesses defend their sensitive data against unauthorized use and theft.

Cisco Meraki’s Lawrence Huang

Lawrence Huang is vice president of product management at Cisco Meraki.

“Businesses looking to deploy cloud security across distributed locations must be able to do so in a simple, scalable and reliable way,” he said. “The AT&T SASE with Cisco Meraki service offers customers a seamless onramp to their SASE journey with a fully integrated networking and security offering, ultimately protecting users against internet-based threats both on and off the network.”

We are now well into the second quarter of 2022, and M&A activity is as white-hot as ever. It’s the new gold rush, with money pouring into and out of pockets everywhere you look.  

The growing number of MSP mergers and acquisitions most certainly reflects the interests of private equity in the channel. Put simply, managed services are good business, and we are starting to see larger organizations and investment firms take an interest. Take the recent Kaseya/Datto acquisition, for example. No small exchange there, one might say. 

We combed through and pulled together some of the big deals over the last few months. Deals have spanned the gamut, from names like cBEYONData and Krish Compusoft Services to players such as Perception Point and Scantron Technology Solutions.

Scroll through the images above to see a sampling of the latest and greatest M&A and investment deals in the IT/MSP channel this quarter.