We’d like to quickly let you know of an update we’ve made to our Webroot integration. If you’re using Webroot, we presume that you’re serious about data protection and cybersecurity. By integrating Webroot and BrightGauge, you’re able to manage and monitor devices that need attention, infection status, shield status, sites, and more. With our latest update, the level of protection you experience through proactive monitoring is taken one step further. Webroot DNS Protection Webroot recently introduced DNS Protection, and we’re now sharing KPIs for that functionality. A lot of you have requested this, so we’re happy to now offer it. With Webroot DNS Protection, you can monitor and report on blocked sites, see who was trying to access them, and get a summary of DNS traffic including risky and blocked traffic. This opens up an opportunity for you to offer your clients better services and show how you’re being proactive in preventing incidents from happening. BrightGauge KPIs for Webroot DNS Protection We’ve launched two datasets, from which multiple KPIs are available as default gauges. To make it easy for you to start monitoring this data, we’ve pre-built two dashboards that bring these KPIs together: DNS Protection Blocked Traffic  - This dashboard allows you to see blocked requests by category, domain, and hostname for the last 30 days.   DNSP Traffic Last 24 Hours - On this dashboard, a number of gauges show you total blocked and total risky requests in the last 24 hours, blocked and risky requests by site, and the percentage of risky and blocked requests by site. If you use Webroot DNS Protection already, then you should have access to these datasets and KPIs. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Support Team!

New BrightGauge users (or anyone looking for a quick refresher): this one's for you! Recently, we've had customers asking us why they should create client reports and how they can set them up. Let's take a quick look at the 4 W's of Client Reporting and How to pull them together.    Who should I send executive reports to? - Based on our research and experience, we see our customers sending reports to their main point of contact who manages the relationship, but we also see many of them sending the report to that person’s manager (if they have one). When we probed about why reports are sent doubly, our users all said it's because this way if the contact person changes, a history of communication with their manager still exists. What should I include in client reports? - Choosing the right metrics for your client reports will depend on your integration (like Connectwise, Webroot, IT Glue, Autotask, Quickbooks, etc) and what is laid out in your SLA. A large portion of our users integrate with ConnectWise and use BrightGauge to create impactful ConnectWise reports based on their metrics. When creating client reports, use one of our pre-built templates or easily start from scratch; either way, reports are customizable.  When should I send client reports? - We see 30,000+ reports that get sent out each month, and the standard default is for our customers to send reports on a monthly basis to their clients. This seems to be a natural rhythm when it comes to reporting, however, we also see a large number of our partners sending out weekly or even daily reports that are hyper-focused on whatever key metrics they care about. Perhaps they are interested in patch status for their workstations or a specific type of support request. The flexibility of our client reporting allows you to customize when to send them the information they want. Why should I send client reports? - You want to start building trust with clients as soon as possible because it’s the foundation of a long-term business relationship. Client reporting holds you accountable and keeps you transparent, both reputable qualities in client's eyes. So, “How” do you start earning their trust? How do I create a client report? - That’s the easy part! Below, we quickly outline the steps to get started with Client Reports.   Step 1: Create a new report Step 2: Select your clients Step 3: Choose to start from scratch or use a template  Step 4: Populate your report with gauges, a title, and your logo (or your client's) Step 5: Set the schedule and send it off!   Yes, it is really that simple.  To learn how Client Reporting can make a huge impact on your business, download our free webinar where we share why Client Reporting is a key pillar in the area of Customer Success.

In business since 2000, Cards Technology started out as a computer repair shop and system builder. As the years went on and the IT industry continued to evolve, they made the switch to full IT Services provider. Today, they focus on infrastructures and database management.   Joining BrightGauge Cards Technology first came across BrightGauge when they were looking for a way to supplement the work they started in Connectsmart. Within 30 minutes of getting connected, Sam Card, the CEO of Cards Technology, was able to create his first custom dashboard in BrightGauge.   “When we first tried BrightGauge, our goal was to see our metrics in one place and to get our KPIs in front of our team. We were able to get started up with BrightGauge pretty quickly, and with ease. I have other employees who know nothing about database queries and they got in there with no trouble.“   After learning of BrightGauge’s connection to Kaseya and Quickbooks integrations, lots of lightbulbs went off for Sam and his team. They went deeper in their Advanced account, working with the data mashup between gauge layers to make their metrics and data do the work for them.     They also use Smileback quite a bit. Each week, they run an analysis of service tickets and how much time they're spending on each. For example - 4 hrs on printer issues and 10hrs on workstations. They then ask themselves how to get those numbers down, and then measure the actions taken vs results of such.   Cards Tech has 6 TVs spread across the office to track their KPIs and monitor tech performance. Each tech gets an extra boost in compensation based on their performance.   Customizing BrightGauge for the Customer Since launching back in 2012, BrightGauge has mainly served IT and MSP companies. In recent years, some of our customers have started to ask, “how can we extend BrightGauge to our own customers?”   Sam came to us to see how we could create a BrightGauge account for one of his clients who was using a datasource that had yet to be added to our list: Aptora. A software used by HVAC companies for tracking techs and managing their business, Aptora has a couple of products. BrightGauge integrates with Aptora’s Total Office Manager.   Both Sam and his customer instantly saw the benefits of taking two otherwise disconnected systems, and creating dashboards and metrics to bridge the data points across their tech stacks.   “With BrightGauge, we get better reporting and metrics out of PSA software that otherwise you can't easily filter for in other programs. It's great that you have filled that need.”   Their Go-to Tracked Metrics Number of endpoints in Kaseya and divided by revenue logged in Quickbooks Measure agreement efficiency -- measure breakdown of agreement by client