Discovering Atera

What if managing IT could be simpler and smarter? 

Well, Atera has exactly evolved for that. Atera is an AI-based IT management platform. It combines RMM, PSA, and Helpdesk features. Today, Atera serves 12,000+ customers in 120 countries. It helps IT teams and MSPs automate tasks and manage complex systems.

This article will explore Atera's journey. A company that began with cybersecurity solutions and evolved into a powerhouse in IT management. We will cover the milestones that shaped Atera's success. We'll also discuss their challenges and how they overcame them.

Without further ado… Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

1. Atera's Founding and Evolution
2. Atera's Timeline
3. Challenges and How They Were Overcome
4. Atera's Product Suite
5. The Flagship Product
6. Atera IT Management Software Review
7. Other Atera products you need to pay attention to.
8. Final Words

1. Atera’s Founding and Evolution

Gil Pekelman and Oshri Moya founded Atera in Tel Aviv, Israel in the early 2010s. Its first product was a firewall for Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs). The goal was to offer smaller companies a simple security solution. But it didn’t take long for them to realize their customers needed more than protection. They wanted a better way to manage their entire IT infrastructure.

Seeing this demand, the company shifted gears. They moved from security to an all-in-one IT management platform. This pivot was a game-changer for them. Atera became more than a security tool. It evolved into a solution to help IT teams protect and streamline operations. 

The mission grew to offer RMM tools and PSA and Helpdesk features. They built this powerful trio with simplicity and efficiency in mind.

Today, they target this solution to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and IT teams. It is perfect for anyone who requires easy-to-use tools with automation, multi-tenancy support, and more.

Atera’s Awards and Recognitions

Atera has gained notable recognition in the IT management and MSP industry. They are known for its innovative and customer-centric approach:

• G2 Awards (2024): Atera was named in G2's Top 50 Best Software Awards, in the Best IT Management Products category. This recognition highlights Atera's leadership and excellence in IT management solutions.
• CRN Products of the Year (2023): Atera received accolades in the MSP Tools category at the CRN 2023 Products of the Year Awards. These awards recognize leaders in technology innovation, revenue growth, and customer satisfaction. They highlight Atera’s significant contributions to the IT sector.

2. Atera’s Timeline

1. Founding Phase (Early 2010s): Atera made a firewall for SMBs. But, feedback led to a shift from cybersecurity to IT management. Also, Atera saw the future in the cloud. The founders saw early on that cloud computing was changing everything. They acted fast, building Atera on Microsoft Azure to provide secure, scalable IT tools accessible from anywhere. This made it easy for customers to manage their IT systems remotely, without the need for heavy local equipment—long before it became a standard.
2. Pivot to All-in-One IT Platform (2016): In 2016, Atera launched its popular all-in-one platform. It combined RMM, PSA, and Helpdesk features. This enabled Atera’s customers to manage their entire IT infrastructure from one place. This change improved operations through automation and simplified workflows. It set the foundation for Atera's focus on ease of use.
3. Introduction of Multi-OS Support (2017): Atera introduced Mac support. This major update allowed IT teams to manage both Windows and Mac devices within the same platform. This made it easier for users to handle multi-OS infrastructures without switching between tools.
4. Scaling Adoption & Growth (2018): By this year, Atera’s platform had made its way onto more than 1 million devices (a huge milestone in the company's growth). The platform took off like a rocket. It also showed that it could keep up with the ever-changing needs of IT pros and MSPs. 2018 was the year when Atera made a name in the industry.
5. Expansion of the Ecosystem & Marketplace (2019): In 2019, Atera took things a step further by launching its Marketplace. This lets third-party tools, like security and backup apps, integrate with Atera's core platform easily. It gave end-users more customization options.
6. Remote work, Automation, and AI (2020): When the pandemic hit (early 2020), Atera was already prepared. Its RMM tools, along with remote access options like AnyDesk and Splashtop, made it simple for IT teams to work from anywhere. As networks grew complex, Atera added automation to handle tasks like patch management and ticketing. AI also helped make things even easier.
7. Enterprise Solutions (2022): Atera launched a product for enterprise IT teams. They took on the challenge of supporting larger, more complex organizations. This was a difficult but strategic shift. It lets Atera offer its user-friendly, automated platform to high-demand enterprises.
8. AI & Security Improvements (2023): Atera's AI-powered IT platform, integrated with Azure and OpenAI, launched in 2023. Also, tools like Copilot and Auto let IT teams fix issues, like ticketing and diagnostics, in minutes instead of hours. Furthermore, around mid-2023, with growing cybersecurity threats, Atera enhanced its security. It added two-factor authentication and achieved SOC 2 compliance. As a result, IT teams could trust that their systems were secure.
9. Present Day (2024): As of 2024, Ateraa serves over 12,000 customers in 120+ countries. It manages 5 million devices as the world's first AI-powered IT management platform. Atera, with its new globally available AI features, excels in speed, precision, and automation like no other.

3. Challenges and How Atera overcame them

As discussed previously, at first, Atera focused on a security-only product—a firewall. This firewall didn’t meet the broader IT management needs of SMBs. Knowing this, Atera quickly pivoted. By listening to customer feedback, they transformed into an all-in-one IT management platform. They broadened their market to serve not only SMBs but also MSPs and internal IT teams.

Additionally, like many in the IT industry, Atera’s customers faced a global shortage of skilled professionals. Atera tackled this head-on by automating repetitive tasks with AI. This decision helped to double down on the productivity of existing teams. Their platform’s simplicity made it accessible even for less experienced IT staff.

As Atera grew, it was vital to maintain scalability, availability, and security. This was especially true for MSPs handling sensitive data. Partnering with Microsoft Azure ensured their infrastructure was robust and scalable. They also worked on certifications like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA. This guaranteed that Atera met strict security requirements.

The rapid rise of AI sparked concerns, especially around data privacy and security risks. To address this, Atera reassured customers that their data would not be used for AI training. They also worked with security experts to protect it.

4. Atera's Product Suite

a. Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)

Atera's RMM tool monitors IT infrastructure in real-time. It aims to automate maintenance and detect issues before they escalate. Additionally, it integrates well with other remote tools for troubleshooting.

Key Features:

• Patch management
• Real-time alerts
• Automation
• Scripting
• Reporting

b. Professional Services Automation (PSA)

Atera PSA is a tool for IT pros and MSPs. It makes helpdesk, billing, and reports easy. It has automation, customer portals, and flexible plans. This tool is ideal if you want to work smarter.

Key Features:

• Time tracking
• Billing
• SLA tracking
• Business reporting

c. Helpdesk & Service Desk

Atera’s AI-powered helpdesk automates ticket management and provides recommendations. It also integrates with RMM for faster issue resolution.

Key Features:

• AI-based ticket management
• Customer interaction tracking
• Customizable workflows

d. Automation & AI Tools

Atera provides AI-driven tools to automate repetitive tasks. Moreover, they offer predictive maintenance, script-based fixes, and time-saving insights for IT teams.

Key Features:

• AI ticket summarization
• Script automation
• Patch automation
• Predictive diagnostics

e. Remote Access

Atera provides secure, flexible remote IT management via tools like AnyDesk and Splashtop. This tool supports both attended and unattended sessions with robust security measures.

Key Features:

• Secure and flexible IT management
• Integration of tools like AnyDesk and Splashtop
• Strong security with 256-bit AES encryption

f. Patch Management

Atera's Patch Management updates hardware, software, and operating systems automatically. It keeps systems up-to-date and secure. This helps IT teams work better. Plus, it cuts down manual work, saves time, and boosts cybersecurity compliance.

Key Features:

• Automated updates
• Detailed reporting
• Streamlined software installations

g. Network Discovery

Atera's Network Discovery tool scans for devices and open ports. It finds vulnerabilities. It also gives real-time visibility into all network assets. Automating asset discovery and providing dynamic reports will help IT pros. They can then take steps to address risks before they arise.

Key Features:

• Real-time device scanning
• Automated alerts
• Active Directory integration for comprehensive network oversight

5. The Flagship Product

Atera’s flagship product is the AI-powered IT management platform. It combines Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM), Professional Services Automation (PSA), and Helpdesk tools into one. The tool comes with AI-driven automation to help IT pros and MSPs. It can simplify tasks like ticket management, diagnostics, patch management, and scripting.

Who is it recommended for?

Atera is great for many businesses, especially if you work in IT services or need strong IT support. It's easy to use and automates many tasks, which is perfect for small businesses or those with few IT staff. It also helps manage complex systems more easily.

This all-in-one platform helps IT teams work more efficiently. It reduces the time to solve issues by using AI to automate routine tasks and offer helpful insights. Atera's strong integration with Microsoft Azure and OpenAI makes it stand out in the IT management field.

6. Atera IT Management Software Review

In this section, we'll explore how Atera helps IT professionals and MSPs. We'll look at its dashboard, device management, agent installation, customer interface, reporting tools, and admin panel.

Let's see how Atera can make your IT work simpler and more efficient.

a. Atera's IT Management Dashboard

Atera's dashboard is clear and easy to use. It shows you everything you need about your devices. You can see which devices are on, get important alerts, tickets, and incidents, and do things like remote access and manage systems all from one place.

b. Device Management

The device management area is well organized. It gives a quick view of all the devices connected, their status, and what actions you can take. Managing devices from the dashboard makes it easy to check and fix problems fast.

You can, for instance, see device details, manage patches, see availability, alerts, reboot, access remote, and more actions (all from a single place).

c. Agent Installation

Setting up Atera is simple. The ‘agent installer page’ lets you choose the operating system and assign agents to certain customers or groups (or leave unassigned). You can access the “install agent” right from the main dashboard.

This makes sure everything goes smoothly from the start.

d. Customer Management Interface

The customer interface has everything you need in one spot. You can manage contacts, devices, bills, tickets, alerts, passwords, attachments, and invoices. Plus, the process of creating new customers, along with other data is quite straightforward.

This makes things easier for support teams and improves how they work.

e. Reporting and Analytics

Atera's reports are strong and helpful. They come as Classic Reports or Advanced Reports. In addition, reporting comes with the powerful Auditor Report feature, which gives a detailed look at your hardware and software. The reports show information clearly, so it's easy to understand and make smart choices.

f. Admin Panel

The admin panel in Atera lets you do a lot of custom setups. You can change alert settings, adjust thresholds, and even set up things like SNMP templates and API connections.

This customization is great for IT teams that want to make Atera work just right for them.

Verdict

Atera's platform is great for managing IT. It's easy to use and has many features for different IT needs. The interface is friendly. It supports everything from simple device checks to detailed reports and analytics.

Plus, it combines RMM, PSA, and Helpdesk tools all in one system. This aspect makes work faster by automating everyday tasks and is easy on the budget with pricing per technician. Plus, users love the always-on support and the flexibility to solve problems from anywhere using tools like Splashtop.

While Atera is very useful, it could use more customization options to better meet specific user needs. Some areas, like scripting, might need improvement. The mobile app is improving but requires more work. It needs better functionality on mobile devices.

7. Other Atera products you need to pay attention to

a. PSA Tool

Atera's PSA tool helps IT service providers and MSPs with daily tasks. It makes work easier by putting important functions together in one place. This PSA tool also organizes client info for quick access. It also tracks projects and tasks. Plus, it automates billing based on time and services. And that is not all, it also lets you log time spent on work. This ensures accurate billing and helps you manage projects well.

b. Help Desk Tool

Atera's Help Desk tool helps you manage customer support tickets and service requests all in one place. IT staff can create, assign, track, and manage tickets from start to finish. They can organize tickets by priority, issue type, client, or custom tags, making it easy to keep everything in order.

The tool also uses automation to make work smoother. It automates common tasks, like routing tickets and escalating issues. So, you can spend less time on manual work and respond faster. Plus, it offers a customer portal where users can submit tickets, check their status, and find help articles or FAQs. Managers can use detailed reports to improve help desk operations. The reports show ticket numbers, resolution times, customer happiness, and team performance.

Pros:

• Effective Ticket Management: Streamlines issue resolution through robust management features.
• Task Automation: Automates routine tasks, reducing errors and saving time.
• User-Friendly Customer Portal: Facilitates better communication with an accessible portal for end-users.

Cons:

• Limited Features for Large Enterprises: Might not fully meet the needs of larger organizations.
• Occasional Performance Lags: Can experience slowdowns during high-volume or data-intensive operations.

8. Wrap-Up

Atera is an AI-driven IT management platform. It combines RMM, PSA, and Helpdesk into one system. It started as a firewall solution (around 2010) and evolved into a comprehensive solution. Now, (as of 2024) Atera is one of the most popular all-in-one platforms designed to meet wider IT management needs.

Atera is ideal for businesses, especially small teams, requiring robust IT support. It simplifies managing complex systems with its ease of use and automation.

Product Highlights:

• RMM monitors and maintains systems automatically.
• PSA streamlines help desk operations, billing, and reports.
• Helpdesk leverages AI for efficient ticket management.
• Features tools for automation, secure remote access, and system updates.

Verdict: Atera effectively simplifies IT management by integrating essential tools into one platform. It has areas to improve, especially in customization and mobile use. But, its AI automation and low cost provide great value.

This article explores Atera's impressive growth and its amazing IT management tech. It is far from over for Atera. The company keeps updating and growing its services to meet the changing needs of IT professionals around the world. It has taken IT management to a whole new level. Their focus on automation, AI, and easy-to-use solutions has made IT teams and MSPs much more efficient.