From new products you can add to your portfolio to IT spending forecasts and the latest channel investments, MSP Success aims to keep you in the know.
Zyxel Networks Launches 22Gbps Wi-Fi 7 Access Point For MSPs
Zyxel Networks, a networking solutions provider, launched its first Wi-Fi 7 access point for managed service providers (MSPs) and small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). According to Zyxel, it delivers speeds up to 22Gbps—up to five times faster than Wi-Fi 6/6E solutions. This makes it ideal for high-bandwidth applications, such as video streaming, broadcasting, online gaming and VR. The 10G uplink enables true 10GbE super broadband to unlock the full potential of Wi-Fi 7 networks.
Zyxel’s WBE660S Wi-Fi 7 BE22000 Triple-Radio NebulaFlex Pro Access Point is designed around the Qualcomm Networking Pro 1220 Wi-Fi 7 Platform and offers cloud-based management through Zyxel’s Nebula Cloud Networking Solution. The access point is designed to be deployed in high-density areas such as offices, classrooms and airports.
The new access point features smart antenna technology to mitigate interference. It also offers troubleshoot features; the Wi-Fi Aid automatically troubleshoots network access issues across the entire wireless client onboarding process.
In addition to PoE++, WBE660S can be powered using USB Type-C, enabling users to leverage existing chargers. The new access point will be available in Q4 2023 through Zyxel authorized resellers and e-commerce partners.
ScalePad Acquires Quoter To Add Quote-To-Cash And Contract Management To Its Platform
ScalePad, provider of IT asset management software for MSPs, has acquired Quoter, a cloud-based quote-to-cash and contract management solution made for MSPs and value-added resellers (VARs).
Quoter’s template-driven system automates the quote-to-cash process, empowering partners to produce quotes in seconds. In addition, Quoter recently announced contract management functionality to help MSPs simplify agreement workflows, capture lost revenue and maximize the value of their businesses.
ScalePad’s previous acquisitions, which include AdeptMC, Lifecycle Insights, Cognition360, and ControlMap in 2023, and the acquisition of Backup Radar in late 2021, combine asset lifecycle management, vCIO, QBR, business intelligence and compliance functionality. With the addition of Quoter, the ScalePad platform now provides MSPs with an integrated revenue operations toolset.
Compliance Risk Receives $3.5M Investment From Bellini Capital
Compliance Risk, a governance-as-a-service solution created by MSPs for MSPs, has received a $3.5M investment from Bellini Capital and will be rebranding to Compliance Scorecard. The company says the investment will help it expand its product roadmap with additional risk management and governance modules.
Compliance Risk gives MSPs policies and procedures tailored to meet specific regulatory and industry compliance standards. Its governance-as-a-service framework includes:
- Industry specific policy packs including HIPAA, FTC Safeguard, NIST CSF and CMMC
- Explanatory text that leads organizations through each policy documentation form
- Change-control tracking, and automated prompts to ensure organizations fulfill annual compliance requirements
- End-user training and adoption tracking including e-signatures
- Weekly MSP peer support group, a Slack channel, and a 30-day free trial
Arnie Bellini, co-founder and former CEO of ConnectWise, is the managing partner of Bellini Capital. The firm also recently invested in startup Nine Minds, which launched a ConnectWise customer service extension in September that automates IT ticketing using Nine Minds’ AI engine, Octavia.
EnGenius Expands Cloud Capabilities For MSPs
Network management vendor EnGenius Technologies unveiled the MSP Portal within EnGenius Cloud for optimizing inventory and license management across organizations. The multitenant portal enables MSPs to assign, move and deregister network devices.
The portal also aims to make it easier and faster to onboard new customers. MSPs can manage multiple tenant networks through a single dashboard and duplicate selected or entire network configurations for new tenants, reducing the need for repetitive configurations for site-based or organization-based settings, including network general settings (alert/firmware), SSID, radio, VLAN, firewall and VPN settings.
As a security enhancement, the portal will enable MSPs to disable automatic firmware updates and select a firmware version for uninterrupted network operation. Further, Single Sign-On (SSO) allows control over the authentication of support team members and boosts operational efficiency across multiple systems.
Gartner Forecasts Software And IT Services To See Double-Digit Growth In 2024
Gartner forecasts that worldwide IT spending will total $5.1 trillion in 2024, an increase of 8% from 2023, but the software and IT services segments will both see double-digit growth in 2024, largely driven by cloud spending. Notably, while AI investments are supporting IT spending growth, Gartner says GenAI impacts will not be felt until 2025.
Global spending on public cloud services is forecasted to increase 20.4% in 2024, fueled by both cloud vendor price increases and increased utilization.
Cybersecurity spending is also driving growth in the software segment. In the 2024 Gartner CIO and Technology Executive Survey, 80% of CIOs reported that they plan to increase spending on cyber/information security in 2024, the top technology category for increased investment.
Gartner also expects spending on devices, which was impacted by inflation the past two years, will begin to rebound modestly in 2024, growing 4.8%
Meanwhile, Gartner notes that change fatigue delayed new IT spending in 2023, pushing some spending into 2024, a trend that is expected to continue into 2025.
“Faced with a new wave of pragmatism, capital restrictions, or margin concerns, CIOs are delaying some IT spending,” said John-David Lovelock, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner, in a press statement. “Organizations are shifting the emphasis of IT projects towards cost control, efficiencies, and automation, while curtailing IT initiatives that will take longer to deliver returns.”
TD SYNNEX Relaunches MyShop E-Commerce Platform With AI And VR/AR
Global distributor TD SYNNEX has relaunched its 10-year-old MyShop e-commerce platform for US partners with new virtual commerce (v-commerce) and artificial intelligence (AI) features.
The v-commerce experience utilizes virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technology to deliver an immersive, 3D shopping experience for products, services and solutions.
The new customized AI solution transforms a chatbot into an extension of the organization’s domain expertise. As customers engage with this AI-powered shopping assistant, it becomes adept at uncovering preferences and needs, delivering a more personalized shopping experience.
MyShop also features custom solution and product configurators, allowing users to customize the components of a solution or features of a product so that the final configured outcome meets their business needs.
Additional features and enhancements include full integration of the combined TD SYNNEX portfolio; added reporting, data and analytics capabilities; enhanced search functionality and capabilities; direct integration capabilities into the partner’s CRM or ERP; and vendor-specific shops, seamlessly integrating product portfolios into one integrated experience.
“The buyer’s journey has evolved significantly in recent years, with a much bigger focus on self-service and customized experiences,” said Bob Stegner, TD SYNNEX SVP, marketing, technology solutions North America, in a press statement. “Resellers need to cater to those expectations and evolve with those demands. Today, we’re providing solutions for any organization to meet the ever-changing ecommerce marketplace demands in efficient and effective ways. MyShop is not just a website, it’s a gateway to the future of e-commerce shopping.”
