Managed Services, Backup And Disaster Recovery, And Networking News

By The Business Solutions Network

StorageCraft Rolls Out Socket Licensing For ShadowProtect SPX

IT professionals can now protect their virtual environments through socket-based pricing for StorageCraft ShadowProtect SPX. The new licensing model allows IT administrators to purchase licenses based on the number of CPU sockets on the host, both VMware and Microsoft, and protect an unlimited number of virtual machines per licensed socket. These simple new pricing options include Essentials Socket Edition (priced and packaged in a two-socket bundle for businesses with virtual environments of six sockets or fewer) and Standard Socket Edition (designed for businesses with virtual environments of more than six sockets). There’s no limit on the number of one-socket licenses purchased and no limit to the number of virtual machines that can be protected with each socket license. Users still have the flexibility to purchase the Virtual Guest Packs for ShadowProtect SPX. The Guest Packs allow users to choose per-virtual machine licenses in a one-pack, three-pack, or a new 10-pack.

Avaya Announces New Midmarket Cloud Solutions

Avaya recently announced its first complete, multichannel unified communications and contact center cloud offerings targeted for the midmarket. Avaya Midmarket Cloud Solutions offer two deployment options, enabling Avaya channel partners to evolve midsize companies to the advanced capabilities needed for digital business. Both options, powered by Avaya IP Office and OnAvaya — Google Cloud Platform, can enable true, hybrid clouds that allow customers tao maximize their investments in more than one million Avaya systems worldwide.

Based on the Avaya IP Office Platform, Avaya Midmarket Cloud Solutions provide unified communications and contact center cloud capabilities for midsize businesses utilizing the same code base as those installed on premises. For channel partners, this is an easy, flexible, and profitable way of moving customers to cloud, offering a full stack solution any way customers want it, simplifying integration, leveraging product knowledge and experience, and reducing the need for investment in new skillsets.

D&H Distributing Adds Resources For Education VARs

D&H Distributing has launched a new campaign, running until June 2016, delivering enhanced resources to increase sales for resellers in the lucrative education marketplace. To this end, the distributor is offering new training avenues, resources, marketing materials, networking opportunities, and personnel, plus product information and special pricing in conjunction with close to 30 manufacturer partners.

Elements of the campaign include a new, detailed K-12 opportunity resource page on dandh.com; the creation of a “K-12 Advisor Group” to develop new market-specific sales strategies; additional personnel including VP of VAR sales Peter DiMarco and other representatives assigned dedicated duties in support of the educational market; a new, customizable marketing brochure template; a forthcoming K-12 content library containing white papers, case studies, testimonials, and other content for VAR use; and more.

RapidFire Makes ”DeepDive” Inspector Appliance A Software Download

RapidFire Tools has implemented a new, more convenient, and more affordable delivery model for its Inspector appliance, allowing MSPs to garner larger margins through “deep dive” network assessments. RapidFire Tools announced recently it has launched a new software delivery option for Inspector, its internal IT assessment and reporting appliance. Effective immediately, RapidFire Tools is offering Inspector in the form of a software appliance that MSPs can download and install on their own dedicated server — or as a virtual machine attached to their clients’ networks — for $99 per month. An additional everyday discount is available for prepayment of the annual subscription fee.

Prior to this release, Inspector was only available on preconfigured physical servers owned and supplied by RapidFire Tools. While this plug and play approach is still available, there are many situations when the added cost of the hardware is unnecessary, slows down deploy times, and is more efficiently handled through deployment as a virtual appliance.

AVG Announces Enhancements, New Partner Program

AVG Technologies recently unveiled that the company is integrating key AVG Antivirus 2016 features with its AVG CloudCare product for advanced endpoint security protection. The new features include a faster scanning engine; cloud-based, real-time outbreak detection and proactive artificial intelligence detection capabilities; and access to advanced policy settings.

Additionally, AVG business partners and distributors will soon have access, through a new partner certification program, to business, marketing, and technical training to elevate AVG product expertise and simplify end customer onboarding and implementation. To meet these goals, the program will deliver an efficient, systematic approach to product and technical training, including a phased certification program that rewards partners for developing knowledge and achieving specific revenue milestones.

CompTIA Unveils Legal Subscription Service For IT Industry

CompTIA recently announced the immediate availability of the new InfoTech Law Advocates (ITLA) Legal Help Desk. Staffed by licensed attorneys with broad experience in business and regulatory issues impacting technology companies in the United States, the new online legal help desk offers channel partners immediate access to high-quality legal services for a low monthly subscription fee. Available to all CompTIA registered users and offered at a discounted rate to CompTIA Premier members, the new ITLA Legal Help Desk provides the day-to-day legal services channel partners need, according to Dan Liutikas, managing attorney of ITLA and chief legal counsel for CompTIA.

The ITLA Legal Help Desk offers channel partners three distinct monthly subscription plans to choose from: Basic ($49), Pro ($99), and CompTIA Premier ($49). To help ensure compliance and better business practices, each plan includes electronic signature routing and cloud legal document storage. The Pro and CompTIA Premier plans also include discounted rates for additional ITLA services including annual risk assessment services, annual report services, and annual entity compliance services.