MSPmentor

If you can sneak away from the office, feel free to join me at one or more of the following events on February 7, February 14 and March 30-April 1. Each event is designed for managed service providers, solutions providers and small business owners. The events have different themes and formats, but all of them will extensively cover the managed services space. Read More >

If you’re in the managed services market, no doubt you’ve noticed a lot of merger and acquisition activity in recent months. That got us thinking: Is there a way for managed service providers to easily follow M&As as they happen? Also, is there an easy way to research the strategic business value (and financial value) of MSPs?

We searched the Web and didn’t find much help. So we decided to launch the MSPmentor M&A Tracker. Look at our site menu system above, scan to an area called Your Business, and you’ll notice a convenient M&As link.

Our MSPmentor M&A Tracker provides a running list of M&A deals, plus links to our ongoing coverage, M&A press releases and more. The M&A Tracker is a work in progress, so please give it a look and share your comments. Also, please alert us if you spot a deal that MSPmentor should be following.

Generally speaking, software as a service (SaaS) is a great business model for tech companies and their customers. But a flood of press coverage has suggested that SaaS specialists are immune to an economic slowdown or recession.

Once again, MSPmentor wants to go on the record stating that this just isn’t true. The latest example: RightNow, a leading SaaS provider, has delivered a disappointing financial forecast. Here’s a quick look at the situation at RightNow, and some big-picture thoughts on SaaS. Read More >

Chances are, plenty of managed service providers are popping up in your neighborhood. In addition to worrying about local competition, you better keep an eye on global competition. A case in point: Sify Technologies Ltd. of India is launching managed security services that have global reach. Here’s why you should care. Read More >

The MSPmentor 100, our look at the world’s most progressive managed service providers, is now available as a single PDF file for you to download. You’ll find the PDF for free in our MSPmentor Resource Center (registration required). The PDF download allows you to read our comprehensive managed services report off-line at your leisure. Or, you can continue to read the report online by visiting our MSPmentor 100 main content area.

Earlier this decade, I was guilty of sounding the compliance alarm. I moderated dozens of CIO events focused on Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and other corporate compliance mandates. These days, PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) has our collective attention, and clear implications for managed service providers. Here’s why. Read More >

Look out, Geek Squad. Managed service providers are striving to remotely troubleshoot consumer PCs. Toward that end, DirectPointe building closer working relationships with broadband service providers and Internet service providers. DirectPointe’s partners, in turn, expect to offer remote PC management services to consumers.

This consumer-focused push should not be underestimated. DirectPointe recently landed atop the MSPmentor 100, a global report identifying 100 of the world’s top managed service providers. DirectPointe planted the seeds for managed consumer PC services in December, when the company aquired iTOK. The deal empowered DirectPointe with a proprietary platform for remote PC management. Read More >

I still maintain that no tech sector is immune to an economic slowdown. But even the biggest bears have to admit the bull run continues for the managed services sector. The latest example: Nimsoft’s 2007 revenue hit $29.4 million, up 77 percent from 2006.

Nimsoft is the latest MSP platform provider to deliver bullish results amid the turbulent economy. Executives from Autotask and Kaseya, respectively, earlier this month made optimistic statements about their recent business performance. And our recent MSPmentor 100 report shows that leading managed service providers easily doubled their revenue in 2007 vs. 2006. Read More >