As we head toward the New Year, we’re taking a look back at some significant vendor acquisitions in the channel—ones that likely impacted your MSP business and the channel partner programs you’re part of. No surprise that most of the purchases were security-related, as the threat landscape continues to be challenging and a moving target. So over the past 12 months, vendors were busy beefing up their portfolios with SaaS, cloud, data protection, email security, and more.
Here’s a brief rundown of eight notable transactions, starting with the most recent.
1. N-able Acquires Adlumin
IT management platform vendor N-able acquired Adlumin, a provider of XDR/MDR solutions, in November. N-able and Adlumin had been partnering for more than a year prior to the acquisition. In a conversation with MSP Success, CEO and President John Pagliuca said an MDR/XDR offering “was the number one thing our partners have been asking for the last couple of years.” The strategic acquisition “completes the third leg of the stool, bringing IT management, data protection, and security together under one roof. Right now, we go to market primarily as an RMM vendor and a data protection vendor. We historically would use security as more of a cross-sell. But now we will go to customers with this XDR/MDR solution.” Adlumin founder CEO Robert Johnston said he is staying onboard with N-able as GM of Adlumin.
2. Kaseya Acquires SaaS Alerts
Announced at DattoCon in October, the acquisition of SaaS Alerts added cloud detection and response (CDR) and SaaS monitoring and alerting to Kaseya’s IT Complete portfolio. Importantly, Kaseya also announced at DattoCon that it was including SaaS Alerts in the new Kaseya 365 User, an all-in-one subscription for MSPs to help their customers prevent, respond to, and recover from user identity and security threats. “We think every single customer in the world managed by an MSP should be protected with CDR,” said Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola. Why SaaS Alerts? “We believe [SaaS Alerts] is one of the best technologies ever created for the MSP space,” Voccola said. “And by including it [in Kaseya 365 User], we make it very affordable.” Kaseya 365 User followed on the heels of Kaseya 365 Endpoint, announced in April.
3. Sophos Acquires Secureworks
Also in October, cybersecurity vendor Sophos announced it was acquiring Secureworks, provider of Taegis, a SaaS-based, open XDR platform. Secureworks brings Identity Detection and Response (IDR) and OT security to the Sophos portfolio. Sophos expects to integrate solutions from both companies into a broader security portfolio. Said Joe Levy, CEO of Sophos, in an email interview with MSP Success, “Specifically, this is going to strengthen our security operations services—for both customers that need additional help augmenting their in-house SOC or need a fully managed service, either one, for small, midmarket or enterprise-sized organizations—in any vertical. Sophos will also be able to expand our portfolio to include new offerings to customers, such as identity detection and response, next-gen SIEM capabilities, operational technology security, and enhanced vulnerability risk prioritization.”
4. ConnectWise Acquires Axcient and SkyKick
ConnectWise in September announced the acquisition of data protection and disaster recovery solutions vendor Axcient and cloud backup and management software vendor SkyKick. The goal of the acquisitions, according to ConnectWise, is “to enhance our Asio platform with industry-leading BCDR and cloud backup solutions, expand our international presence, and leverage the robust distribution networks of both Axcient and SkyKick.” The company said its intent “is to seamlessly incorporate all these solutions into ConnectWise Asio to leverage the benefits of a purpose-built platform beyond just integrations.”
5. KnowBe4 Acquires Egress
KnowBe4, known for security awareness training, announced in April that it was acquiring cloud email security vendor Egress. The company built on that acquisition with its latest product, announced in November. The new HRM+ human risk management platform combines security awareness training, email security, anti-phishing, real-time coaching, AI defense agents and compliance training into a single platform. “Given the rapid evolution of today’s most prevalent cybersecurity threats, people remain the greatest point of vulnerability—and potentially the strongest defense—for any organization’s security,” said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO, KnowBe4, in a press statement. “Our new human risk management platform, HRM+ … is a natural progression of KnowBe4’s growth trajectory and cements our future plans to elevate our presence in this new market.”
6. Pia Acquires Triafy
In March, AI/automation provider Pia acquired Triafy, an AI triage product founded by Gerwai Todd, who came on board as Pia’s new CEO, replacing founding CEO Christian Pacheco. Todd was also the CEO of TimeZest, a meeting scheduling tool for MSPs now integrated with Pia. “Applying AI to MSP use cases has been a passion project of mine for several years,” Todd said in a press statement. “At Triafy, we launched the first AI solution for categorizing and triaging help desk tickets. The progress that has been made with AI technology since 2019 is a massive advancement and has unlocked amazing possibilities for MSPs. The team at Pia shares the same vision as me … I’m excited to join forces with the Pia team and to be part of reinventing how MSPs will operate in the new AI-enabled business model.”
7. SonicWall Acquires Banyan Security
SonicWall bought security service edge (SSE) solution provider Banyan on January 3. That acquisition was the foundation of SonicWall’s new Cloud Secure Edge (CSE), a multitenant platform for MSPs announced in July. “CSE combines the functionality of multiple traditional network appliances—remote access VPN, web proxy, firewall, etc.—into a unified cloud-delivered solution, improving the security posture and user experience for the entire workforce,” said Tarun Desikan, SonicWall executive vice president of product strategy, and co-founder of Banyan Security. (See SonicWall CEO Bob VanKirk’s conversation with MSP Success about the company’s roadmap.)
8. Thoma Bravo acquires CompTIA
OK, while CompTIA isn’t a vendor, we included this acquisition because the industry organization plays a significant role in the channel. Private equity investors H.I.G. Capital and Thoma Bravo purchased the CompTIA brand and IT certification and training business; the nonprofit side of the organization will rebrand. Accordiing to CompTIA, “The 501(c)(6) membership-based nonprofit association will continue to serve the IT channel and be governed by the same volunteer Board of Directors. The association’s annual budget, previously supported by certification and training sales revenues, will instead be derived from the investment income generated each year by a significant endowment from the sale proceeds. This funding model is similar to how many universities and non-profits operate.”
The acquisition caught some MSP CompTIA members off guard when the organization made the announcement on November 5. “The CompTIA announcement took me by surprise, as I think it did for everyone,” said Ann Westerheim, CEO of Ekaru. “Overall, the private equity interest shows that tech opportunity is continuing to grow, which is a good vote of confidence for all of us, and the endowment generated from the sale will keep the non-profit side healthy and sustainable to do a lot of good. After the initial ‘What???’ reaction, I think things will be good for CompTIA.”
As The Ink Dries …
As 2024 comes to a close, these acquisitions highlight the rapid evolution and growing importance of security, SaaS, and cloud solutions in the channel. Vendors are increasingly focusing on bolstering their portfolios to address the complex security needs of MSPs and their clients. From XDR and CDR to enhanced backup and email security, these strategic moves signal a clear direction for the industry: integration, innovation, and delivering comprehensive solutions to safeguard businesses. As we look ahead to 2025, it’s clear the channel will continue to prioritize security and advanced technology to stay ahead of emerging challenges.
