I’m packing my bags and heading to the CA Technologies MSP Symposium in a couple of days (Jan. 29-31, Miami, Fla). But before I head for the blogging exit, here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news stories the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending January 27, 2012.
For those of us that don’t think the world will end in December 2012, this month will bring about a time for Managed Service Providers to do some strategic planning, identifying business goals and outlining ways to accomplish company-wide initiatives. Technology seems to be evolving at an accelerated pace, bringing about both challenges and opportunities for MSPs. Since increasing revenue is likely a business goal for most companies, it’s important to think about ways to leverage IT environment changes in order to offer new services. To do so, let’s first evaluate two trends likely to impact every managed service provider.
ManageEngine has kicked off 2012 with a flurry of announcements. This time, ManageEngine has released version 10.2 of the ManageEngine Applications Manager — a software solution designed to ensure that business servers and applications have high uptime.
Novatrend is the latest hosting and managed services provider (MSP) to embrace CA Technologies’s AppLogic platform for cloud services. The news surfaces as roughly 100 MSPs prepare to attend CA Technologies’ MSP Symposium (Miami, Jan. 29-31). In recent months, a growing number of MSPs have embraced AppLogic. Here’s why.
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Wavelink continues to bolster its mobile device management (MDM) solution, called Wavelink Avalance Telicost. Indeed, Wavelink has added reporting and usage capabilities to the platform. Now IT administrators and IT service providers can use the new features to monitor, analyze and manage data, voice, SMS and roaming usage on network-connected mobile devices.
AVI-SPL, a video communications provider, has acquired Iformata Communications LLC, a managed video services provider. Under the terms of the deal, AVI-SPLwill take over Iformata’s Video Network Operations Center (VNOC) business and its VNOC Symphony management platform. Overall, AVI-SPL is adding a suite of end-to-end automation services that includes call setup, intelligent framing, automated monitoring and event correlation, as well as a new managed conferencing offering.
If a customer doesn’t see the business value in what you do, your services are expendable. It’s a harsh reality, but one that we all face. As an MSP, the challenge lies in communicating your customer value day-in and day-out. For most, promoting value at the front end of the sale to earn the customer’s business comes easy. But once the ink dries, many MSPs turn the focus to meeting the SLA (service level agreement) and recognizing the recurring revenue. The selling stops. The relationship is managed, but is the business still being earned and relationship nurtured?
Attachmate’s NetIQ division, which develops management software, has released NetIQ Cloud Manager 2.o. NetIQ hopes MSPs will embrace the software to managed Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) more efficiently.
The essence of all technology lies in coding, yet it has become an overlooked part of the IT management process. While crack coders were stars of the tech world in the 1980s and early 90s, by the mid-90s industry attention had shifted more toward whiz-bang end results and away from the lines of 0s and 1s that make those results happen. When coders do get attention, it is usually for the wrong reasons, such as major hacking attacks or systems failures.
Caringo, the object storage software company, has released CAStor 5.5 — the newest version of its storage platform that can now support up to four terabytes of files.
Paessler, the network monitoring software company, will soon release PRTG 9.2 — the newest version of its flagship monitoring solution for SMBs and enterprise businesses. The upgrade includes a Mobile Web GUI, speedier web page loading and support for VMware vSphere 5. The new version of Paessler’s PRTG monitoring solution is set to debut at Cisco Live London 2012 (Jan. 30 – Feb. 3). And when it does, Paessler says it will include over 400 improvements.
And so it begins. Microsoft has started to promote noteworthy Windows Intune wins, describing how the cloud-based PC management and security service is helping small, midsize and large organizations. Key Windows Intune adopters, Microsoft notes, include Save the Children, geotzpartners and eLitigation Solutions (a managed services provider, by the way). The key question: Are those isolated Windows Intune wins, or is the Microsoft’s cloud service really gaining momentum?
