MSPmentor

Today is the last day we’re accepting submissions for our MSPmentor 100 survey. We’ve received several hundred submissions since September 2007. And we’ll be announcing the MSPmentor 100 results on January 28. The list will highlight 100 of the most innovative, most successful MSPs from around the world. Companies that land on the list will receive free promotion on this web site — and others — throughout 2008. Take a few minutes to fill out the survey now.

Some managed service providers make bold statements about their momentum. But Positive Networks of Kansas is one of the few privately held MSPs actually willing to talk dollars and cents. The company, which focuses on managed security services, says its revenue has nearly doubled for the third consecutive year. But that’s not all.

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Stay tuned for our first guest blogs, including perspectives from Level Platforms CEO Peter Sandiford. His perspectives and the views of other MSP leaders will debut in January 2008.

Dell did some last-minute shopping before Christmas, acquiring The Networked Storage Company (TNWSC), a UK-based firm that specializes in IT consulting. The move comes only a few weeks after Dell announced an aggressive strategy to engage resellers, integrators and managed service providers.

At first glance, TNWSC isn’t much of a threat to MSPs and other Dell channel partners. But storage consultants may want to keep a close eye on this transaction. Here’s why.

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The spirit of former Novell CEO Ray Noorda lives on in the managed services market. In the late 1980s, Noorda coined the term “coopetition” — which described rival technology companies that competed but also cooperated to grow a market.

Such is the case in the managed services sector. In recent weeks, both the MSP Alliance and MSP Partners have formed vendor advisory panels to help grow the overall market. The advisory boards will, in some cases, feature representatives from rival companies looking across the table from one another. Consider these recent moves: Read More >

If you’d like to be considered for our MSPmentor 100 list, please complete the quick online survey by December 28. The MSPmentor 100 list, slated to be announced in January 2008, will highlight 100 of the industry’s savviest, fastest-growing managed service providers. If your company lands on our list, you’ll receive free publicity on MSPmentor and across major search engines throughout 2008. Plus, we’ll toss in a few surprise benefits. But don’t miss the deadline. The survey is free and open to you through December 28.

As you may know, MSPmentor.net is still “under development.” We’ll be launching our full-blown site in January 2008 with lots of rich content features — including podcasts and in-depth business guides. Our first Podcast, which we’re previewing today, features Level Platforms CEO Peter Sandiford (pictured). Read More >

Software as a service has caught Wall Street’s attention. One prime example: NetSuite has raised the anticipated share price for its initial public offering, according to a document filed with the SEC. Why should managed service providers care? There are two quick answers to that question.

First, NetSuite promotes tools that allow MSPs to focus on “micro verticals.” Instead of writing a hosted accounting program, for instance, you can write a hosted accounting program that only targets dentist offices. If you’re already serving a vertical market niche, NetSuite can help to further exploit that niche with targeted accounting applications.

Second, NetSuite is accelerating the shift from on-site server applications to hosted applications, where recurring monthly fees are the norm.

As Jeff Kaplan from Think IT Services points out, on-demand services have serious momentum heading into 2008. And I firmly believe the line between managed services and SaaS will continue to blur.