Whether you call it thin-client, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), end user computing (EUC), unified endpoint management (UEM), or virtual or server-based computing, the aim is the same: making sure your IT users can securely, efficiently and cost effectively reach the data and apps they need for their jobs - now largely through the cloud.
Microsoft is battling with the likes of Citrix, VMware spin-out Omnissa, Amazon Web Services, IGEL, and a host of other companies and their technology partners to dominate this market, and Nerdio is in the race on the back of one big ride with Microsoft.
We sat down with the co-founders of the new unicorn, and Microsoft MSP/enterprise partner, to find out how they planned to gain maximum advantage in the growing channel ecosystem for virtual connectivity.
Nerdio is currently holding its annual NerdioCon customer and partner event in Palm Springs, attended by 800, its biggest event yet, and it is still celebrating after it recently came in with a $1 billion valuation after a big Series C fund raise worth $500m.
If truth be told, most channel partners outside this space have probably never even heard of the company, but its annual conference is packed with vendors, MSPs, and show speakers who compete with each other. Even though Nerdio is closely wedded to Microsoft in allowing MSPs and enterprises to get the best out of Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft 365, Intune, and other Microsoft products, Nerdio is still seen as a friendly participant in the wider app and infrastructure optimisation ecosystem.
First, on that big investment, CEO Vadim Vladimirskiy suggests there was an investor beauty parade in the process, the investment that came certainly wasn’t sudden. He says: “It wasn’t a short term process, we were looking for the right partner at the right time. We had approaches previously, but you would probably expect that with our growth.”
Vladimirskiy previously told the conference that Nerdio had “doubled” annual recurring revenue since the last NerdioCon, and that MSP partner numbers were up 120%.
On partner growth targets, Joseph Landes, chief revenue officer at Nerdio, said there weren’t any specific partner number targets. “In this space, “partner” is a big word, there have been big partner changes on the Citrix and VMware side of things, for instance, and MSPs and others have to choose the right vendor to partner with as they choose to modernise their solutions.
“Many now come to us - we already have thousands of them - because they want to steer towards Microsoft, have seen what we’re doing with them, and we can help them optimise their Microsoft deployments by moving quickly through the vibrant Microsoft ecosystem.
“But, on our side, we want partner depth, rather than partner breadth.”
A number of players have developed and widened their security services offering, with a number of the major cybersecurity software firms partnering in this development. Is Nerdio considering a wider cybersecurity offer?
“Microsoft itself has a strong security offering, but it is still underused by many users,” says Vladimirskiy. “We’re not a cybersecurity services company ourselves, but we would still be keen to help develop the Microsoft technology, for the benefit of MSPs in particular.
“This could include maybe making Windows Defender easier to use. And many customers buy Microsoft 365, and don’t fully use the security features they are paying for, we could help here.” Nerdio already provides a security check-list to make it easier for MSPs to protect their systems.
On international expansion, there is a twin approach. Nerdio is physically present in 15 countries, after recently expanding in Northern Europe and the Nordics, for instance. It’s planning to expand in Southern Europe, and is about to open shop in the UAE.
“You also have to remember that we are part of the Azure marketplace and co-sell with Microsoft, so our global reach is far bigger than those 15 offices,” Landes says. “Additionally, our 300 enterprise system integrators, such as Kyndryl, give us massive international coverage too.”
So what’s on the roadmap for the next 12 months? Vladimirskiy says there are no plans to go beyond the two current MSP and Enterprise platform support products, and that the company will continue to enhance them, taking advantage of its “trusted advisor” status with both Microsoft and MSPs/enterprises.
“We will no doubt see more AI use, with AI-driven tools to autoscale, provide insights, and to make recommendations, for instance.” And, of course, Microsoft’s own Copilot will be the obvious tool for Nerdio to use to help develop its AI enhancements.
