PacketTrap MSP V.6 Reflects Growing Role of Security, VoIP

By Gennifer Biggs, security, storage, and managed services editor

Quest Software has unveiled its newest version (v. 6) of its remote monitoring, management, and service delivery platform — PacketTrap MSP — which now comes with embedded security features that allow MSPs to layer more value around their services offering, among its other new features. In a call with Matt Bolton, DVP of Product Management – Network Management Division at Quest Software, and Mike Byrne, director of MSP, Network Management Division at Quest, I asked about the trend in the RMM space to pull security elements into RMM tools. We also talked about a unique capability offered by PacketTrap, which is deep monitoring of Voice of Internet Protocol (VoIP) environments.

With customers always in need of antivirus and data protection, it has become a trend to embed AV into managed services platforms, especially as more and more MSPs clamor to brand that service as their own offering, empowering a managed security service sale on top of a monitoring and management SLA. Byrne says PacketTrap's partners are no different, plus they enjoy the ability to work with one vendor on multiple solutions. "We believe in the vertical approach, we want our MSPs to get more from us as a vendor," he says. "That's why we offer solutions around security, virtualization, VoIP, and BDR (backup and disaster recovery), then embed those capabilities into our platform to make it even easier for our partners to deploy and then manage them."

For whatever reason, when managed services tools started hitting the market several years ago, monitoring and managing VoIP was an often-overlooked technology component in those systems. For PacketTrap, the capacity to pull data from VoIP systems and offer metrics and tools to keep that solution running smoothly, is unique. "Monitoring VoIP has always been a differentiator for us," explains Byrne. "Now we're starting to see data networking integrators adding VoIP to their lineup, and VoIP guys jumping into data networking and, therefore, managed services, so we see a lot of opportunity to support both of those partner groups." PacketTrap offers RMM support for Cisco, ShoreTel, and Avaya at this point.

To read about other new features in PacketTrap MSP v.6, click here.

Byrne says the managed services community will see PacketTrap on the road more this year, hitting events such as the ASCII Success Summits and partner events such as the Autotask Community Live summit later this month.