Tag Archives: AVG Managed Workplace

AVG

D&H Distributing Joins AVG Partner Ecosystem

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Our AVG Business team is at CompTIA’s ChannelCon event this week, talking with our partners and distributors. We are also excited to welcome D&H Distributing to our AVG channel ecosystem.

 

This week, our AVG Business team is at CompTIA’s ChannelCon event in Hollywood, Florida. This is a great kick off to the second half of 2016 and gives us a chance to meet with our partners and distributors, showcase our AVG Business solutions and talk with channel media.  We are also excited to welcome D&H Distributing to our AVG channel ecosystem.

D&H shares similar values – a partner-focused approach and commitment to driving an effective distribution strategy to deliver new value.  As a leading North American technology distributor, D&H provides a broad range of resources to empower resellers. Known for its multimarket expertise, account-dedicated sales teams, service and flexible financing, the company offers multiple advantages we can extend to our partners and their end customers. Additional advantages of the new relationship include a focus on SMB needs, partner accountability and management, ease-of-doing business, value, performance and premier service.

D&H will provide our full AVG Business product portfolio to its large network of VARs and MSPs throughout the United States and Canada.  This includes our AVG Managed Workplace, AVG CloudCare, AVG Internet Security and AVG AntiVirus Business Edition solutions.

As Jeff Davis, senior vice president of sales at D&H, shared, “We share many synergies with AVG and are excited about the momentum the company is driving through new initiatives focused on channel value. We are commited to providing a robust security offering, and the AVG Business product line offers us tremendous opportunity to execute on this vision for our VAR and MSP community. Products like AVG Managed Workplace and AVG CloudCare are designed and priced with the SMB in mind and offer advanced securiy detection and protection. This is technology innovation and simplicity we can provide across our established footprint as well as help the channel respond to new changes and threats in the security landscape.“

D&H will provide strong value as we continue to strengthen our AVG Business distribution channels to increase flexibility, drive revenue opportunities and help partners take their business to the next level.

Earlier this year, we put several AVG initatives in place focused on driving value for our channel ecosystem – including a new Sales and Marketing model to provide dedicated account support, a Partner Certification Program to deliver on-demand technical training, and a new distribution model to effectively support our partner distribution network. D&H joins several new distributor partners this year as part of this new strategy.

Also key to our distributor model is providing access to specialized, geo-specific distributors to help partners take their business to the next level. To support this localized and specialized approach, we have already onboarded several new distribution partners in the UK, Ireland, the DACH region and North America.  We will continue to work with our large top-tier distributors to complement our model. Our AVG Sales team will remain engaged with our growing partner base while also developing new accounts and relationships within our distribution partner network.

We look forward to sharing more updates.  If you’re attending ChannelCon this year, please stop by the AVG Business booth (#719) – you may even win an iPad Mini 4.  Thank you for your continued support.

AVG

Phishing is on the rise: Are you protected?

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Phishing is on the rise as hackers are finding easier and less expensive ways to launch attacks.  Every solution in our AVG Business product portfolio detects and protects against phishing.

Phishing is a security hack to trick you into providing usernames and passwords to your accounts. Usually sent as a legitimate-looking email from a company you may use or buy services from, a phishing hack will ask you to login to your account to verify some information.

The email may communicate that your account has been, or will be, closed down unless you act promptly.  The email is actually not from a legitimate or trustworthy company. With one click, you’ll be directed to a fake website and any login or user information will be sent to the hacker.

The good news is every solution in our AVG Business product portfolio detects and protects against phishing. Educating your business clients is the next step in a good defense.

AVG Business portfolio detects and protects

Our LinkScanner® is a security feature in every AVG Business product, including AVG AntiVirus and Internet Security Business Editions, AVG CloudCare and AVG Managed Workplace.  To protect against phishing, the feature checks web pages in real-time before they open in browsers, displaying immediate alerts to help eliminate click throughs to compromised web pages.

The advanced technology powering this feature takes a multi-layer approach to identify and stop “phishy” emails:

  • First, we scan the web continuously to identify “phishy” emails and websites linking to these.
  • Next, we analyze those websites and also compare them with legitimate sites. In this process, we identify unique characteristics in the way web pages are coded to identify if it is a phishing site – similar to taking a “fingerprint” of the phishing website.
  • Then those “fingerprints” are automatically added to your AVG software’s virus database so it can identify this phishing site and other sites that may use the same or similar code.
  • AVG monitors any web links that you click and stops phishing pages from loading and displays a message alerting you to the danger.

 

Please share this education about phishing with your business clients and continue to put advanced detection and protection in place with AVG Business solutions.

 

AVG

AVG Signs New Distributors, Strengthens Channel Program

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This year, we are leveraging the power of distribution to help our channel partners take their security business to the next level. This is also aligned with our partner-focused approach.

Our distribution strategy will provide access to specialized, geo-specific distribution companies. This will increase ease of doing business for our partners.

Our distribution partners can provide services ranging from logistics to pre-sales, finance and technical support. Our AVG Business Sales team will remain heavily engaged with our growing partner base, and at the same time, develop new accounts and relationships within our distribution partner network.  We will also continue to work with our large top-tier distributors to complement our model.

We have recently onboarded new distribution partners in the UK, Ireland, the DACH region and North America.

And today, EarthBend joined our channel as a new AVG Business distributor for North America and Canada.

Here are a few facts about our new partnerships:

  • EarthBend:
    • EarthBend, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a fast-paced, fast-growing distributor that serves businesses in the U.S. and Canada
    • AVG will be the primary business security and managed services solutions provider in EarthBend’s product portfolio
    • The specialized distributor is an experienced MSP with a history of selling AVG Managed Workplace and known for its highly skilled, certified account and engineering team
  • CMS Distribution
    • Joined our channel program in March 2016
    • Independent value added distributor in the UK and Ireland
    • Serves 3,000 resellers, including the top 100 value added resellers in the UK
  • ADN Distribution GmbH (ADN)
    • Joined our channel program in May 2016
    • Value added distributor in Central Europe
    • 20+ year history in security, managed services and RMM solutions
  • Infinigate
    • Joined our channel program in May 2016
    • Value added distributor in Europe serving 7,500 resellers (2,500 in Germany)
    • 20-year history in IT solutions
    • Sole focus on IT security (including managed services and managed security solutions)
  • ASBIS
    • Existing AVG distributor, expanded its AVG Business EMEA footprint in May 2016
    • Specializes in IT/communications technology in EMEA emerging markets
    • 27,000 active customers in over 65 countries

 

We look forward to extending the benefits of our distribution model for our partners as we build out our strong, channel program.

AVG

Revolutionize Your Business with AVG Managed Workplace

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This year, we’ve put a laser focus on simplifying managed services to see how we can help our AVG partners fulfill their service contracts in an efficient and profitable way.

Seeing is believing.  And that’s why we let our early adopter partners be the judge of our newest release, Managed Workplace 10. They were impressed, we hope you will agree.

It’s time to step away from your 30+ checklist of onboarding items – we’re about to tell you how you can align your SLAs with your service delivery models and get your onboarding process down to a few simple clicks.

AVG Business has just launched Managed Workplace 10. This is our new, simplified service delivery platform that allows MSPs to standardize the configuration and onboarding of multiple customer sites.  We’ve designed the platform to align with the way MSPs do business. You can now standardize service delivery, quickly configure and onboard clients, reduce manual configuration, eliminate errors, drive efficiencies and more.

Managed Workplace 10 is a completely new platform that changes the way that an RMM helps drive profitability for your business.  Our partners will now have access to an RMM solution that gives them a centrally planned and automated way to cover those checkboxes and implement services, upgrades or changes, in a simple, applied way.

Here are a few highlights:

  • Fast, simplified deployment: With an onboarding process of only five clicks, you can get new customer sites up and running in under 30 minutes. You’ll also be able to deliver standardized service offerings right out of the box. Easily turn on or off services as required or create new services for client sites. Without missed steps or manual processes.
  • Service delivery model: Easily choose the mix of services that match your clients’ needs, uptime and budget. We’ve taken the industry’s three familiar reactive, proactive and fixed fee service models, added our key Managed Workplace features, and integrated these directly into our services platform.
  • Action-based dashboard: Add new services in minutes, deliver enhanced service levels and increase sales through our new single pane of glass, action-based services dashboard.

 

Managed Workplace 10 is the latest proof point to our mission to simplify the experience of securing businesses and deliver security products that meet our partners’ needs.

Sign up today and join the Managed Workplace revolution!

AVG

The need for managed services will continue to grow in 2016 — AVG Business is here to support you

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Industry research is already indicating the growth of managed services in 2016 as the channel continues to recognize its potential for SMB clients.  According to one recent study from market research organization Techaisle, as much as 71% of U.S. SMB channel partners surveyed are currently offering one or more managed services solutions and another 18% are planning to offer the services within the year.

Here at AVG Business, that’s no surprise. More of our partners are moving toward a proactive approach and transitioning to managed service models, moving away from reactive strategies that are difficult to manage and maintain for their SMB clients.

Yet, successful implementation is key to unlocking the power of managed services. Simplifying the experience for both the partner and SMB customer is critical.  Depending on the technology in place or the type of service contract, there could be multiple steps required before both the channel partner and SMB can realize the benefits of a centrally planned and automated security defense.

The benefits of this type of defense reach far and wide.  A centrally planned solution enables AVG channel partners to efficiently deliver their unique service offerings within one standardized service delivery platform. This puts automated, service standardization in place to enable a scalable offering to better address the security needs of their SMB customers.

At AVG Business, we’re committed to helping our partners effectively unlock the power of all AVG security solutions in their marketing, selling, and implementation of managed services so they too can see the magic behind this proactive, planned and automated approach.

Here are just a few of the AVG partners experiencing great results:

  • Dave Barnard, owner of DB Computer Services came to AVG Business because he’d been told by a friendly competitor that our AVG Managed Workplace solution had “every tool a MSP needs” – something we were happy to prove. According to Dave, DB Computer Services is now able to “offer an outsourced IT support solution that is complete, simple to understand, predictable, affordable and scales with the growth of our clients’ businesses.” 
  • For Darren Nichol, the Technical Director of pckwikfix, the move to managed services was about “standing out in the crowd by continuing to truly care and put our customers before sales targets.” The proof of this came just a few weeks after purchasing AVG Managed Workplace – the team was able to convert more than 50 clients to the streamlined monthly subscription model. With routine jobs now automated, fully integrated systems and access to unprecedented detail, Nichol says the team is “starting to get a feel for the freedom we now have to be more hands on with customers’ more interesting challenges.”
  • Meanwhile Chris Carter, technical infrastructure consultant at APH, was so convinced by AVG Managed Workplace’s new premium remote control feature, plus the quality of our technical and sales support, that it migrated its entire base of managed service clients from a standard antivirus product to the full-service AVG Business platform.

We have done a lot of work toward addressing the business needs of AVG partners, including within our AVG Managed Workplace technology platform, as well as best practices on how to fulfill service contracts in the most efficient and profitable way.

We are listening and responding – and we will have more updates and news to share this year.

Until then, please continue to share your feedback in 2016!

AVG

AVG Named One of 2016’s Coolest Cloud Security Vendors

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It has been a cold month for all the right reasons this January as AVG has just been named one of CRN’s Coolest Cloud Security Vendors for 2016. This is the second consecutive time AVG has made the list, and it’s validation of our hard work over the last twelve months. We’ve been busy and – more importantly – focused on providing even more value for our AVG Business partners and their SMB clients in 2016.

In CRN’s recent recognition, the IT channel publication noted our cloud security and remote monitoring and management (RMM) capabilities for businesses. We continue to see AVG partners transition to solutions such as AVG CloudCare and AVG Managed Workplace as security becomes a higher priority for small business owners and their IT staff.  When you couple this with our advanced Business Edition security products, it’s easy to see the value in our AVG Business solutions.

Earning the recognition as a ‘cool cloud security vendor’ also reflects our commitment to ensuring cloud solutions like AVG CloudCare are easy to implement and manage, simplifying the experience for partners and their SMB end-users.

AVG CloudCare is a single cloud platform that enables the real-time management of a full suite of cloud-based security services including antivirus, online backup (OLB), and a number of other key features.

If you’re not sufficiently impressed by our ‘cool’ credentials already, here are a few more top reasons why you should consider investigating AVG CloudCare for yourself:

  • Ease of Use – AVG CloudCare’s online dashboard is well designed and easy to use for managing desktops, laptops and servers all at a glance.
  • Remote Deployment – As long as one device is on the network, AVG CloudCare can be deployed to any computer attached to the network from the web console.
  • Remote Updates and Scans – AVG CloudCare administrators can force definition updates and scans remotely.
  • Dashboards and Reporting – AVG CloudCare administrators can view all managed devices through an online dashboard showing their status.
  • Content Filtering – As an add-on, content filtering can protect your client’s business from malicious websites and increase productivity by disallowing certain groups of sites.

This recognition is also a true testament of the continued support from our partner and SMB community. As we head into 2016, we remain committed to helping solve today’s business security challenges and helping businesses be productive and successful.

Thank you for your support!

AVG

Bluecom Buys Big from AVG Business

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2015 has been a big year for AVG Business. Our worldwide community of partners has been supporting businesses in cities across the globe, giving their customers the reassurance that their applications and data are protected on any device, anytime, anywhere.

I’m excited to welcome a new partner, Bluecom, to our AVG Business network. Stockholm-based Bluecom, a rapidly-growing IT service provider, has recently chosen AVG Managed Workplace to manage network monitoring, control and automation for its small and medium business customers throughout Sweden.

This represents the largest order of the year for AVG Business in the Nordics region.

According to Bluecom CEO Robert Sjöholm, after conducting tests with several solutions on the market, AVG Business was selected because our product had the breadth Bluecom needed, “AVG Managed Workplace has all of the major functionality, while being more user-friendly than other products on the market we tried.”

Bluecom has already seen a positive effect on its sales since it started using AVG Managed Workplace, with Sjöholm noting that, “The reports we get from Managed Workplace are so good that we can often see flaws in customer systems that are unknown to them.”

AVG Business solutions like AVG Managed Workplace are a great example of how we are listening to our partners and responding with powerful security solutions to help partners proactively manage and monitor their customers’ networks and automatically deploy and update critical security tools.

With Managed Workplace 9.2, released in September, we move one step closer to a complete, end-to-end IT and managed security solution. The Managed Workplace platform streamlines IT management for our partners, providing ease of use, security and control of the entire IT infrastructure (devices, applications and networks) from a “single-pane” of glass. With premium remote control integrated at no additional cost to the remote monitoring and management platform, partners also gain cost savings as well as reporting tools to streamline billing and demonstrate client ROI.

Visit http://www.avg.com/partners to find out more about our AVG Business solutions and how we can help your business.  We look forward to sharing new products and services with you in 2016.

Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year!

AVG

Making the case for channel-delivered cybersecurity

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For our AVG partners and distributors these findings may not come as a surprise, but it presents another opportunity for the channel to help fill these security gaps with value-added solutions, best practices and excellent customer service.

According to the topline results of the survey, 36% of global organizations lack confidence in their ability to detect sophisticated cyber attacks. Linked to this, 36% don’t have a threat intelligence program, and 18% don’t have identity and access management programs – little wonder then that 69% thought that their IT security budgets should be increased by half.

Protection from cyber attack should be a priority for all businesses and as the EY data has shown, many organizations could benefit from the guidance of the channel. AVG partners, including A+ Computers and Services, DB Computer Solutions, MCC Computers Ltd., SortMyPC and many more, are already addressing the gaps using AVG Business products.

Channelnomics editor Jessica Meek also highlighted findings from the EY survey in her recent article, again, emphasizing the opportunity for the channel to help IT professionals prioritize security, provide solutions and services, and also act as trusted advisors on industry developments.

A few key stats to note:

  • 88% of respondents did not believe their information security infrastructure fully meets their organization’s needs
  • 57% said that the information security function suffers from a lack of available talent
  • 47% said they don’t have a security operation center
  • 54% said they lacked a dedicated function to focus on the impact of emerging technologies

AVG Business products like AVG Managed Workplace and AVG CloudCare are great examples of how our partners are using end-to-end solutions to help resolve security issues, staffing and infrastructure challenge for their clients.

AVG CloudCare offers a modern approach to security with streamlined access to advanced features through one centralized pane of glass. Ease of deployment, through one click installation and activation, helps our partners become more agile. The product can be used for managing services, proactive monitoring, content filtering, cloud backup, daily reporting, providing secure sign-on and more, essentially helping our partners act as outsourced IT departments for their clients.

AVG Managed Workplace also offers powerful automation to help partners proactively manage and monitor clients’ networks.  Deployment and update of security tools are easily handled by automation helping to ensure a strong security posture at all times. With premium remote control integrated at no additional cost to the remote monitoring and management platform, partners gain cost savings as well as reporting tools to streamline billing and prove client ROI.

These flexible and powerful AVG solutions empower businesses to address security issues and run more effectively and efficiently. That’s powerful reassurance to give your clients.

AVG

AVG Managed Workplace wins CRN Tech Innovator Award

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Since joining AVG Business, the team and I have been focused around the clock on the products, services, and sales & marketing strategies that will drive success for our partners in 2016. While we still have work to do as we head into next year, I’m taking a few minutes today to congratulate our team and partner community on a recent product award from CRN.

Just two months out in the market and AVG Managed Workplace 9.2, our remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform with premium remote control, is the winner of the CRN Tech Innovator Award for Managed Services.

The platform is our best remote monitoring and management (RMM) solution to date. With premium remote control integrated directly at no extra cost, we have made it easier than ever for our partners to provide remote IT management services to their business customers. Our development process, as always, was heavily influenced by the input of our partners from across the globe.

Winning product recognition like this is a true testament of our partners’ support and their feedback helps us keep innovating and responding to the market needs.

Don’t just take it from me. We have many partners that are already using AVG Managed Workplace 9.2 to protect, secure and manage their clients’ networks and systems, and have great things to say.

Here is a quick look at the feedback:

“The new remote control feature is fabulous and we use it continuously. Almost instantly at the time we get a help desk call, we are remoting back into that desktop. We have a 12 minute SLA for an initial communication. To be able to get back in and have the engineer fixing the problem that quickly is amazing. Exceptional, responsive customer service is a top priority for Mirazon. AVG Managed Workplace is the product that allows us to do that. It gives us the critical information and details we need to resolve problems quickly and keep our customers very happy.”
– Karen Albers, Partner, Mirazon

 

”Without a doubt, AVG Managed Workplace’s reporting features are what enable us to close more business deals with healthcare providers. The Inventory Control, Content Filtering, and Network Health reports in particular are invaluable and what our clients want to see day-in and day-out. Plus, the remote control features allow our Support Engineers to proactively work on machines in the background and fix issues while physicians are still treating patients.”
– Shawn Miller, President and CEO, ConXit Healthcare Technology Group Inc

 

“We recently previewed AVG Managed Workplace 9.2 and immediately noticed the advantages of the remote control features, the faster speed and the added tools. We are looking forward to making this available to our IT support teams as soon as possible to deliver excellent customer support.”
– Luis Flores, Help Desk Analyst, Tecnet Canada

 

“We’re very pleased with the new release of AVG Managed Workplace and specifically with the improvements with Patch Management and Maintenance releases. Now we’re able to automate more tasks, more easily and provide proactive services to end customers.”
— Elias Grim, Director of Support, Alura Business Solutions

 

As businesses continue to struggle with security and protection, we will continually strive to provide superior products and services that help our customers successfully and securely compete in today’s rapidly changing environment. This latest award from CRN is further recognition that our strategy is paying off. Thank you for your support!

AVG

Microsoft Office 365 service module offers MSPs the best of both worlds

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Life for a managed services provider (MSP) is seldom straightforward.   Support staff in the service center have long had to juggle between screens as they log in and out of numerous applications from different vendors in the course of their day-to-day remote management operations. Over the years advances in technology have created ever more diverse technical environments for them to manage.  Nowadays it’s commonplace for customers to have a mix of traditional on-premise IT along with mobile devices and the latest cloud-based applications. The number of management screens just keeps on multiplying – all the while pushing up the time and costs of administration.

The Microsoft® Office 365™ cloud-based collaboration, communications and productivity software platform is a good example.  Its combination of Exchange e-mail, SharePoint online, Lync VoIP and conferencing online, web hosting via SharePoint and the Office Web Apps has proved extremely popular with businesses of all sizes. Indeed Microsoft’s own executives have described it as the fastest growing business in its history. Little surprise, then, that it has also gained a strong channel following with more than 60 percent of top MSPs seeking to wrap their services around one of the market’s current best sellers.

Yet managing this along with a multitude of other applications is no picnic.  Our MSP partners have been telling us that they would like a more convenient way to administer hybrid physical and online environments so that they can add value for customers with the Office 365 cloud platform.  In view of the large numbers of MSPs using Office 365, developing a solution to help our customers support and obtain recurring revenue streams from supporting Office 365 with ease and simplicity has been a priority.

The Microsoft Office 365 service module for AVG Managed Workplace®, just released, goes some way towards addressing this issue. It allows our channel partners to provide management services such as user password resets and mailbox policies – which Microsoft typically will not do – via a single screen through AVG Managed Workplace. In fact the module allows MSPs to remotely perform five of the most popular management tasks. Apart from the two already mentioned you can also set license expiration alerts, receive service down notifications and managing users without using Windows PowerShell®. Other administrative tasks can be accessed without any additional logins.

Allowing administrators to view all the essential information they need about cloud-based and on-premise applications together within the same screen in this way gives IT services providers the best of both worlds.  In so doing it neatly solves problem of multiple logins for partners and helps them to run their operations more efficiently.

Our simplification of Office 365 management for services providers is a clear demonstration of our commitment to our channel partners.  We will continue to add modules to AVG Managed Workplace that allow IT service providers reap productivity benefits and deliver long-term value to their customers.

In summary, the Office 365 service module represents a first step in developing easy ways to manage cloud data within AVG Managed Workplace – something that appears destined to become commonplace as more everyday objects and devices are IP-connected to form the Internet of Things. It also further enhances the wide range of productivity benefits already available to MSPs who use AVG Managed Workplace to remotely manage the IT of their entire customer-base through the same, single pane of glass.