Nerdio, a cloud management service provider based in Chicago, has successfully raised five hundred million dollars in a Series C funding round, significantly increasing its valuation to over one billion dollars. The company, which assists businesses in optimizing their cloud infrastructure, has quadrupled its valuation since its previous funding round two years ago. Nerdio, which spun out from an IT-as-a-service company in 2020, targets organizations looking to manage Microsoft’s Azure Virtual Desktop and related services efficiently. With the recent investment, Nerdio plans to expand its product lineup and grow its workforce from three hundred employees to support its increasing global presence.
Cisco unveiled new artificial intelligence solutions aimed at enhancing collaboration and customer experiences at the Enterprise Connect event in Orlando, Florida. The company introduced the Webex AI Agent, a self-service solution designed to provide 24/7 support, set to be generally available by March 31, 2025. This innovation allows for human-like interactions, assisting with routine customer queries and reducing wait times. Additionally, the Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center will receive new features, including real-time transcription, aimed at improving service experiences. Cisco’s approach marks a significant shift from traditional contact centers to experience centers, capitalizing on automation to fulfill customer needs efficiently.
SUSE launched the Cloud Elevate program for Managed Service Providers, aimed at facilitating the sale of its new Software as a Service suite for enterprise container management through the AWS Marketplace. Christine Puccio, SUSE’s global Vice President for AWS Cloud, emphasized the program’s goal of providing MSPs with tailored solutions to meet diverse client needs. The initiative offers access to various SUSE Cloud and Rancher solutions, including Observability and Application Collection, along with a 30-day free trial to help MSPs demonstrate quick results and enhance client acquisition. This move further solidifies SUSE’s collaboration with Amazon Web Services, which has been a partner since the program’s inception in 2024.
A cybersecurity startup called Hawcx is aiming to improve the usability of passkeys, a solution designed to replace traditional passwords. Founded in 2023 by Riya Shanmugam, who has nearly two decades of experience in companies like Adobe and Google, Hawcx has raised three million dollars in a pre-seed funding round. The company highlights that nearly one-third of data breaches in the past decade occurred due to stolen credentials, according to Verizon. While over fifteen billion online accounts can utilize passkeys, many users find them cumbersome, limiting adoption. Hawcx’s technology generates private keys each time a user signs in, avoiding the storage of these keys on devices, which enhances portability and ease of use. The startup is in discussions with large banks and gaming companies for pilot programs, with plans to validate its technology with cryptography experts at Stanford University.
Why do we care?
Nerdio’s quadrupled valuation and billion-dollar status reinforce the ongoing shift towards cloud cost optimization and automation. With Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Microsoft’s cloud services growing, MSPs must take note of the increasing demand for cost-efficient cloud management tools. Nerdio needs to continue to stay ahead of Microsoft to maintain their viability.
Authentication remains a pain point, and passkey usability improvements could disrupt traditional password management solutions—offering a new security opportunity for MSPs. I remain pretty bullish on passkeys.
