30 Hot Products To Check Out Right Now

Live From The Show Floor

Dozens of vendors packed the Solutions Pavilion this week at The Channel Company's XChange 2017 conference in Orlando, Fla., demonstrating the latest products and services they're hoping to push through the channel. The annual IT summit featured some of the industry's best and brightest and provided companies in attendance with an excellent opportunity to promote their automation platforms, data backups, anti-ransomware solutions and other offerings.

XChange typically features an extensive collection of products and services from both up-and-coming vendors and established channel giants. Vendors featured in this slideshow include Acronis, Aerohive Networks, APC by Schneider Electric, Carbonite, Citrix, ConnectWise, D&H Distributing, OnRamp, Scale Computing, Zyxel and many more.

In the slides that follow, CRN highlights 30 products that drew attention at XChange 2017.

Acronis Backup 12.5

Global hybrid data protection and storage specialist Acronis recently launched Backup 12.5, touting it as the world's most innovative backup solution offering unprecedented levels of protection no matter the size of a customer's infrastructure. New features include a unified web interface for the entire infrastructure, support for hypervisors, SAN storage snapshots, Acronis Active Protection to stop ransomware attacks, and disaster recovery capability for emergency data recovery on-premises and in the cloud. The solution supports more than 20 platforms from vendors such as Microsoft, Oracle, VMware and Citrix. Acronis Backup 12.5 comes in two flavors: Standard and Advance, with an easy in-place upgrade system.

Aerohive HiveManager Virtual Appliance

Aerohive Networks recently launched its unified network management system HiveManager NG Virtual Appliance, touting it as the most economical on-premises deployment model in the market. The solution enables customers to manage up to 2,000 access points and switches that can be deployed on an existing server infrastructure for a price tag of $1,799. The appliance manages Aerohive's Wi-Fi architecture which does not require centralized and costly controllers. Aerohive's appliance combines configuration workflows, real-time client and event monitoring, simplifies troubleshooting and contains API integrations.

APC's Local Edge Configuration

APC by Schneider Electric is expanding its vision to bridge the worlds of IT and operational technology (OT) with help from its new Local Edge Configuration. The vendor revealed last week to CRN a configuration tool that automates the design of power solutions targeting edge deployments, as well as the first UPS to feature a new capability that gives solution providers easier remote access to improve partner services related to power efficiency. The software tool lets channel partners quickly plan and design custom, redundant edge solutions for customers.

Autotask

Autotask is looking into providing its MSP customers with a marketing automation platform that will make it easier for them to drive leads and win new business, according to Len DiCostanzo, senior vice president of community and business development.

The East Greenbush, N.Y.-based IT service management vendor hopes to partner with a third-party vendor to automate the co-branding of content and streamline the creation of marketing email campaigns, DiCostanzo said.

Many Autotask customers are simply too busy today to track leads, plan a marketing campaign, or co-brand Autotask content on their own, according to DiCostanzo.

"If you don't have a marketing automation platform, it's going to be really hard to do marketing," DiCostanzo said. "We want to give them [our MSP customers] everything we can to help them grow."

Auvik Networks RMM For MSPs

Ontario-based Auvik Networks, a startup focused on remote monitoring and management (RMM) of network infrastructure, launched in 2015 and immediately garnered interest from MSPs while selling directly to enterprises. Since then, the company pivoted and is now focused on scaling its RMM offering to meet the needs of partners who are managing their clients' core infrastructure.

Auvik's cloud-based, multi-tenant RMM solution lets MSPs manage their customer's network, regardless of which vendors and underlying technology is a part of their environment. MSPs can expose the solution to customers who want to co-manage their network infrastructure. The product complements existing RMM tools on the market today, including SolarWinds and ConnectWise.

Axiom

Axiom, a multi-platform provider of third-party upgrades focused on memory, storage, and fiber-optic connectivity, offers low-cost OEM alternatives sold through the channel. The Axiom Transceivers for Cisco infrastructure, which enables 10 GB short-range, long-range and extended long-range deployments, is priced at $342, $2,003 and $4,958, respectively. Axiom said none of its third-party products void the original system warranties on any device, citing the anti-trust law-targeted Magnuson-Moss Act. The Irvine, Calif.-based company launched a partner portal last year that has since evolved into a full-fledged program, PartnerAxis, with multi-tiered benefits packages that include MDF support and deal registration.

BlackStratus Cybershark

Cybershark looks to bring all of the capabilities of an enterprise SIEM at a price point that SMBs can afford. The company's SIEM-as-a-service offering leverages the cloud and multi-tenancy to flag, analyze, provide intelligence and report billions of security events. The solution is available as a white-label managed service offering to partners, costing hundreds of dollars a month instead of tens of thousands. Partners pay a monthly fee for the solution and can choose how to pass those costs along to customers through a customized partner portal, he said. CEO Dale Kline said at XChange 2017 that the company has seen "gangbusters" growth with partners this year, particularly around MSPs.

Carbonite Hybrid Solution

Back-up and disaster recovery firm Carbonite built its reputation in the small business space, but with the acquisitions of Evault and Double-Take, has made a move into the midmarket. With its hybrid solution, Carbonite and its partners can put an appliance on-site with a customer to do back-up and recovery, which is then backed up to the cloud. The system also includes high-availability software, as well, allowing customers to not only back-up and recover data locally, but also failover and restore locally with another copy of the data in the cloud.

Citrix ShareFile

Software company Citrix is adding to its cloud strategy and wants to help partners with its ShareFile Product.

ShareFile is secure file syncing, storing, and transferring service that has been built for business customers, according to Nate Spilker, vice president of ShareFile SMB. Because it's a "born-in-the-cloud," entirely SaaS-based offering, the provider wants this product to drive its channel evolution as partners move from licensing models in favor of SaaS-based solution selling.

ClearCenter

Founded in 2009, the disruptive Orem, Utah-based vendor is making serious headway with ClearOS, an open source, Linux-based operating system targeted at serving the SMB and distributed enterprise spaces. The hybrid IT operating platform, which allows solution providers to consolidate a full rack of servers into one box that includes software and services, has a price tag starting at $9 per month. ClearCenter CEO Michael Proper said MSPs that incorporate ClearOS into their suite of offerings could expect significant cost savings.

ConnectWise

ConnectWise plans to focus heavily on helping its partner community build a security practice area by partnering with more vendors in the space, according to Product Marketing Manager Brian Troy.

MSPs used to find that some of their SMB clients didn't think security was that important for them, Troy said, and were therefore unwilling to pay as much for it. But given the recent ransomware attacks and high-profile breaches, Troy said nearly every end user understands they need to do this.

The Tampa, Fla.-based IT security management vendor already partners with vendors in the backup and firewall protection spaces, Troy said, and is looking for additional opportunities for to bring more security products, services, and content to its MSP customers.

"With security being so prominent in enterprise and mid-market, how can we start to build relationships with those organizations and find a way to bring that down to SMB?" Troy asked.

D&H Distributing

D&H experienced triple-digit growth around its cloud solutions business in the most recent quarter, said VP of marketing Mary Campbell, and the distributor's free Partner Services ad agency has been among the most warmly-received investments within that segment. The marketing program provides partners with template ads and digital marketing assets, either created by the vendor or D&H, as well as training resources, segmentation campaigns, and marketing development funds. D&H also runs an online streaming venue, Solutions Lab, that aims to better educate partners on sales strategies around specific products. "We pride ourselves on being a trusted business adviser for our customers," Campbell said.

DidItBetter Software

DidItBetter Software, a solution provider organization and division of Advantage International, Inc., specializes in its syncing software that works across Microsoft platforms, including Exchange and Office 365. The offering syncs calendars, contacts, tasks, and email across global address lists for organizations.

The DidItBetter software lets users view, add, or make changes to their own, or shared calendar items, tasks, and contacts, without unnecessary emails being exchanged. Users can decide how and with whom they sync their information, whether it's a one-way or two-way sync, or with the entire workgroup or team. Users can then view updated items from their PCs or mobile devices on the go, said Trace Tervo, president of DidItBetter Software, a Microsoft Gold Partner.

ExtremeWireless WiNG AP

Extreme Networks revealed this summer its new ExtremeWireless WiNG AP 7612 that integrates network application visibility analytics and Quality of Service (QoS) into the access point. The 7612's integration and multi-user MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) technology ensures customer experience with the capacity to support many devices on a guest network. Extreme touts the AP as the smallest wall plate access point in the market with easy snap-on mounting installation.

Ingram Micro

Ingram Micro is helping its channel partners step up their web presence and figure out how to use content better, according to Jennifer Anaya, vice president of North American marketing.

Agency Ingram Micro - the Irvine, Calif.-based distributor's in-house marketing agency - has helped more than 30 solution providers rebrand their companies over the past 18 months, Anaya said, with a focus on more effectively communicating how technology is impacting the industries they serve.

Solution providers should focus on delivering educational rather than branded content at the beginning of the customer's purchasing journey, Anaya said, and formulate materials that speak to the office manager and head of finance rather than just the business owner.

"Vendor brands for sure aren't the right answer at the beginning of the nurturing process," Anaya said. "People are looking for other people's opinions."

Intermedia NexGen Voice

Known as a hosted Microsoft Exchange firm until it broke into the Unified Communications-as-a-Service business a handful of years ago, Intermedia is taking the voice sector by storm. Intermedia's voice business is growing at a 35 to 40 percent clip year-over-year. Eric Roach, global vice president of field channel sales and distribution, said partners involved in beta testing Intermedia's latest NexGen cloud voice solutions are highly enthusiastic about bringing them to market. Partners can almost immediately realize value with Intermedia's voice solutions, especially around services like phone configuration, network testing, and bundling voice with other services they already sell. To sweeten the deal, Intermedia said this week that it would give phones away for free through the end of September.

IT Glue

IT Glue, a Vancouver-based software-as-a-service startup, provides a documentation platform that allows MSPs and other businesses manage their internal processes with features such as device tracking and password management. The tool is aimed at significantly reducing how often a company has to double-enter its data and, at a broader scale, allowing for the integration and synchronization of multiple data asset systems across the solution provider organization, including PSA, RMM and network monitoring tools. "One of our big focuses in the next few months is building the platform that allows the provider with the data that they need to document and allows them to integrate with us," said Luis Giraldo, product VP at IT Glue.

LogicMonitor Service Provider Platform

The fast-growing Software-as-a-Service monitoring specialist LogicMonitor recently revealed a performance monitoring platform targeting service providers that improves configuration management and co-management capabilities for channel partners and customers. LogicMonitor is carving out and enhancing pieces from its flagship SaaS-based performance monitoring solution designed specifically for the service provider market. The platform has role-based access control features that enable partners to provide individual customers with different levels of access without exposing the entire environment. The vendor also enhanced its configuration management capabilities to make it easier for SP's to track the performance before and after configuration changes.

MSP SEO Factory

Original content is king, said David Walter, executive manager at MSP SEO Factory, and that's what the Austin, Texas-based agency aims to create for managed service providers. MSP SEO Factory arranges for the publication of keyword-heavy articles, guest blogs, web site homepage copy and Google reviews, with the goal of getting clients to rank for specific Google keywords and, ultimately, generate high-value leads. MSP SEO Factory charges a monthly fee of $1,590 per "three to four" keywords.

OnRamp Virtual Private Cloud

OnRamp, a hybrid cloud hosting provider, is launching a virtual private cloud offering built on OpenStack technology and created with the highest levels of security and reliability in mind, according to Jean Carlos Carrasquel, senior director of OnRamp's channel program.

OnRamp's partners will have access to sell the virtual private cloud offering 'by the drink," and will be able to add their own services on top of the offering, which is expected to be made available by the end of August, Carrasquel said.

Outsystems' Outsystems10

Outsystems10 is a "low-code" application development platform that is on a mission to capture the U.S. market through the channel. Outsystems allows partners to become trusted advisors to customers looking to develop mobile applications and bring them to market quickly and efficiently. Sold on a subscription basis, Outsystems10 aims to make the user experience of mobile apps simple and trusted. Using Outsystems10, partners can build scalable, easy-to-use solutions for customers – even very large customers like financial institutions and insurance firms – in mere days.

Pax8

Pax8 is no longer the new kid on the block.

The Greenwood Village, Colo.-based distributor has seen sales explode by 240 percent over the past 12 months and has tripled the size of its workforce to 105 employees, according to Ryan Walsh, senior vice president of partner solutions. Pax8 has brought on an average of 150 new MSPs each month, and now has close to 2,000 channel partners, Walsh said.

"We're not new anymore," said Jennifer Bodell, Pax8's director of emerging channel. "They're starting to see us again and again, so there's that whole trust factor."

Pax8 hopes to enhance its integration with professional services automation (PSA) tools by incorporating consumption-based public cloud services, Walsh said. This will require that the distributor know and manage the Infrastructure-as-a-Service spend, Walsh said, and aggregate it into a common bill.

PC Matic

PC Pitstop recently boosted its PC Matic AV engine with the addition of a new feature to protect companies against malicious scripting. COO Keith Linden said at XChange 2017 that the new capability adds to PC Matic's existing white listing capabilities by embedding code in every executable to analyze its activity and see if it should be allowed to run. Linden said the launch helps PC Matic protect customers against more types of attacks, even if they aren't using malware.

"We're not just the white-listing company," Linden said. "[We're] expanding that base."

RapidFire Tools Network Detective

RapidFire Tools Network Detective allows MSPs to offer a complete network assessment to their clients. The assessments include configuration, network activity, security, Exchange, SQL Server, and modules for PCI and HIPAA compliance. Vice President of Sales Mark Winter said the solution provides a significant opportunity for MSPs, allowing them to offer a new service to customers, provide a baseline assessment, and ongoing check-ups with clients. He said RapidFire Tools' most recent addition – a partnership with an Approved Scanning Vendor to offer external PCI compliance scans as part of its PCI module – has been "getting a lot of traction" since its launch earlier this year, as it allows MSPs to conduct mandatory PCI compliance scans in-house instead of engaging with a third-party vendor.

Ruckus H320

Ruckus Wireless recently unveiled its all-in-one H320 802.11ac access point that also allows customers to connect up to two wired devices. The solution is based on Wave 2 technology and includes two Ethernet ports to enable connectivity for any wired IP device including phones, TVs, and cameras. Designed for easy installation, the wall-mounted AP is targeting the hospitality industry as well as apartment buildings and dormitories. The H320 is available today for partners to sell with a price tag of $285.

Scale Computing's HC1150

The HC1150 is Indianapolis, Ind.-based Scale Computing's entry-level hyper-convergence system that combines SSD and spinning disk. The company says its customers – many in state and local government and other budget-conscious verticals – can get all-flash performance from systems that contain between 10 and 15 percent flash. "A little bit of flash in the system is definitely the hottest thing we've got right now," said Scale CEO Jeff Ready. Like the rest of Scale's line, the HC1150 includes a hypervisor for no extra cost or licensing fees. The HC1150 starts at $8,559 per node and is popular in a three-node, 24-core configuration with 192 GB or RAM, 1.4 TB SSD capacity.

SolarWinds MSP

SolarWinds MSP has rolled out a data backup offering that enables MSPs to protect their SMB clients against ransomware in a cost-effective manner, according to channel development and enablement manager Nadia Karatsoreos.

The Ottawa, Ontario-based IT service management vendor said the new offering costs just $3 per workstation, is completely automated, and allows end users to recover their own data, Karatsoreos said. The product does two scans per day, and save results from the past 28 days, according to Karatsoreos.

Many SMBs weren't backing up at the workstation level since it wasn't cost-effective, Karatsoreos said. SolarWinds MSP is bundling the document backup with its server, workstation, cloud and local backup capabilities as an optional feature.

"Data as is important as your money," Karatsoreos said. "But we don't use the same level of security as we do with our money when it comes to data."

Sophos Intercept X

Sophos continues to see incredible growth around its Intercept X, Vice President of Global Channels Kendra Krause said at XChange 2017. The anti-ransomware solution, which can be sold as an add-on to existing Sophos solutions or independently, offers a signature-less threat and exploit detection, CryptoGuard anti-ransomware capabilities to both block and remediate ransomware, root cause analysis to map attacks and provide recommendations for future, and Sophos Clean to clean up spyware and malware in an environment. Krause said the company had seen particular interest in the solution after the recent wave of WannaCry and NotPetya ransomware attacks.

Vault America

Cloud service provider Vault America decided upon its inception in 2004 to sell exclusively through the channel. Today, the Boston-based provider offers data backup, recovery, and archiving solutions that partners can "buy in bulk" and distribute among their end customers in the best way they see fit, according to Zak Karsan, president and CEO of Vault America.

Vault America is offering a hybrid cloud backup and recovery solution offered on a month-to-month contract. Vault America's offering can be fully white-labeled to promote the partner's brand, and is a great compliment to a partner's overall data protection solution, Karsan said.

Zyxel Communications USG110

Taiwan-based Zyxel is one of few vendors that address "anything that connects to the wires," according to Jeff Gallifent, the company's director of North America channel sales, and its firewalls are particularly hot right now. Zyxel's USG110 firewall is especially hot because its balance of performance and value is a natural fit for the SMB sector. The USG110 provides firewall, anti-virus, anti-span, content filtering, application intelligence and SSL inspection along with VPN high availability, and built-in WLAN controller and scalability to up to 18 access points.