MSPmentor

SaaS (software as a service) and managed services are often mentioned in the same breath as though they were part of some collective goodness, but for many MSPs they have actually been more like mortal enemies.

In fact most MSPs have focused almost exclusively on the bread and butter servers, desktops, networks and applications that reside within the walls of their SMB customers. If SaaS was considered at all it was generally seen as a threat that would hopefully just go away if ignored long enough.

One result is that SaaS vendors have made very little headway in the channel. Selling SaaS has often been viewed by the channel as the equivalent of selling their birthright. With visions of all those shiny servers that have kept them alive through good times and bad for the last 20 years suddenly disappearing off into the cloud.

However, the huge NetSuite IPO (initial public offering) proves that SaaS is not going away. Now even Microsoft’s Small Business Server is being delivered as a hosted service in the cloud. The money is beginning to flow into SMB SaaS and the MSPs need to deal with it. Here’s how. Read More >

Talk about a short honeymoon on Wall Street. When NetSuite, the software-as-a-service (SaaS) darling, went public a few weeks ago the stock skyrocketed. Now, Citi is telling investors to sell the stock. So what’s behind Citi’s recommendation? Read More >

The retail sector is converging with the managed services sector this week. At the National Retail Federation show in New York, a savvy solutions provider has launched a managed broadband service that promises to modernize retail IT infrastructure. Here’s a look at the solution, and the managed service provider (MSP) behind it. Read More >

Can software as a service (SaaS) and managed services keep you afloat during a sinking economy? That continues to be the buzz on Wall Street and across the blogosphere. I’m not predicting a recession — I’ve always been a glass-half-full type of guy — and I also don’t want to hype SaaS and managed services as a cure-all for economic wounds. With all of those caveats in mind, I do believe solutions providers should focus on SaaS, managed services and open source as their three cornerstones in 2008. Here’s why. Read More >

Broadband providers continue to push into the managed services sector. The latest example: NextPhase Wireless, which intends to roll out WiMAX networks across the 48 contiguous US states, is now launching online backup services for businesses of all sizes.

NextPhase’s move is the latest reminder that small managed service providers (MSPs) and solutions providers could wind up competing with national service providers that control big pipes into businesses and residential neighborhoods. Read More >

Last fall I predicted that video surveillance would emerge as a hot managed service in 2008. Two pieces of anecdotal information are now backing up my prediction. Read More >

As many of our readers know, MSPmentor’s owner (Nine Lives Media Inc.) likes to outsource as many functions as possible. Just yesterday, our team was talking about managing and coordinating monthly expense reports. By the time I got back to my office, I had a message in my inbox about BT launching a Web Expenses tool for small businesses. Seems like Software as a Service (SaaS) continues to converge with managed services — which is good news for small businesses. Read More >

I’ve got to admit, I was a bit skeptical about managed print services in mid-2007. Are managed service providers really interested? Do customers truly understand hardware as a service? After watching and reporting on this market over the past six months, I think managed print services are for real, with heavy hitters like Tech Data and Xerox aggressively promoting managed hardware services. Read More >