AVG offers buyout programme to PacketTrap MSPs
MSPs can exchange their PacketTrap RMM licenses for a free Managed Workplace license until November
When Dell announced earlier this month it was deep-sixing the PacketTrap RMM and PSA products it acquired when it bought Quest Software, it was only a matter of time until one of the other MSP platform developers capitalised: AVG Technologies won the race, saying on Monday it will allow MSPs that have built on PacketTrap MSP to use its AVG Managed Workplace RMM platform for free.
Under the programme, MSPs can turn in their PacketTrap RMM licenses for a free Managed Workplace license. The programme runs through the end of November and offers six months to one year of free service with Managed Workplace. To qualify, MSPs must sign on for a paid subscription to Managed Workplace for a time equal to the free tryout period. The promotion is open to MSPs in the UK, Canada, US, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
"We wanted to step out of the box and rely on our AVG heritage to offer all of those who invested in that technology a bit of credit," said Luke Walling, AVG's vice president of sales and operations for SMB in North America.
Walling said the company has "seen a great deal of inbound activity" from PacketTrap-using MSPs since Dell's decision to discontinue the PacketTrap lines, and that interest fit the decision to launch the buyout promotion. But for AVG, which itself is new to the RMM space through its purchase earlier this year of Ottawa-based Level Platform, it is a way to raise its profile in the managed services space.
"It's about showing the channel that we care, that we're here, that we're staying here, and honouring our promise to continue to serve the channel," Walling said.
While development of PacketTrap ceased earlier this month, Dell says it will support existing RMM and PSA customers for the duration of their contracts, and will offer renewals of support contracts to existing customers "for the foreseeable future." But for many MSPs using the platform, the lack of development in the rapidly-evolving RMM space may be enough to send them looking at alternative products that will see new features and functions.
Replacing an RMM product is a major process for many MSPs that built their business and their processes around the existing platform. Because the level of customisation and personalisation is different from MSP to MSP, the level difficulty of such a transfer can differ greatly.
However, Walling said Managed Workplace's agentless model makes it easier and faster for MSPs to get the basics of RMM up and running, compared to having to install agents on a number of customers who have previously been managed on a different RMM platform. And the company is making "priority support" available to MSPs coming over from PacketTrap to ease the pain of changing platform while their business is still in motion.
"Offering the support of our technical account managers is one of the biggest value-adds we can provide them," Walling said.
The number of such resources has been growing, as AVG trains technical support people who have historically supported its CloudCare offering on its newly-acquired RMM platform. Walling said, at this point, the support and development teams for the two products have been blended and "we have more development resources focused on RMM than ever before."
That is part of a broader integration between Managed Workplace and CloudCare. The company has plans to integrate security features from CloudCare into Managed Workplace, and to develop a unified management and security platform for MSPs based on the combined products. Walling hinted the company will make more announcements around the integration of the products and new additions of products into the Managed Workplace product as soon as next month.
As part of our special editorial relationship, CRN is republishing this article from Channelnomics.