Barracuda Unleashes RMM Platform Update

Barracuda Networks has unveiled the first major update to Managed Workplace, its security-centric remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform, since it acquired the solution earlier this year.

With the launch of Managed Workplace 12, MSPs and solution providers now gain access to new capabilities delivered by advanced software management, which enables service providers to offer expanded patch and software update management for thousands of different software versions from more than 100 software vendors. Service providers can automatically apply these patches and software updates to devices under management.

Brian Babineau, Barracuda MSP’s senior vice president and general manager, tells us that to ensure a customer’s environment is as secure as possible, MSPs must keep their networks up to date with the latest patches and updates.

Barracuda’s Brian Babineau

“However, this poses several challenges to MSPs, especially given the ever-growing software market,” he said. “These include being able to keep track of which managed devices have outdated software or require patching, acquisition and deployment of the latest patches and updates, and ensuring compatibility of the latest updates within their customers’ environments. Last year alone, there were 16,500 vulnerabilities reported in enterprise applications and it was found that 85 percent of applications have at least one vulnerability in them. With advanced software management, MSPs can enhance their security service offering and improve their customers’ security posture with centralized management of patch and software updates according to best practices.”

Through new policy-based monitoring introduced with Managed Workplace 12, MSPs also can more easily manage their customers’ Intronis Backup processes, according to Barracuda. By combining advanced software management capabilities with backup monitoring, Barracuda MSP is providing multilayered security, and creating efficiencies in the way MSPs create and deliver their service offerings, and in how they demonstrate value to their customers, it said.

“One of the most challenging things to do as an IT service provider is to manage where you and your techs are spending their time,” Babineau said. “On average, according to Barracuda data, MSPs are spending four hours per week managing their customers’ patches. Instead of looking at which customer has the most endpoints, Managed Workplace enables providers to take a security-centric approach to managing their time by looking at the environments and devices that are most vulnerable to security risks. As the shift toward security continues, it is important for MSPs to shift their focus on using the tools to help them drive profitability and focus on securing these areas. We believe that these enhancements to Managed Workplace help partners successfully do this.”

“This new capability is a great enhancement to Managed Workplace,” said Eric Gorman, co-founder, executive vice president and COO of Integrated Enterprise Solutions. “With the addition of third-party patch management, through a single pane of glass, we can deliver an extra security layer to all our customers’ applications. It is very similar to the existing Managed Workplace patch management feature which means my technicians will learn it within hours, not days. The ease and simplicity of this new feature is going to provide even more value add to our clients.”