Lenovo is teaming up with automation specialist Kaseya to educate and enable
its community of managed service providers in remote desktop management.
Through the alliance announced today, Kaseya and Lenovo will embark on an
education effort to expose more MSPs and VARs to emerging opportunities in
desktop managed services, with particular emphasis on leveraging Intel vPro
technology. Kaseya, a provider of automation software used by MSPs, will
integrate its applications with Lenovo’s software stack to give MSPs better
control and management capabilities over the ThinkVantage applications suite.
In an interview with Channel Insider, Kaseya’s Dan Shapero said the
relationship was forged, in part, with the support of Intel. The chip maker has
been pushing its vPro managed services technology for more than two years, but
hasn’t achieved tremendous traction.
“Intel pushed us along,” said Shapero, Kaseya’s senior vice president of
marketing and business development. “We had a relationship with Intel, and
through that relationship, we extended into a relationship with Lenovo.”
vPro enables remote management of PCs, desktops and notebooks on the chip level,
enabling service providers to perform diagnostic and maintenance services.
Shapero said the Kaseya-Lenovo relationship will extend beyond just vPro
activations and management; the joint effort will include exposing both vendors'
channel community to partnership opportunities in managed services and product
sales.
The first fruits of this alliance, Shapero said, will be joint education and
awareness. Kaseya expects Lenovo will begin participating in its quarterly
partner education series, as well as its annual user event. Over time, the two
companies will integrate technologies and release new tools for desktop managed
services.
Intel has formed similar vPro initiatives with other PC manufacturers.
Shapero said that Kaseya doesn’t have plans with other PC vendors, but more
could come.
“We’re trying to develop an ecosystem. We’ll welcome all comers and welcome
anyone with open arms,” Shapero said.
Managed Services 
