iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
For the week of September 28, 2026, the biggest channel announcements included a planned Auvik network-management integration for Acronis RMM, new ESET PROTECT tiers for channel partners, and a Wiz managed-service-provider program in public preview. The roundup also covered DNSFilter and CyberFOX partner news, rugged Panasonic devices, and vendor-reported data on MSP operations and security incidents.
Auvik network management is planned for Acronis RMM in January 2027
Auvik and Acronis announced an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) integration on September 30, 2026. The plan is to bring Auvik’s network monitoring and management capabilities into Acronis RMM, which is part of Acronis Cyber Protect. Acronis and Auvik said availability was expected in January 2027; it was not generally available when they announced the partnership.
The proposed benefit is a single operating environment for network infrastructure alongside endpoints and servers. For MSPs, consolidating those functions could reduce the need to move between tools and manage separate vendor relationships. That may be relevant to providers assessing tool sprawl, but the announcement does not establish that every existing network-monitoring tool can be replaced or that consolidation will produce a particular cost or productivity gain.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Auvik President Mark Ralls described the goal as bringing network and endpoint management together to reduce operational complexity. Acronis Senior Director of Platform Marketing and Education Rick Hebly said greater network visibility could help partners resolve issues faster and reduce service-disruption risk. These are the companies’ stated aims, not independently measured outcomes.
#1 Best Overall
- WIFI ENABLED TO CONTROL FROM ANYWHERE – Transform your home into a smart home with the Feit Electric Smart Wi-Fi Plug. Remotely turn on or off lights, fans, coffee makers, or other home appliances from your smartphone or tablet. Works seamlessly with Alexa and Google Home, giving you effortless voice control without needing a separate hub. Manage your devices anytime, whether you’re at home, at work, or traveling.
- SIMPLE SETUP, NO HUB REQUIRED – Enjoy the convenience of smart home automation without extra equipment. The plug connects directly to your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network, making installation fast and easy. Plug it in, download the Feit Electric app, follow the simple steps, and your devices are instantly connected. Perfect for beginners or anyone looking to expand their smart home ecosystem with minimal hassle.
- SET YOUR ROUTINE & SAVE ENERGY – Save energy, stay organized, and automate daily routines with customizable schedules and timers. Set your lamps, heaters, or appliances to turn on and off automatically at specific times, ensuring your home is always comfortable and efficient. Ideal for morning routines, evening wind-downs, or holiday lighting, giving you peace of mind and energy savings without constant manual operation.
- ENHANCED SAFETY & CONVENIENCE – Protect your home and appliances with the Feit Electric Smart Plug’s durable design and safety features. Its compact size fits easily into standard indoor outlets without blocking other sockets. With real-time app control and notifications, you can monitor appliance activity and prevent energy waste. Ideal for families, pet owners, or anyone seeking a smarter, safer, and more convenient home setup.
- RELIABLE 2.4GHz WI-FI PERFORMANCE – Designed to work exclusively on 2.4 GHz networks, this smart plug provides stable connectivity for smooth operation of all your devices. Avoid interruptions caused by incompatible networks, ensuring your appliances respond instantly when controlled via the app or voice commands. Perfect for indoor home use, it supports up to 15 amps, handling heavy-duty appliances safely and reliably.
ESET introduces three channel-focused PROTECT tiers
ESET announced its updated PROTECT portfolio on September 30, 2026, beginning in the United States, Italy, and Slovakia. The company said the rollout would expand to other markets in phases. The stated minimum seat counts and tier differences are:
| Tier | Minimum seats | Capabilities described in the announcement |
|---|---|---|
| Core | 5 | Protection for AI stacks and protection against ransomware, phishing, and zero-day threats. |
| Premium | 10 | Core protections plus autonomous MDR response supervised by ESET experts 24/7. |
| Ultimate | 10 | Premium-level MDR capabilities plus live access to ESET’s threat-hunting team and threat analysis and remediation. |
ESET says Plus packages can add mail security, multifactor authentication (MFA), vulnerability management, and patch management. The announcement frames the tiering as a way for channel partners to offer security as a service; buyers should confirm the package contents and availability in their market with ESET or their distributor.
Rank #2
- equipped with atom n2600 d2700 processor, compatible with many freebsd based router systems, linux distros, or win.os supported, easy configuration and management
- Please note, this is a barebone only. A system memory, a storage drive and an operating system are needed to complete this system
- 13-19 inches 1u, 50w power, with power cord, make sure to use a big brand memory and ssd/hdd with quality assurance
- Designed with console, 2 x usb, 4 x lan, vga, power switch, size at 290 x 180 x 44mm
- There are 2 inside reserved fans on chassis, which could be removed freely or be turned on in a high temperature environment to ensure the best function of the product
Wiz’s MSP program is in public preview
Wiz announced a Partner Alliance MSP Program for service providers delivering cloud and AI security. Wiz describes it as offering centralized multi-tenant management, flexible billing, and dedicated support. Its Tenant Manager is intended to give partners a portfolio-wide view, let them organize tenants into groups, enforce policies, and access customer environments.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
The program was described as being in public preview, not as generally available. Wiz directs interested partners to contact their partner team about eligibility. That means availability and access may depend on Wiz’s preview terms; the announcement does not establish universal enrollment.
Rank #3
- Shelly Plus 1 PM is a Wi-Fi smart relay switch with 1 channel, up to 16A with power metering that can be used also as a WiFi repeater and Bluetooth gateway. Shelly Plus 1PM can be used to monitor the consumption and take control of home appliances, electric circuits, and office equipment individually.
- Automate electrical appliance and control - With Shelly Plus 1PM you can automate any electrical appliance in your home and control it remotely. Shelly Plus 1PM can control appliances with a large load which makes it perfect for kitchen appliances and domestic systems monitoring and control. You can get precise measurements of the power consumption of each appliance and switch in on/off remotely, no matter where you are.
- Set and be prepared for everything - Reveal the full potential of Shelly Plus 1PM by combining it with other devices from your home network! Set Shelly Plus 1PM to activate custom scenes based on hour, light, or various occurrences. For example, you can set Shelly Door/Window sensor to report a porch door opening and activate Shelly Plus 1PM to turn on the hot tub heaters only in the hours after 8 pm.
- Shelly Customer Service - Shelly is one of the fastest-growing Smart Home brands in the world with devices, providing solutions for the automation of private homes, buildings and businesses. We provide our customers with professional support and a 3 years device warranty.
- Shelly Smart Control App will help you control your Shelly devices remotely and will send notifications for all automated events in your home. You can easily configure devices and manage their settings individually, or you can create personalized scenes by combining Shelly devices to trigger certain actions in your home automation.
DNSFilter, CyberFOX and other partner-channel updates
- DNSFilter: ChannelPro reported that the company added Select, Accelerator, and Strategic reseller tiers, with deal registration, market-development funds, and channel support.
- CyberFOX and TD SYNNEX: ChannelPro reported that TD SYNNEX would distribute CyberFOX AutoElevate, Password Manager, DNS Filtering, and Timus SASE to its North American partner network.
- LastPass: The roundup reported additions to LastPass Business Max for AI visibility, governance, and web controls.
- Keeper: Keeper introduced a Freshservice Workflow app for privileged-access approvals, according to the roundup.
- Sophos: Sophos CISO Advantage reached general availability, as summarized by ChannelPro.
- Commvault: The roundup reported discovery and recovery support for desktop AI workspaces.
These brief items are ChannelPro’s summaries of vendor announcements; they do not supply the implementation, eligibility, or configuration detail needed to compare the offerings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the reported MSP productivity and security figures mean
ChannelPro summarized a 2026 Omdia study commissioned by Kaseya and Huntress telemetry findings. The figures below should be read as findings attributed to those sources, not as universal MSP outcomes or independently verified industry-wide rates.
Rank #4
- Portable 100M/1G Network TAP Appliance for remote capture of data traffic
- Integrated with a Raspberry Pi 4 module (8GB RAM and 64GB Micro SD Card)
- Can be used as a standalone 100M/1G network TAP with the external monitor port
- Dual DC power inputs for enhancing overall system availability
| Reported figure | Source and context |
|---|---|
| About $2,600 saved per technician per month; more than $312,000 annually for a 10-person team | Omdia study commissioned by Kaseya, as reported by ChannelPro in 2026. |
| 33% lower IT operating costs; 12% higher contract margins | Omdia study commissioned by Kaseya, as reported by ChannelPro in 2026. |
| 27% more endpoints managed, 23% more tickets handled, and 15% more clients supported | Omdia study commissioned by Kaseya, as reported by ChannelPro in 2026. |
| 32% faster ticket resolution and 36% faster first response | Omdia study commissioned by Kaseya, as reported by ChannelPro in 2026. |
| RMM abuse appeared in 45% of endpoint incidents in Q1 2026 | Huntress telemetry, as reported by ChannelPro in 2026. |
| Mailbox manipulation accounted for 24.6% of identity detection and response signals | Huntress telemetry, as reported by ChannelPro in 2026. |
| Adversary-in-the-middle attacks accounted for 18.9% of identity threats in 2025 | Huntress, as reported by ChannelPro in 2026. |
| ClickFix represented 2.2% of endpoint detection signals, with 99% rated high severity | Huntress telemetry, as reported by ChannelPro in 2026. |
The roundup does not provide the underlying study methodology or telemetry denominators, so these figures do not by themselves show how results would translate to a particular provider, customer base, or security environment.
Recommended Free Tools
Panasonic announces rugged TOUGHBOOK 34 and G3 computers
Panasonic Connect announced two fully rugged 2-in-1 computers on September 30, 2026, for field, public-safety, federal, warehouse, and other mission-critical work. The TOUGHBOOK 34 has a 12.4-inch display; the smaller TOUGHBOOK G3 has a 10.1-inch display. Panasonic lists Wi-Fi 7, optional 5G, IP66 protection, and MIL-STD-810H/461G for the devices.
| Model | Display | Other details stated in the announcement summary |
|---|---|---|
| TOUGHBOOK 34 | 12.4 inches | Wi-Fi 7, optional 5G, IP66, MIL-STD-810H/461G; certified for Red Hat Device Edge. |
| TOUGHBOOK G3 | 10.1 inches | Wi-Fi 7, optional 5G, IP66, MIL-STD-810H/461G; Red Hat Device Edge certification was in progress. |
Panasonic lists different modular expansion and battery configurations, but the roundup does not specify the configuration-by-configuration differences. The larger 34 and smaller G3 therefore point to different display and portability priorities, while buyers evaluating a specific field workflow should verify expansion, battery, and certification details for the exact configuration. These are enterprise rugged computers, not general-purpose consumer laptop recommendations.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
