Discovering Auvik

Is managing your network turning into a daily struggle? Do outdated tools leave you scrambling when issues pop up? You're not alone. Many IT professionals face these same headaches. Networks are more complex than ever, and the tools still need to keep up. This makes your job harder and leaves your network vulnerable.

But there's a better way. Auvik offers real-time insights and automates tedious tasks. It helps you see what's happening across your entire network. With Auvik, you can fix problems before they grow and keep your network running smoothly.

Let's explore how Auvik is changing network management for IT professionals like you.

Table of Contents

1. Company Background and Timeline
2. Major Challenges and Growth
3. A Comprehensive Overview of Auvik’s Product Suite
4. Ideal Auvik Users and Client Industries
5. Flagship Product Review: Auvik Network Management
6. Auvik Network Monitoring Dashboard Review
7. Reviews of Two Other Products
8. Spotlight Wrap Up

1. Company Background and Timeline

Auvik started from humble beginnings. It grew to become a leader in network management. Let’s explore how the journey began.

a. Founders and Early Days

Auvik’s story began in 2011 with three visionaries: Marc Morin, Alex Hoff, and David Yach. They saw how frustrating network management could be with outdated tools. They wanted to change that by making things simple, clear, and easy for IT professionals.

Marc Morin wasn’t new to success. He had already co-founded Sandvine and PixStream before starting Auvik. He brought that experience to Auvik, aiming to create a tool that solved real challenges. Alex Hoff took a big risk, leaving a job he’d had for nine years to start Auvik. He quickly raised CAD 6 million to help MSPs manage their clients' networks. David Yach had gained tech expertise at BlackBerry and Sybase. He then joined Auvik as the Chief Technology Officer. He made sure the platform was not just powerful, but also easy for IT teams to use.

In the beginning, Auvik was just a small team with a big goal. They worked hard to build a cloud-based platform. This platform lets IT professionals see their networks. It also allows them to control their networks easily. Their aim was clear: make remote network management easy and efficient. This vision became the backbone of Auvik's journey to success.

b. Timeline of Growth 

Auvik's growth story is impressive. It started in 2011 and has become a leader in network management. Each step shows their drive for innovation and excellence. Here’s how they’ve grown over the years.

• 2011: Auvik was founded to simplify network management for IT teams.
• 2013: With 21 employees, they introduced “The Auvik Way,” their guiding principles. They also raised CAD 6 million in Series A funding, driving their growth.
• 2014: Auvik launched the beta version of its network management product. By the end of the year, it was officially released.
• 2015: They celebrated their first paid subscriber. Meanwhile, their team grew to 26 employees. Also, the company started gaining steady market traction.
• 2016: Auvik won the HTG “Rookie of the Year” award, showing its potential in the IT space. The team expanded to 34 employees.
• 2017: This was a big year. Auvik won the HTG Partner Favorite award and opened an office in Ottawa. Additionally, they raised CAD 15 million in Series B funding. The team also grew to 86 employees.
• 2018: Auvik acquired Talaia, a network traffic analytics company. They also launched the Auvik Certification program and moved into their Waterloo headquarters.
• 2019: They reached over 2,000 customers globally and introduced Auvik TrafficInsights™. The team grew to 200 and ranked 4th in Canada’s Top Growing Companies.
• 2020: Despite the pandemic, Auvik helped IT teams with new resources. They also hosted their first live conference, “Frankly MSP Live.”
• 2021: Auvik received a $250 million investment. As a result, the team grew to 217 employees. Additionally, they earned recognition in G2’s Spring 2021 Grid Report.
• 2022: They appointed Douglas Murray as CEO. They acquired Saaslio, Boardgent, and MetaGeek to expand their product line. Their staff grew to 305 employees.
• 2024: Auvik managed 1.5 million devices across 100,000 networks. They also gained their first Auvik Endpoint Management customer.

Today, Auvik serves over 6,300 active customers and manages more than 10 million devices. They have 300+ employees in five countries. They aim to make network management seamless to help IT teams work better.

2. Major Challenges and Growth

Auvik's journey wasn’t without hurdles. From market doubts to tough competition, they faced many challenges. However, they adapted and stayed focused. As a result, they turned these obstacles into opportunities for growth and success.

1. Struggling with Market Acceptance When Auvik launched in 2011, cloud-based network management was new. Most businesses preferred on-premise solutions and were skeptical about cloud security. Auvik aimed to build a secure platform. It also aimed to educate customers about the cloud's benefits. For example, it highlighted real-time visibility and remote troubleshooting.
2. Slow Initial Sales and Pivot to MSPs Sales were slow at first, even with CAD 6 million in funding. Small businesses, their main target, just weren’t ready to invest. So, Auvik focused on Managed Service Providers (MSPs). They needed a way to manage client networks. This shift quickly boosted their monthly recurring revenue.
3. Competition and Differentiation Auvik faced stiff competition from established players in the network management space like SolarWinds and PRTG. These companies had been around for years and already had a strong customer base. Auvik knew they couldn’t win by simply replicating existing features. They did not copy. They focused on making their platform user-friendly with automated mapping and alerts. This helped them stand out in a crowded market.
4. Scaling and Technical Challenges As Auvik gained more MSP customers, scaling became a big challenge. They needed to support thousands of devices across multiple networks without losing performance. To handle this, they invested heavily in cloud infrastructure and optimized their software. By building a strong, scalable backend, Auvik managed to process huge amounts of data in real-time. This allowed them to support over 1.5 million devices across 100,000 networks by 2024. Their drive for improvement kept the platform fast and reliable as it grew.
5. Pandemic Adaptation and Continued Growth The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic compelled many businesses to operate from remote locations. This increased the demand for reliable network management. Auvik quickly adapted by enhancing remote troubleshooting and monitoring features. It kept IT teams connected and efficient, even from afar. This helped Auvik stay relevant and gain new customers.

Auvik also expanded by acquiring companies like Talaia, MetaGeek, Saaslio, and Boardgent. These acquisitions added: traffic analysis, Wi-Fi optimization, SaaS management, and endpoint security. This helped Auvik stay ahead of competitors and offer more value. Today, Auvik manages over 10 million devices globally, proving its resilience and adaptability.

3. A Comprehensive Overview of Auvik’s Product Suite

Auvik's products give MSPs and IT teams a complete solution. It helps them manage networks and SaaS apps. Let’s break down each product and see how they tackle common IT challenges.

a. Network Monitoring and Management

This is Auvik’s main product, offering more than just basic monitoring. It provides active, real-time control over your network.

• Real-Time Monitoring: Auvik tracks every device's performance, like CPU usage and bandwidth. It sends real-time alerts for any issues, so you can act fast and fix problems before they grow.
• Automated Network Mapping: Auvik's tool gives you a live view of your network. Unlike manual mapping, it does. It updates instantly whenever devices change, helping you pinpoint issues quickly.
• Configuration Backup: Auvik creates automatic backups of device settings. If there's a problem, you can restore a previous version. This saves time in recovery.
• Traffic Analysis: Auvik shows which devices or apps use the most bandwidth. This helps you block unwanted traffic. It ensures critical apps run smoothly.

These features help IT teams keep a reliable, efficient network with little downtime.

b. IT Asset Management

Auvik's asset management goes beyond tracking devices. It helps you understand your entire network.

• Comprehensive Asset Inventory: Auvik creates a detailed list of all devices. It includes their model, firmware, and serial numbers. This helps you spot outdated equipment and plan replacements.
• Asset Health Monitoring: It checks device health. It alerts you to issues, like high CPU usage, before they cause problems. This means fewer unexpected disruptions and longer hardware life.

This tool ensures your network stays secure, efficient, and up-to-date.

c. SaaS Application Management

Managing SaaS apps can be tricky, but Auvik makes it simple.

• SaaS Visualization: Auvik gives you a clear view of all SaaS apps in use, showing who uses them and how often. This helps in managing access and maintaining security.
• Shadow IT Detection: Auvik identifies unauthorized software, reducing security risks and ensuring compliance.
• SaaS Waste Management: It finds unused or redundant apps. It helps you cut costs. For example, if a license isn’t being fully used, Auvik points it out.

This suite makes software management easy, secure, and cost-effective.

4. Ideal Auvik Users and Client Industries

Auvik is for various industries. It simplifies network management for businesses of all sizes. Here's how it fits different sectors:

• Managed Service Providers (MSPs) MSPs are Auvik’s main users. They manage multiple client networks. So, Auvik's remote access and automation tools are a big help. Auvik's dashboard lets MSPs easily monitor and fix multiple networks. This saves time and improves service quality. This also makes scaling operations smoother.
• State & Local Government Government agencies, often handling complex networks, find Auvik useful. Auvik's real-time monitoring and network discovery simplify managing thousands of devices. Its tools work well with tight budgets and dispersed teams. It ensures quick visibility, control, and up-to-date configurations, allowing faster issue resolution.
• Education Sector Schools and universities need stable networks across campuses. Auvik provides real-time alerts and privacy features. It ensures smooth connectivity for students and staff. IT teams can quickly fix issues, even in varied environments, like BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).
• Healthcare In healthcare, network reliability and data privacy are crucial. Auvik offers high visibility, real-time troubleshooting, and compliance support. This ensures smooth patient care services while keeping networks secure and efficient.
• Financial Services Financial institutions require secure and uninterrupted networks. Auvik helps avoid costly downtimes and keep services secure. It does this with real-time issue detection, automated backups, and detailed visibility.
• Manufacturing Manufacturers manage a mix of old and new devices across locations. Auvik’s automated mapping and inventory features give real-time insights into device statuses. It reduces downtime and keeps production lines running. This lets IT teams fix issues before they grow.

5. Flagship Product Review: Auvik Network Management

Auvik Network Management is a cloud tool. It gives IT teams real-time control and visibility over their networks. It’s for both MSPs and internal IT. It makes complex networks easy to manage. Auvik stands out for its ability to automate tasks, map the network, and analyze traffic in-depth. This helps IT teams spot issues quickly and maintain a smooth network experience.

Key Features:

1. Auto-Discovery and Mapping: Auvik scans the network, finds all devices, and maps them in real-time. It updates whenever changes happen, so you always have an accurate view.
2. Traffic Analysis: Auvik's TrafficInsights shows which apps and devices use the most bandwidth. This helps IT teams manage traffic better and avoid slowdowns.
3. Network Monitoring and Alerts: Auvik tracks metrics like CPU usage. It sends real-time alerts for any issues, ensuring quick responses.
4. Configuration Backup: The platform automatically backs up device settings. If something goes wrong, you can easily restore a previous version.
5. Inventory Management: Auvik tracks all devices. It records their model, serial number, and IP address. This makes asset tracking easy.
6. Hardware Lifecycle Management: It tracks devices for updates, support, or replacement. It helps plan upgrades.
7. VPN Monitoring: Auvik monitors VPN usage, ensuring you have enough capacity for remote workers.
8. Security and Compliance: It has encrypted communications, SSO, and 2FA to keep data secure.

Want to know more? Try Auvik on a 14-day free trial today!

6. Auvik Network Monitoring Dashboard Review

As mentioned before, Auvik's cloud software automates and simplifies network monitoring. It helps IT teams improve efficiency and scalability. One thing we love about this product is that Auvik has a fast installation process. Fortunately, it has three options: a VM, a physical appliance, or a lightweight Windows service.

In this review, we’ll dive into a few of Auvik’s key features like its Network Topology Map, performance dashboards, traffic insights, and alert system. We’ll see some pictures that highlight what Auvik can do, including the VMware Hypervisor dashboard and Global Traffic Insights.

a. Installation and Network Discovery

Once Auvik is installed, it scans the network. It then lists all connected devices. The first screen you’ll see is the Network Topology Map. This map shows how devices are linked at both the physical (Layer 1) and logical (Layers 2 and 3) levels. It makes it easy to understand your network's layout at a glance.

Refer to the screenshot below: 

This topology map screenshot shows how Auvik displays all devices in a web-like layout. It makes it easy to navigate and manage the network. The colors and connection points are clear and easy to spot. It gives you an instant understanding of the network’s structure.

2. Device, Performance Metrics, and Traffic Monitoring. 

Auvik gives you detailed performance metrics and key data for every device it finds. The dashboard shows key stats: uptime, memory use, CPU load, disk space, and a lot more. It helps you quickly spot any issues.

Refer to the screenshot below: 

The screenshot shows a Proliant server. It runs a VMware hypervisor. It has 13 vCPUs, 11 GB of memory, and 282 GB of disk space. You can also see bandwidth and packet stats. This level of real-time traffic monitoring helps users spot performance issues right away.

This screenshot shows the same device but with more details. It includes historical data, packet stats, interface bandwidth, and packet loss. With this report, you can easily track bandwidth use per device and see which ones are using the most, like apps such as Dropbox or Slack.

This screenshot also shows a map-based interface. It highlights global traffic locations, including top sources and destinations. The heatmap shows where traffic is coming from and going. It helps IT teams track international traffic and spot bottlenecks.

4. Alerts and Notifications

Auvik has over 50 built-in alerts. But you can also create custom alerts to match your network’s needs. You can get alerts by email, Slack, or Microsoft Teams, or connect them to ticketing systems like ServiceNow or Freshdesk.

In the following screenshot, you can see different critical and emergency alerts, like CPU or RAM failures. This helps IT teams fix problems early before they get worse.

5. Configuration Backups 

Auvik’s automated configuration backup saves time by recording network device settings without human intervention. It also keeps a version history and lets you roll back changes if something goes wrong.

In the following screenshot, you can see a list of saved configurations for a Dell switch. This feature is amazing because it lets network admins quickly restore settings or find when a change occurred.

Verdict

Auvik’s network monitoring tool is loaded with features that make network management easy. It has automatic maps, real-time stats, and a good alert system. The software gives IT teams what they need to keep networks running smoothly. The initial setup can be complex and challenging. But, once it's running, using and managing the dashboards is straightforward.

7. Reviews of Two Other Products

a. Auvik TrafficInsights

Auvik TrafficInsights is a powerful tool for analyzing network traffic. It gathers data from devices that support protocols like NetFlow v5, NetFlow v9, J-Flow, IPFIX, or sFlow. This feature lets you see which applications or devices are using the most bandwidth. You can even track where the traffic is coming from, making it easier to spot unauthorized activity and keep the network secure.

b. Auvik SaaS Management

Auvik SaaS Management helps IT teams manage, monitor, and secure their SaaS applications. It shows all SaaS apps in use, tracks shadow IT and helps cut costs by finding unused subscriptions. It also offers a health score for your SaaS environment and provides security logs and alerts to keep your data safe.

7. Wrap-Up

Auvik is a powerful tool. It simplifies network management and offers deep performance insights. 

This network monitoring software gives IT teams and MSPs the tools to manage complex networks. It has real-time monitoring, automatic mapping, traffic analysis, backups, and a lot more. Its simple interface and ability to manage large networks make it a top choice for healthcare, education, and finance.

Setting it up might take time. But, the long-term perks are worth it. They include better visibility, alerts, and smooth management.

Ready to take control of your network? Try Auvik on a 14-day free trial today for stress-free management.

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