Back in 2007, Intel and the MSPAlliance embarked on a global initiative to introduce vPro technology to the RMM and MSP communities. Today, Intel vPro is still running strong and is being used by MSPs all across the world to provide more efficient and cost effective managed services. I was recently able to catch up with Eric Townsend, market development manager for Intel, and we got the opportunity to talk about what Intel has been up to in the past few years.
vPro technology resides at the motherboard layer, and when combined with remote monitoring and management software, provides the MSP with the ability to have "out of band" management capabilities otherwise available only with KVM solutions. This remote management technology allows MSPs to more efficiently monitor and manage devices while minimizing truck rolls, reducing trouble ticket resolution times, and making the MSP generally more productive from afar.
“With a vPro-based PC, we can reduce the average user’s downtime by 50%. Anytime we tell that to a customer, they can do the math and see the positive impact on their employees’ productivity," said Jamison West, CEO, Arteria. A number of other MSPAlliance members have conducted case studies in conjunction with Intel and have all reported significant cost savings with the devices under management.
According to Townsend, Intel has also been busy recruiting new RMM vendors to integrate vPro technology with their software platforms. The latest addition being LabTech software.
Intel has been busy in the last few years, inheriting both MX Logic and McAfee, via acquisition. However, according to Townsend, vPro appears to be the primary focus of Intel when it comes to the managed service provider community.
For more information about Intel vPro please visit msp.intel.com
