So much cybersecurity this week, with two big industry conferences taking place: ThreatLocker Zero Trust World in Orlando, Florida, and Right of Boom in Las Vegas. If you didn’t go to either event and were busy helping customers, we had boots on the ground at ZTW, so be sure to check out our coverage here. And read below to learn which former Datto execs took to the stage at Right of Boom to unveil their new company. Don’t stop reading there, though! We’ve also got news from other key channel vendors rolling out new offerings for MSPs this week. Plus, we’ve included partner program updates you don’t want to miss. Happy reading!
Products
He’s Back! Datto’s Austin McChord Launches Slide, a BCDR Company
Slide, a startup co-founded by two former Datto execs, founder and former CEO Austin McChord, and former general counsel and chief people officer Michael Fass, launched a BCDR appliance for MSPs. The co-founders presented the new company at the Right of Boom conference.
“BCDR for MSPs has been long overdue for reinvention,” said Austin McChord, chairman of Slide, in a press statement. “At Slide, we’ve built a modern solution from scratch—free of legacy constraints—giving MSPs the security, performance, and pricing flexibility they need to grow their business into the future.”
According to the company, Slide’s Z1 appliance features a security first architecture and offers native data encryption by default both in transit and at rest with no data storage penalty.
At launch, the Slide Z1 capabilities include instant virtualization, block-level backups, file restores, and image exports. And in what Slide claims is an industry-first feature, Active Reclaim optimizes storage by automatically identifying and reclaiming unused space, delivering space savings to client backups.
Additionally, Slide said it is committed to deep integrations with industry-leading platforms. Key partnerships at launch include ScalePad’s Backup Radar, enabling automated backup monitoring and compliance, and Timus Networks, a next-generation secure access service edge (SASE) provider.
“The MSP community matters so much to me, and I couldn’t be more excited to be back with a new BCDR solution that should raise the bar for everyone. With Slide, we’re delivering a fresh, modern, secure BCDR, designed for MSPs to thrive for the next decade and beyond. The most fun part is that this is just the beginning. I can’t wait to be a part of Slide’s impact of empowering MSPs to grow and succeed,” said McChord.
The Slide Z1 appliance is available immediately in capacities ranging from 1TB to 16TB and the Slide R1 rackmount appliance configurable up to 64 TB.
Liongard Announces M365 Real-Time Monitoring
Attack surface management platform vendor Liongard announced the Beta program for Real-Time Monitoring for Microsoft 365. Real-time monitoring will provide MSPs with an accurate, centralized view of Microsoft 365 changes and alert them to user account changes, security configuration adjustments, and suspicious activity. In addition, MSPs will have an up-to-date audit trail, allowing them to better keep their clients compliant.
“True security isn’t just about reacting—it’s about staying ahead of threats,” said Callen Sapien, Liongard chief product and technology officer, in a press statement. “With Real-Time Monitoring for Microsoft 365, IT service providers gain immediate visibility into critical security changes, allowing them to detect and respond instantly rather than relying on scheduled data updates. This marks a fundamental shift in how MSPs protect their customers by providing left and right of boom visibility into Microsoft 365 to ensure proactive defense and rapid mitigation.”
1Password Enterprise Password Manager–MSP Edition Generally Available
After what 1Password is calling a “highly successful” beta period, the vendor officially released 1Password Enterprise Password Manager–MSP Edition this week. The offering aims to strengthen MSPs’ client security posture and enable MSPs to scale their operations more efficiently.
1Password’s password manager offers dual-key encryption to keep information secure. The centralized MSP console provided by the MSP edition of the tool enables MSPs to manage clients using 1Password and monitor usage. 1Password has also integrated with identity providers such as Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, and JumpCloud and SIEM tools like Microsoft Sentinel to maximize operational efficiency. The vendor aims to enable scalability for its partners by offering flexible, consumption-based billing, an aggregated view of client usage, and no license minimums.
“The demand we’ve seen from MSPs since the beta program has been extraordinary,” said Jason Eberhardt, VP of Global MSP channel at 1Password, in a press statement. “Today’s MSPs are at the forefront of defending businesses against rising cyber threats. We’re thrilled to deliver a solution that not only helps MSPs enhance security and streamline their operations, but also enables them to provide exceptional value to their clients.”
GoTo Launches AI-Powered Insights and Issue Resolution for LogMeIn Resolve
GoTo, a cloud communications vendor, announced three new AI features for LogMeIn Resolve. With the new features, GoTo aims to streamline workflows and enable MSP teams to shift from reactive support to proactive, strategic management, without needing to hire extra technicians.
These AI-powered features include:
- Virtual Technician—Streamlines repetitive IT tasks, like software configuration and VPN troubleshooting, by using natural language prompts to generate step-by-step workflows, which can be easily reviewed, approved, and executed.
- Command Center—A smart dashboard that cuts down on information overload by pinpointing the most urgent issues and offering actionable solution paths.
- Dynamic Insights—Provides real-time, critical data via natural language prompts, which technicians can use to identify issues and assess their scope and impact.
Keeper Security Launches Upgraded KeeperPAM
Keeper Security, the password-protecting cybersecurity software vendor, announced the newest iteration of its privileged access management platform, KeeperPAM. This update introduces a cloud-native solution that integrates all PAM processes into Keeper’s encrypted vault. It will enable organizations to manage privileged credentials securely within a single platform.
KeeperPAM’s key features include:
- Zero-Trust authentication, which verifies every access request to ensure only trusted users can access sensitive systems.
- Automated password rotation for privileged accounts, reducing the risk of credential theft.
- Secure remote access allows MSPs to access accounts in their infrastructure directly from the Keeper vault.
- Privileged session monitoring, which helps prevent unauthorized actions and provides a clear audit trail.
- Granular access control that allows MSPs to define specific policies for privileged accounts.
Education
Right of Boom, CIS, and Antisyphon Training Partner to Launch CIS Controls Course
Right of Boom, a cybersecurity community and conference, announced a new partnership with the Center for Internet Security (CIS) and Antisyphon Training (a division of Black Hills Information Security) to launch the CIS Controls Mastery Course for MSPs. This course includes 300 modules, a lab component for demonstrating competence, a 100-question certification test, and Antisyphon’s Core SOC Skills and Intro to Pen Testing.
The partners designed this course to be a comprehensive and affordable option for MSPs to master the CIS Controls, according to Right of Boom. Right of Boom’s partnership with CIS and Antisyphon aims to help MSPs deliver the Controls at scale. They unveiled the course at the Right of Boom conference in Las Vegas.
New Certification from CompTIA Aimed at Hybrid Environments
CompTIA CloudNetX is the newest certification in CompTIA‘s Xpert Series. The certification validates the advanced skills needed to design, engineer, and integrate secure and scalable networking solutions in hybrid environments.
The CompTIA CloudNetX is a vendor-neutral certification. The certification exam assesses hands-on capabilities on a range of topics, including: emerging technologies, network security, and business requirements analysis.
CompTIA create CloudNetX for IT professionals with at least five years of experience as a systems architect, network architect, cloud network architect, infrastructure architect, or enterprise architect.
Two new learning resources are available for the new certification. CertMaster Perform CloudNetX is a comprehensive eLearning resource to gain knowledge and practical experience through instructional lessons and live labs. CertMaster Labs CloudNetX offers hands-on practice and skills development through a browser-based lab environment, allowing learners to apply their knowledge in real IT environments. Both resources align with the CompTIA CloudNetX certification exam objectives.
Partner Programs
LastPass Updates Partner Program to Remove Complexities
LastPass, an identity and password management solution provider, announced several enhancements to its Partner Program. These include an improved MSP admin console with enhanced reporting capabilities that help streamline invoices and support prorated billing. Now, MSPs can generate executive summary reports, showcasing product adoption, security scores, and ROI to client.
Also new is a centralized partner portal, a one-stop hub for training, support, marketing resources, case management, benefit tracking, and attainment.
Finally, LastPass optimized the partner pillars. There are clear and enforceable benefits, standardized discounts at deal registration, and seamless integration with the new Partner Portal. This ensures a consistent and transparent experience for partners across all tiers.
“We understand that partners need straightforward and affordable solutions to help their customers enhance security and efficiency in password management,” said Jessica Couto, vice president of global channel and alliances at LastPass, in a press statement. “Our enhanced Partner Program is designed to remove complexities, making it simple for partners to deliver impactful solutions that address real points. By providing high-margin opportunities, streamlined tools, and dedicated support, we are enabling partners to grow their businesses while delivering the trusted security their customers expect.”
Ingram Micro Unites Its Partner Communities
Ingram Micro united its two partner communities—Ingram Micro SMB Alliance and Ingram Micro Trust X Alliance (TXA)—under the international brand of Trust X Alliance. They are designated as Elite members of the new Ingram Micro Ultra loyalty program. The move creates a 500-plus global peer-to-peer community of technology advisors and MSPs.
The distributor also announced the appointment of two executives to champion the community internally and externally. John Fago, executive director of worldwide growth marketing, and Kelly Sander, executive director of U.S. SMB sales, now work alongside Ingram Micro’s community leaders and new 2025 TXA Council members.
Distribution/Marketplaces
Sophos is making its portfolio of cybersecurity solutions available to Pax8’s network of more than 40,000 MSPs.
“Sophos and Pax8 are strongly aligned in our mission to empower MSPs with best-in-class end-to-end security services and products while simplifying lifecycle management of these solutions and reducing operational overhead. MSPs want to align with vendors who are easy to work with, and this agreement will make it even easier for MSPs to work with Sophos, something we’ve long been committed to,” said Joe Levy, CEO of Sophos, in a press statement.
The Sophos offering will be available on the Pax8 Marketplace starting February 28, 2025.
People
The ASCII Group, a North American community for independent MSPs appointment four MSP leaders to its Member Advisory Committee: Kathy Durfee of TechHouse; Michael Goldstein of LAN Infotech; Felicia King of Quality Plus Consulting; and Ken Wong of DragonTek International … Barracuda Networks appointed Peter Alexander as chief marketing officer. Alexander brings more than 25 years of experience at leading technology companies, and most recently served as CMO at Fastly …
New Charter Technologies, a portfolio company of Palo Alto-based private equity firm Oval Partners, appointed Christopher J. Luise as COO. Luise was formerly CEO of ADNET Technologies (a New Charter Technologies company), a company he co-founded in 1991. Currently, New Charter has nearly 30 companies across North America in its network … N-able hired a new Head Nerd, Ben Lee, who focus on providing Microsoft support and expertise. Lee brings over 15 years of experience in the Microsoft space, specializing in their Unified Communications and Collaboration tools.
