Hosted Desktops, Cloud Office: independenceIT, N-able Integrate

independenceIT and N-able Technologies are converging the worlds of cloud services and managed services. From a single dashboard, MSPs running both platforms will soon be able to manage hosted desktops as well as traditional on-premises IT equipment. Early adopters will likely include masterIT, an MSPmentor 501 company. Here’s the background, including insights from independenceIT Executive VP Jim Lippie.

MSPs are essentially in two applications all day long, notes Lippie: PSA (professional services automation) and RMM (remote monitoring and management) platforms. At the same time, MSPs are seeking ways to profit from cloud computing, adds Lippie. In that case, independenceIT offers private label virtual desktop software — aka Desktop as a Service (DaaS). MSPs can host independenceIT’s software on their own, or plug into independenceIT’s cloud.

independenceIT has been taking steps to make sure its cloud-based applications are easily managed from RMM and PSA dashboards. The latest work involves N-able Technologies; integrations with Autotask and ConnectWise on the PSA front are already in place.

For MSPs, independenceIT’s software could also provide a stepping stone into the mobile device management (MDM) and mobile applications management (MAM) markets. Think of it this way: Customers typically want to access their desktops from PCs, notebooks, tablets and smartphones. independenceIT’s software provides that capability, while RMM software provides MDM capabilities. Moreover, notes Lippie, the integration of RMM with independenceIT gives MSPs a clearer path to true per user, per month fixed fee pricing.

Lippie certainly knows his way around the MSP market. He previously built an MSPmentor 501 company (Thrive Networks), which Staples ultimately acquired. Moreover, Lippie has been an N-able customer and a frequent speaker at the company’s annual partner conference.

Meanwhile, it sounds like masterIT CEO Michael Drake is giving the independenceIT-N-able integration plan a look, though I haven’t spoken with Drake directly about the efforts. We’ll be sure to check in with him for specific thoughts.