MSPs Get Hosted Network Management Option

Apparent Networks has updated its PathView Cloud hosted network performance management service to make it easier for managed service providers (MSPs) to monitor their customers’ network performance while also generating service revenue.

The new version of PathView Cloud contains several enhancements and new features, with the most important ones providing more revenue generation capabilities to the company’s growing number of MSP partners.

“The most important new features are definitely the enhancements we’ve made specifically for managed service providers,” said Jim Melvin, president and CMO of Apparent Networks. “There are things like MSP branding. What that means is we’re very happy to take a backseat here. If one of our partner’s clients is interacting with the service, they’re going to see our partner’s logo on the top of the page and a little PathView logo on the bottom of the page.”

Apparent Networks since its start has been known for pursuing direct sales to large enterprises and IT outsourcers, but Melvin noted that PathView Cloud is a 100 percent channel play. Since the company launched its channel partner program in February, Apparent Networks has signed on two dozen VARs and MSPs, Melvin said.

PathView Cloud includes the partner branding capabilities (as mentioned above), new self-service multi-tenancy capabilities so partners can manage all of their clients from a single screen, and the ability to more easily track PathView Cloud services delivered for producing reports. Melvin said he views it as a value-add service partners can offer their customers, whether they charge for it or provide it for free.