Analysts – Nicole Henderson
Introduction
Security continues to be a challenge for SMBs, and managed service providers are seeking offerings to help guide customers through their most common pain points, including ‘shadow’ IT. Canadian startup Augmentt has launched a platform that supports MSPs as they help customers understand the SaaS applications in use and whether they comply with internal policy, and offers action items that enhance the security posture at a customer’s organization.
The 451 Take
SMBs are already accustomed to buying SaaS from MSPs (see figure below), but employees often may continue to purchase SaaS applications directly from vendors to address a business need quickly without going through the typical procurement channels. This introduces shadow IT, where employees are using SaaS applications that may not meet security policies at an organization, an issue that is exacerbated by employees working remotely as a result of the pandemic. Augmentt’s platform is complementary to existing and familiar platforms for MSPs, which should help it gain the channel buy-in it needs to be successful, particularly as MSPs are spoiled for choice when selecting security providers.
