DattoCon 2024: Thoughts, Highlights & Hot Takes

This post was originally published at https://invenioit.com/continuity/dattocon/

Key highlights from Kaseya DattoCon 2024

Kaseya DattoCon 2024 just wrapped up last week in Miami, capping three days of workshops and insights from leaders throughout the tech industry.

This year’s event brought together more than 3,500 managed service providers (MSPs) and IT professionals from around the globe. So it was another great opportunity for me and other industry leaders to learn, connect and get the latest updates on all-things Datto.

DattoCon has come a long way since its inaugural event in 2013, which reportedly had about 200 attendees! At Invenio IT, we’ve been with Datto from the beginning, so we’ve seen first-hand how the event (and Datto itself) has evolved and grown over the past decade.

Here are some of my takeaways from this year’s event.

DattoCon 2024 was the biggest yet

When Datto was first acquired by Kaseya in June 2022, I had some reservations. However, any lingering concerns were completely dispelled at DattoCon 2024. This year's event was the largest yet—it was so crowded on day one that navigating the floor was a challenge! For many of us, it served as a powerful reminder of the numerous positive outcomes emerging from the Datto-Kaseya merger.

Innovation is the name of the game

Before speaking about the latest product developments at Datto, Kaseya’s CEO took time to address the future of Kaseya and Datto, showcasing their dedication to innovation and customer success. Some of the points coming out of his address included:

• Year of Progress: Fred Voccola celebrated the significant progress made since the merger of Kaseya and Datto, highlighting the tripling of R&D investment and the addition of over 300 engineers to drive innovation
• Customer-Centric Approach: He emphasized Kaseya's commitment to receiving and acting on feedback from MSPs, reinforcing the principle that "We succeed when you succeed."
• Innovation and Integration: Voccola announced the launch of Kaseya 365 User, a new subscription that builds on the success of Kaseya 365 Endpoint, providing comprehensive user security, identity, and data preservation
• Acquisition of SaaS Alerts: He revealed the acquisition of SaaS Alerts, a cybersecurity platform that enhances real-time monitoring and protection of SaaS applications
• New Features and Capabilities: Voccola discussed the introduction of Cooper Bots, a business process automation solution, and FLEXspend for Backup, a flexible backup solution

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There were lots of product updates and announcements

New product announcements tend to be the most anticipated aspect of DattoCon each year. The presentation by Ranjan Singh, the Chief Product Officer at Kaseya, was nothing short of impressive. He covered a range of new product updates, automations, and integrations that left the audience in awe. Here are some of the major announcements:

• Addition of Cloud Detection and Response. This revolutionary solution is designed to detect and react to SaaS threats before they impact users. It's a game-changer for managed service providers (MSPs) as it provides a market-leading approach to safeguarding SaaS applications.
• Inclusion of DNS and Web Filtering for free with Kaseya 365 Endpoint. This intelligent defense mechanism helps protect users from visiting known or suspicious websites that could compromise their credentials. It's a fantastic addition that adds significant value to the Kaseya 365 Endpoint package.
• SaaS Protection will be expanding coverage of SaaS applications to include Entra ID, QuickBooks Online, Slack, and Dropbox. This expansion broadens the scope of protection, making it more comprehensive than ever before.
• Datto RMM will be expanding to cover and automate mobile devices in Q1 '25 and integrate with M365 Intune. This move is set to enhance mobile device management and streamline IT operations even further.
• Cooper Copilot will soon be able to generate and record Standard Operating Procedures directly via the web browser, drastically reducing the time required to create these documents.

A few other themes coming out of Ranjan’s presentation showcased Kaseya's dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions and highlighted the company's ongoing efforts to enhance IT management and security for MSPs:

1. Enhanced Automation: Ranjan discussed new automation features that streamline IT management tasks, making it easier for MSPs to maintain and secure their clients' IT infrastructure.
2. User Security and Identity Protection: He highlighted the importance of user security and identity protection, emphasizing the need for comprehensive solutions that cover all aspects of IT management.
3. Customer-Centric Innovations: Ranjan reiterated Kaseya's commitment to innovation driven by customer feedback, ensuring that new features and updates are aligned with the needs of MSPs and their clients.

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Wide array of training and education

I was impressed by the number of training workshops at Kaseya DattoCon 2024, which offered ample opportunities to help MSPs and IT professionals improve their operations and grow their businesses. Some of the sessions included:

• CISSP Demystified - Everything You Need to Know: This workshop provided insights into achieving the CISSP certification, helping participants understand the requirements and resources needed to earn this premier cybersecurity certification
• Customer Service Essentials for MSPs: Focused on improving customer service skills, this workshop taught participants how to analyze and understand customer interactions, aiming to enhance customer satisfaction and grow their business.
• Resilient by Design - Best Practices for Modern BCDR: This workshop covered best practices for backup and recovery, helping participants learn how to keep clients safe and prepared for any disaster.
• Security and Compliance Best Practices for Scaling Businesses: Dedicated to MSP-specific security practices, this workshop included topics like endpoint security management, network segmentation, and compliance with standards like SOC 2 and GDPR.
• How to Use Trust-Based Marketing to Secure Higher-Paying, Higher-Value Clients for your MSP: Led by Robin Robins, this workshop provided a proven marketing process to help MSPs attract high-value clients without lowering prices or modifying service offerings.

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There were also several moderated Peer Forums, which were small-group roundtable sessions that enabled MSPs to discuss a range of topics, from industry pain points to best practices.

Additionally, attendees had no shortage of breakout sessions to choose from, featuring speakers from Datto, Kaseya and other industry leaders.

Final thoughts

Overall, DattoCon 2024 was a testament to Kaseya's commitment to innovation and providing cutting-edge solutions for MSPs. I left the event feeling optimistic about the future of IT management and cybersecurity, thanks to the incredible advancements showcased by Kaseya and Datto. And, that ultimately translates to even better service and solutions for our clients. That said, I'm looking forward to see what DattoCon25 has in store!

Questions about Datto backup?

Contact my team at (646) 395-1170 or email [email protected] for more information about Datto’s business continuity and disaster recovery solutions, or request a free demo.