Managed Services, Backup and Recovery, And Networking News From October 2014
Each month, Business Solutions reports news on business in the channel. This month in managed services, backup and recovery, and networking news, Dell announces the release of its new next-generation firewall, Kaseya’s Release 8 includes AuthAnvil identity and access management products, and GreatAmerica and MSP Alliance collaborate on financing packages. Also, Sophos acquires Mojave Networks; Sophos also introduced new firewall/UTM appliances. In addition, ConnectWise launches chat and remote control capabilities, SYNNEX now offers a convergence design tool featuring Avaya, and CompTIA introduces its IT Fundamentals exam.
Dell Next-Generation Firewall Provides Organizations Of All Sizes With Enterprise-Level Security
Dell announced the release of its SuperMassive 9800 Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) and complementary management and reporting Global Management System (GMS) 8.0. The NGFW provides both mid-size and enterprise organizations the same protection and performance as Dell’s flagship SuperMassive 10000 Series firewalls. It features Dell’s Reassembly-Free Deep Packet Inspection (RFDPI), an integrated NGFW, IPS (intrusion prevention system), SSL (secure sockets layer) inspection and application control platform, and enterprise-level capabilities and resiliency including support for IPv6, SNMPv3 (simple network management protocol version 3), and advanced switching. GMS 8.0 complements NGFW by enabling organizations to consolidate the management of security appliances, reduce administrative and troubleshooting complexities, and govern all operational aspects of the security infrastructure — including centralized policy management and enforcement, real-time event monitoring, analytics, and reporting.
Kaseya R8 Adds IAM, Remote Control Sessions
Kaseya Release 8 includes AuthAnvil identity and access management (IAM) products including two-factor authentication, single-sign-on (SSO), and password-management solutions. Kaseya’s acquisition earlier this year of Scorpion Software, makers of AuthAnvil, also facilitated the addition of a new application catalog, which allows more than 300 applications to be added to the SSO portal. In addition, R8 adds new capabilities to Kaseya’s Virtual System Administrator (VSA). Users can now establish private, remote-control Windows sessions, track and report remote-control sessions, shadow end-user terminal server sessions, and show session latency statistics. The release also enables ticket integration with VSA Service Desk and .pst file export to extract and download mailboxes.
Updates to Kaseya University include two certifications: Kaseya Certified Administrator (KCA) and Kaseya Certified Technician (KCT). Users with KCA or KCT certification will have priority in ticket queries.
GreatAmerica, MSPAlliance Collaborate On Financing Packages
GreatAmerica Financial Services Corporation launched three financing programs, tailored for MSPAlliance MSP/Cloud Verify members. The programs offer tiered benefits and rate structures that correspond to member certification levels, with higher levels having access to custom-branded documentation, higher rebates, lower lease rates, and more up-front funding on projects. The rollout is part of the MSPAlliance Unified Certification Standard (UCS) program for cloud providers and (managed services providers) MSPs.
Sophos Strengthens Network Security Portfolio
Sophos introduced additions to its network security portfolio. The company added six SG Series firewall/UTM (unified threat management) appliances — four desktop and two 2U models — each using the latest Intel multicore technology. The company also announced the AP 100, the first in a new generation of wireless access points that support the latest 802.11ac protocols, and an entry-level access point, the AP 15. These access points can be managed directly from the SG Series appliances. In addition, the company released the Sophos iView virtual appliance, which supports VMware, Hyper-V, Citrix, and KVM virtual environments. It features more than 1,000 built-in reports, including regulatory compliance reports. Users can also build their own custom reports and dashboards.
Sophos Acquires Mojave Networks
Sophos has acquired cloud-based security firm Mojave Networks, enhancing Sophos’ cloud-managed and appliance-based security solutions. Sophos Cloud, an integrated cloud-managed security offering, will now include a cloud-based Web security solution. Mojave will also enable hybrid deployment options (SaaS and non-SaaS) Web security for Sophos’ line of network security hardware. In addition, Mojave’s security platform will also benefit mobile workforces with a cloud-based Web filtering engine without requiring additional on-site technology; real-time threat intelligence from the cloud; and security across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices. Sophos plans to integrate Mojave Networks’ technology into its Sophos Cloud product line early in 2015 and into appliance-based network security solutions later in the year.
ConnectWise Launches Chat, Remote Control Capabilities
ConnectWise’s new ChatAssist allows MSPs to communicate with customers in real time. It enables users to chat with multiple customers at once — on new and existing tickets. It captures each chat session and the length of the session directly into ConnectWise, along with other information, such as messages that the customer accepted remote control, private conversations between resources into the internal analysis, automatic status change, automatic time entries, automatic notes entries, and automatic schedule of resources on tickets.
SYNNEX Offers Convergence Design Tool Featuring Avaya
SYNNEX Corporation launched its Convergence Design Tool Featuring Avaya, the first of a suite of new configuration design tools available to SYNNEX resellers. The tool enables resellers to create designs based on the Avaya IP Office Platform and convert them automatically into quotes. Details are provided in real time, allowing the same platform for product availability, custom pricing, design, and ordering. The tool falls under the SYNNEX CONVERGESolv Secure Networking group, which allows resellers to build their customers’ networks, add applications, and secure each network.
CompTIA Introduces IT Fundamentals Certification Exam
The new CompTIA IT Fundamentals certification exam is intended for individuals whose jobs require them to have a foundational level understanding of IT terminology but are not necessarily involved in the same work as an IT professional. It is also relevant for organizations that want to promote and verify basic fluency in IT terminology and concepts among their employees. The exam covers five categories: software, hardware, security, networking, and basic IT literacy. Complete exam objectives are available on the CompTIA certification website. Those pursuing this certification can take the CompTIA IT Fundamentals CertMaster course online. With the introduction of the CompTIA IT Fundamentals exam, the CompTIA Strata exam will be retired on Aug. 31, 2015.