SEATTLE-- July 30, 2023 -- SkyKick, a global leader in cloud automation and management solutions for information technology service providers (ITSPs), today announced major enhancements to its Cloud Management Platform. New products and updates deliver enhanced data protection capabilities and personalized security insights, enabling ITSPs to meet the growing demand for robust security solutions and conversations in the SMB market. This marks the biggest platform update in the company’s ten-year history.

In an era dominated by data and AI, security is a top concern for 88% of SMB customers. Despite overall IT budgets staying flat or even declining, 42% of SMB business owners are open to investing more in security and data protection solutions. SMB appetite for MSP security services continues to grow against the backdrop of increased Microsoft 365 adoption (now with an estimated 382 million commercial users worldwide) and the proliferation of sensitive data that is being created in the cloud. ITSPs are struggling to meet demand.

“As pioneers in Microsoft 365 cloud data protection and security, we closely monitor usage and adoption trends among customers and partners,” said SkyKick Co-CEO Todd Schwartz. “We’re seeing that in order for ITSPs to turn customer appetite into a successful security and data protection business, they need better and more intelligent tools. Our new products make it easy for ITSPs to not only meet customer demand, but also build a successful security practice - one that is easy to sell and easy to manage.”

SkyKick is announcing a reimagined Cloud Backup product, offering Intelligent Data Protection for Microsoft 365. Among the exciting new features is SmartInsights, a new capability that enhances customer engagements through insights on data growth and protection trends. Today, customers are proactively seeking to understand their data protection status. With SmartInsights, ITSPs can tap into this customer appetite and transform data protection into a valuable differentiator.

Beyond SmartInsights, the new Cloud Backup introduces a user-centric architecture that streamlines ease of use for ITSPs. Examples include a new Groups Management functionality, which scales onboarding and offboarding processes. Extending the comprehensive Microsoft 365 coverage, protection for Microsoft Planner data is now also included. Collectively, the new Cloud Backup reimagines data protection for the modern ITSP, reducing time to resolution and increasing customer satisfaction.

Additionally, SkyKick has revamped its Security Manager solution, which now has millions of SMB end-users under management since its debut in the fall of 2022.

“For partners to fully deliver on the customer promise, they need to go beyond data protection. We created Security Manager to help partners be more proactive on security and grow a stronger practice,” said SkyKick Co-CEO Evan Richman. “Today, SkyKick is announcing SecurityRadar, a key innovation within Security Manager, purpose-built to arm 100,000 Microsoft cloud partners with data-driven security insights they can use to drive proactive and personalized customer engagement.”

Beyond SecurityRadar, Security Manager is upgrading its proprietary Microsoft Partner Center Connector (PCI) with new sync technology that is 2X faster and more automated - further simplifying day-to-day customer management and Microsoft-mandated GDAP compliance.

Early market reaction to the new updates has been very positive.

“Security is a top priority for Kinetix and New Charter Technologies. We are excited about the new innovations in Security Manager, and SecurityRadar is a game-changer for us,” said Robert Herbaugh, Security and Strategy Specialist at a leading MSP. “By facilitating strong customer conversations on security, it is helping us drive increased customer value and revenue growth.”

SkyKick is also announcing the next major version of its industry-leading Migration Suites. Between a streamlined setup, a more performant sync technology, and a highly configurable new migration experience - SkyKick has reimagined the “easiest way to Microsoft 365” with even more ease, flexibility, and control for the modern ITSP.

ITSPs, as well as their customers, deserve the assurance of knowing that their technology itself is certified to be robust and enterprise-grade. Building on its numerous other certifications, the SkyKick platform and system is now certified for ISO 27001, ISO 27701 and Data Pro.

SkyKick Co-CEO Evan Richman noted, “Our fundamental vision remains to be the platform of choice for ITSPs building and growing a business around Microsoft 365. With the major enhancements that we are announcing now across Migrations, Backup, Security Manager, and Certifications, we are confident that SkyKick will help IT partners to stay ahead of challenges and deliver a truly differentiated value in the channel.”