OpenDNS, which sells its Web-based security tools through MSPs, has a new outlet. Technology Associates is now tapping into OpenDNS’ Umbrella to protect customer networks.
Umbrella for Service Providers is replacing Zscaler, which Technology Associates previously used for Web filtering.
The cloud-based Umbrella defends again an array of ills, including phishing, botnets and various other sundry forms of malware. The tool, which is device and location agnostic, is supported by a network of 19 data centers and now counts 50 million users, and claims “thousands” of MSP partners.
The tool has a two-fold approach. First, it proactively identifies and blocks malicious Web sites. Then it disrupts the connection between a device infected by a botnet and the system that controls that botnet.
“Umbrella by OpenDNS was designed for managed service provider deployments. Client provisioning at Zscaler took a call to support, setting up a pricing agreement with sales, and a 24-hour turnaround for login credentials,” said Jeff Doggendorf, director of operations at Technology Associates. “I can easily provision and configure Umbrella by OpenDNS in just 20 minutes. This is huge for us as a managed service provider, as it enables us to show immediate results to our clients.”
Technology Associates claims the move to Umbrella reduced the time it took to provision per customer from 24 hours to “less than less than 20 minutes.”
And there is less time dealing with infections that make it through the barriers. “Because Umbrella’s malware protection proactively blocks malicious sites, we spend less time cleaning up devices that have been infected, and our clients experience less user downtime due to machines that need to be rebuilt,” said Doggendorf. “We have even used the reporting feature to locate and clean up a PC that was infected with malware prior to the Umbrella deployment.”
Technology Associates also uses Umbrella for web filtering.
Case Study in Point
Besides Technology Associates, OpenDNS also touts iVenture as a solid MSP partner. It seems that iVenture’s some 400 customers were suffering more and more from malware. This led to an enormous amount of work rebuilding all the hosed computers. This work takes, an average, about a half a day, irritating customer and MSP alike.
And since many MSPs are flat fee providers, this costs real money.
Since opening up to Umbrella, iVenture says trouble tickets are going away.
“We’ve seen an 80 percent decrease in malware on the networks that are using Umbrella Enterprise,” said Gray Mabry, CEO of iVenture. “Our clients’ uptime means everything to us, and Umbrella Enterprise helps us make sure no time or devices are lost to crippling malware infections.”
Edited by
Alisen Downey
