ConnectWise Exec: Innovations, New Pricing And Packaging For Asio Platform In High Gear

‘By the end of this year, nearly all of our products will either be fully integrated into Asio or have a seamless connection that feels like part of the platform. Expect innovations around data protection, security and enhanced integrations for PSA and RMM. Additionally, there will be new pricing and packaging strategies to provide more flexibility for MSPs in selecting services that best suit their needs,’ says ConnectWise Chief Product Officer Jeff Bishop.

ConnectWise this week unveiled updates to its remote monitoring and management (RMM) and robotic process automation (RPA) offerings, including automated patching capabilities and new workflows to improve overall security postures for MSPs and their clients.

The move comes as Tampa, Fla.-based ConnectWise is looking to fully integrate all of its offerings into the Asio platform or seamlessly connect them by the end of 2025, according to Chief Product Officer Jeff Bishop.

“ By consolidating disparate products into the Asio platform, we’re streamlining operations and reducing risk,” Bishop told CRN in an interview at ConnectWise IT Nation EMEA in London. “As MSPs adopt more cybersecurity tools, Asio provides a centralized solution, allowing us to focus on one integrated platform rather than managing dozens of separate systems. This scalability makes it easier to address evolving cybersecurity challenges for MSPs and their clients.”

Asio serves as a comprehensive platform that combines MSP business operations such as CRM, ticketing, project management, financials and security services under one unified system.

“By integrating everything into Asio, we give MSPs a single platform with the flexibility to choose the services they need, minimizing risk and attack vectors, while also improving scalability and efficiency,” Bishop said.

In addition to automated patching, new out-of-the-box workflows will help MSPs streamline operations, including reducing time spent on tasks like data entry and ticket routing. One notable feature, the on-boarding digital worker , reduces the time required to create Office 365 accounts by 75 percent.

ConnectWise also launched ConnectWise SaaS Security to manage Microsoft 365 security services. With demand for Microsoft 365 security increasing, the SaaS Security platform offers a unified, single-pane view of security across Microsoft 365 tenants. Furthermore, ConnectWise Security360 and ConnectWise Backup360 are now included at no extra cost within the Asio platform.

CRN spoke to Bishop about these enhancements and how they further assist MSPs in helping them and their clients be even more secure from threats.

How does the automation of patching and ConnectWise RMM help address cybersecurity challenges for MSPs?

Patching is a critical part of cybersecurity. Ensuring that OS [operating system] and third-party patches are done correctly and consistently is essential. Historically, our ConnectWise RMM solution wasn’t as strong in this area, but for 2024 and beyond we’ve focused on improving patching resiliency. Now MSPs can automate OS and third-party patching with greater confidence, reaching a 97 percent patch rate across thousands of MSPs and millions of endpoints. This increased reliability provides MSPs with a much higher level of confidence compared to last year.

Traditional RMM solutions typically only cover critical third-party patches, those most commonly encountered. However, we’ve added over 300 third-party titles and plan to add several thousand more by mid-2025. In contrast to relying on third-party integrations, our native patching solution within ConnectWise RMM allows MSPs to eliminate the need for additional purchases and manage everything from one platform.

MSPs often juggle multiple backup and security solutions. With ConnectWise’s unified approach, whether MSPs use our native tools or third-party solutions, everything is integrated into Asio. This reduces the need to jump between different portals, which provides MSPs with a comprehensive, centralized view of all backup and security activities across their clients.

How do out-of-the-box workflow rules and ConnectWise RPA reduce time-consuming tasks for MSPs?

The introduction of the ConnectWise RPA solution was designed to address automation needs across our entire product portfolio. Whether it’s managing workflow in PSA, RMM or any other tool, RPA streamlines tasks and reduces the manual effort involved. For example, on-boarding a new user might have taken an hour previously but now it can be done in seconds with just a click of a button.

How does the intelligent alerting system in ConnectWise RMM help MSPs reduce alert fatigue and improve productivity?

Our intelligent alerting system now ties alerts directly to tickets in our PSA. If an alert is resolved automatically, the ticket can be closed without manual intervention. This reduces unnecessary noise and allows MSPs to focus on more critical issues, thus improving their overall efficiency and productivity.

Walk me through how ConnectWise SaaS Security helps MSPs manage and monetize Microsoft 365 security services more effectively.

Many MSPs overlook the security posture of their clients’ Microsoft 365 accounts. With ConnectWise SaaS Security, MSPs can review and improve security configurations for Microsoft 365, based on Microsoft’s recommended best practices. This tool can automate security updates and configurations across clients, saving MSPs significant time and effort and enhancing their ability to monetize Microsoft 365 security services.

How does ConnectWise Security Navigator enable MSPs to communicate the value of cybersecurity services to their SMB clients?

The reporting and dashboard tools in Security Navigator are essential for MSPs to demonstrate the impact of their security efforts. These tools allow MSPs to provide clear reports that show improvements in security posture and risk reduction, which builds trust with SMB clients and demonstrates the value of cybersecurity services.

So how does ConnectWise gather feedback from MSPs to shape the development of new features?

MSPs play a crucial role in the development of our products. We have advisory groups, virtual meetups and customer involvement in the design process. Every product team at ConnectWise now ensures that MSPs are part of the decision-making process, from design to delivery, ensuring that our solutions align with real-world needs.

Lastly, can you tease what’s coming to the Asio platform by the end of the year?

By the end of this year, nearly all of our products will either be fully integrated into Asio or have a seamless connection that feels like part of the platform. Expect innovations around data protection, security and enhanced integrations for PSA and RMM. Additionally, there will be new pricing and packaging strategies to provide more flexibility for MSPs in selecting services that best suit their needs.