OpenText is holding its annual customer and partner shindig in Las Vegas this week, and was keen to demonstrate how its security services and MSSP business were flourishing.
The company last month enhanced its Secure Cloud platform to drive growth for managed security service providers (MSSPs). With fresh features like automated provisioning, “enriched” product bundling, integrated task management, and improved reporting and analytics, the platform streamlines MSSP operations to help them focus on customer growth and retention.
The OpenText Cybersecurity unit is also now simplifying the path for MSSPs to deliver end-to-end security solutions through a single, unified platform.
OpenText says it is a “one-stop-shop” for MSSPs, covering email protection, data risk management, cyber warranty, and managed detection and response (MDR). It acquired Pillr to expand into MDR, and has announced a new partnership with Cork to offer cyber warranty.
Secure Cloud also now integrates “seamlessly”, claims OpenText, with MSP services platforms from the likes of ConnectWise, Kaseya, and Autotask. At OpenText World in Las Vegas this week, the company announced Extended Detection and Response (XDR) as-a-service.
This XDR service is promised to first appear in January 2025. While few technical and pricing details are available for the service, OpenText executives at the conference maintained the move illustrated the continuing aspirations OpenText had for its security channel.
As a company that only a few years ago was mainly known as a content management firm, its activities have steadily expanded through a string of acquisitions, not least the mammoth acquisition of Micro Focus, that was completed in January 2023.
George Skaff, OpenText senior vice president and general manager for cybersecurity SMB, told IT Europa: “XDR as-a-service is a real channel play for us, as well as being part of the company’s AI strategy.”
The technology will first be beta tested in the MSSP field, before being rolled out commercially.
“Customers want a single vendor for their security protection and we are meeting expectations with this offering,” added Skaff.
Bryan Hauptman, OpenText SVP of cybersecurity SMB for the Americas, added: “To support our security channel, which now includes 18,000 MSSPs worldwide, we also recently integrated OpenText security products with Microsoft ones, to give partners a wider sales opportunity.”
In this instance, Microsoft customers that want to extend their data security over and above what Microsoft offers, can choose OpenText solutions as well.
“Our cyber warranty offering in partnership with Cork is another great channel opportunity too,” said Hauptman. “As long as customers keep their data security properly installed and turned on, they have cover for up $15,000 for each endpoint, that can turn into a lot of cover for hundreds or thousands of company endpoints.”
MSSPs can use a dashboard to check their customers are protected by their warranty through monitoring the state of their installed security. This is key, as Hauptman points out that a third of cyber protection claims generally are turned down by assurance companies, because customers have not properly mitigated their systems against potential attacks.
As Muhi Majzoub (pictured), EVP and chief product officer at OpenText, confirmed: “We’re excited to continue to develop more products that we can sell through our many thousands of MSPs, including security ones through our rising number of MSSPs.”
More from OpenText World 2024 to follow...
