Alex - Fotolia
Continuum brings security-based growth strategy to UK
The MSP player says it has “tiger by the tail” with advanced security offering for managed service providers
MSP software company Continuum is looking to expand its UK customer base with the launch of a white label service that enables IT firms to provide advanced cyber security to their customers without the cost of building a practice.
The vendor believes its “hyper-focus” on security differentiates it in a crowded market, and will be the catalyst for signing up new MSP customers.
“I believe we have first mover advantage. We are the first in this marketplace with this complete offering that is designed for the MSP. We are going to focus heavily on capitalising on that and help MSPs advance their cyber security business,” Continuum’s chief revenue officer, Bob Kocis, told Microscope.
“If we can prove ourselves – especially in a market like the UK where they like to see us prove ourselves – it will open the door for us to do more.”
Kocis said security presents “a whole new growth strategy and market opportunity” that firm didn’t have previously.
“Prior to us having a cyber security offering, we could only bring on a new MSP if they chose to drop their RMM [remote monitoring and management] provider. Now we can bring MSPs on just for security, because it’s independent of the RMM. It opens a lot of doors,” he said.
First launched in the U.S. in June, the firm is now bringing its Continuum Security offering to market in Europe after first ensuring its GDPR-compliance.
Security was the main topic at the company’s recent user conference, Navigate 2018 in Boston, where CEO Michael George described it as “a catalyst for a massive technological transformation in this industry.”
He told attendees: “2019 will be known as the year of security. 2020 will be known as the year of security. 2021? The year of security. Security is an endemic issue for our nation and a pandemic issue around the world, and it is simply not going away.”
However, George said it “was a struggle” for MSPs to take security to their clients due to the costs associated with building a dedicated practice.
“It’s the number one struggle, day in day out. We want to enable our partners to be able to sell security in their clients – that’s where we both benefit, as well as the client,” he told Microscope, adding “we have a bit of a tiger by the tail with what we’re doing in security.”
He said Continuum’s new security platform gives MSPs “an opportunity to engage with their own customers at a completely different level.”
“MSPs are struggling to find good people at the NOC and helpdesk level. They’re not even trying to approach the security operations centre (SOC), so it’s a clear differentiator for us. All our competitors talk about security, but what they really mean is antivirus, malware and endpoint security. They don’t mean log management, incident management, SOC and remediation, and that’s what’s required here.”
