CW Automate automates our business
October 03, 2019
CW Automate automates our business
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with ConnectWise Automate (formerly LabTech)
RealTime, LLC uses ConnectWise Automate in our managed services department. Automate provides rich data, simple endpoint management, and allows RealTime to automate tasks that were out of reach prior to changing to Automate about 7 years ago.
The primary uses are patch management, VMware management, automation, client onboarding, cybersecurity solutions deployment, reporting data, and tight integration with our PSA, ConnectWise Manage. Remote control via ScreenConnect, or Connect I think it's called now, is pretty seamless and we even have one-click access to backstage when using the web version of Automate. Security-wise, we use AD integration and Two-factor authentication to secure our connections to the tool in and out of the office.
The primary uses are patch management, VMware management, automation, client onboarding, cybersecurity solutions deployment, reporting data, and tight integration with our PSA, ConnectWise Manage. Remote control via ScreenConnect, or Connect I think it's called now, is pretty seamless and we even have one-click access to backstage when using the web version of Automate. Security-wise, we use AD integration and Two-factor authentication to secure our connections to the tool in and out of the office.
- It feeds tons of data to our reporting solution.
- A good overview of client endpoints, online status, av status and access to many tools to keep from disturbing end-users while troubleshooting their computers.
- Synchronizes with our PSA to automate billing changes.
- Tightly integrated with the remote control tools so we don't have to jump into a different console to make that connection.
- Alerting on multiple items (got one just a little while ago from the VMware plugin about a failed drive on a VM Host) and automatic ticket creation, and in many cases, automated remediation.
- Patch management is always a little finicky. Gets better every time.
- If you decide to hitch your MSP to ConnectWise Automate, make sure you have a clear plan of what you want to accomplish and please, save your self a ton of hassle and use ConnectWise consulting to get things going initially.
- Conflicting answers from support on more complicated items.
- Not sure if this applies, but you need to have someone at your MSP whose job is the care and feeding of Automate, as well as that script and automation creation. Not really a complaint, more along the lines of "you are buying a business automation platform, you need to dedicate people to get the most out of it."
- Consistent implementation of new clients and new computers.
- Security patches for Microsoft and third-party patches has greatly improved over the years.
- Behind the scenes support.
- Automation - this is what drove us to buy LabTech originally, it was really a platform (the only one at the time) that you could do anything with if you had the scripting chops.
- Kaseya Virtual System Administrator (VSA)
We switched from Kaseya to Automate 7-8 years ago - it was no contest at the time and Kaseya wasn't cutting it in a number of areas at that time that was really hurting us. I'm sure it's improved since then.
Do you think ConnectWise Automate delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with ConnectWise Automate's feature set?
Yes
Did ConnectWise Automate live up to sales and marketing promises?
Yes
Did implementation of ConnectWise Automate go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy ConnectWise Automate again?
Yes