MSPmentor

In addition to running content for MSPmentor and The VAR Guy, I blog about Cisco and unified communications for NetWorldWorld (see Joe’s Eye on Cisco). While surfing across the NetworkWorld site today, I spotted this timely podcast about “Living in a SaaS World.” You ‘ll notice that it features Jeff Kaplan of ThinkStrategies. Kaplan is pretty prolific in all things SaaS (software as a service) and managed services.

The MSPmentor 100 — our look at 100 of the world’s top managed service providers — is now available for your review. Before you dive into the list and the associated charts, here’s some background on how MSPmentor and its parent, Nine Lives Media Inc., pulled together this managed services report. Read More >

Updated January 26: All of our MSPmentor 100 member companies are now plotted on this map. You can zoom in, get a quick snapshot of each company and then click out to each company’s Web site. Don’t forget to look at the MSPmentor members located outside of the U.S. And be sure to check the entire MSPmentor 100 list and associated report on January 28.

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It’s no secret that economic indicators point to a possible US recession in 2008. Financial markets have recently declined, driving key stock indexes to their lowest levels in more than a year. In an economic downturn, some businesses are more vulnerable to recession than others.

When times get tough, people tend to tighten their belts and look for ways to fix or cut expenses and increase revenue. There are a variety of ways that businesses can leverage & better managed their IT assets to accomplish both. Read More >

We are updating MSPmentor’s Events Calendar with key conferences, Web seminars and executive summits designed for managed service providers. Here’s a quick look at three events I plan to attend over the next few weeks. Read More >

Michael Dell is making another managed services move, this time in the voice-over-IP space. Dell has quietly inked a partnership with an open source voice-over-IP company. The deal potentially pushes Dell into several new markets, including managed voice services and unified communications. The move may also complement Dell’s recent MSP acquisitions (Silverback Technologies and Everdream). Here’s the inside scoop. Read More >

I had another lengthly chat with Autotask CEO Bob Godgart earlier this week. The conversation touched on multiple points. For this particular blog entry, I’m zeroing in on Autotask Go!, an entry-level platform that allows small VARs to get started with professional services automation. Autotask has learned quite a bit about the small VAR market since launching Go! last fall. Read More >

Here’s a look at seven key trends from the MSPmentor 100, a first-of-its-kind research report identifying 100 of the world’s most progressive managed service providers. We’ll publish the complete MSPmentor 100 list and analysis on January 28, In the meantime, here’s a preview of our findings:

Read More >