In a continuation of remote monitoring and management (RMM) companies, security software firm Avast has agreed to purchase AVG for $1.3 billion. AVG CEO Gary Kovancs issued the following statement regarding the acquisition: “We believe that joining forces with Avast, a private company with significant resources, fully supports our growth objectives and represents the best interests of our stockholders.”
The deal has significance both for the security world as this is a combination of two large security software players. Perhaps less significant to the business world but more important to MSPs is the impact this could have for MSPs.
LPI – AVG – AVAST
Level Platforms was one of the first RMM acquisitions when it was purchased by AVG in 2013. This sparked a number of RMM transactions, including Kaseya, N-able, and CentraStage. At the time, Level Platforms (LPI) was intended to become part of a larger security platform promoted globally by AVG. Now that Avast has acquired AVG, the next question will be what happens to the RMM technology platform and all the MSPs who use it?
Two Possible Futures
There are at least two potential paths for this acquisition to impact MSPs in the channel. First, Avast could realize what they’ve acquired and put significant investments into the technology and its channel and continue the work started by AVG. With the amount of resources available to Avast, it could make their RMM platform one of the most robust out of all the platforms.
The second option is one of isolation and obsolescence. As typically happens in acquisitions when a small technology is rolled up as part of a larger deal or strategy (think, Dell’s acquisition of SilverBack), the platform can become lost in the new corporate entity and eventually dies a slow death.
Which path will Avast be taking I wonder?