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Upscale Hotels Embrace Managed TelePresence Services
Posted March 18th, 2008 by The VAR Guy
TelePresence, that next-generation video conferencing technology, has yet to gain critical mass. But The VAR Guy, our resident blogger over at www.thevarguy.com, has been telling readers to expect TelePresence and the managed services market to converge on the hotel vertical.
Help Wanted: Managed Services Industry Seeks Talent
Posted March 18th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
As consumers and Wall Street continue to worry about the broader U.S. economy, many managed services platform providers remain upbeat about their business prospects heading into the second quarter of 2008.
Managed Printer Services Guide: Available Now for Download
Posted March 17th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
The VAR Guy, a blogger from our sister Web site, has written a four-page guide to managed printer services. It shows VARs how they can potentially generate recurring revenue through multi-function printers (MFPs), assessment tools, workflow services and entry-level document management.
Microsoft, N-able Partner on Managed Services
Posted March 17th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Microsoft. It’s one of the few companies that could potentially change the managed services competitive landscape overnight.
Autotask Prepping Partnering System
Posted March 17th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Imagine if you’re a managed service provider in New York, and you want to find an MSP to help you with a project in California. With that challenge in mind, Autotask is prepping a ticket-sharing system that will help MSPs partner with one another.
What Is A Master Managed Service Provider?
Posted March 17th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
For those who are new to managed services, the term “master managed service provider” may sound like some industry jargon or a new certification. But in reality, working with so-called Master MSPs — companies like Do IT Smarter or Ingram Micro’s Seismic organization — is one of the fastest ways to become a managed service provider. Here’s why.
Update: Cisco’s Managed Services Strategy
Posted March 14th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Keeping pace with Cisco Systems’ business strategies can be a full-time job. I’m seeking some clarity, and plan to get an update on March 25, during a Web seminar featuring Sameer Jayakar, senior manager, SMB Network Management for Cisco Systems.
Managed Services Land Grab Continues In Australia
Posted March 14th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Another day, another announcement about managed services in Australia. This time, Kaseya is touting a key customer win in the land down under. It’s the latest in a series of announcements highlighting big managed services opportunities — and major competition — in Australia.
Your Managed Services Questions Answered
Posted March 13th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Where can aspiring — and established — managed service providers go for guidance? Whether your question is business or technology related, feel free to submit it to MSPmentor through our Ask a Mentor service.
Nimsoft’s CEO Masters the Art of Hype
Posted March 13th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Gary Read, CEO of Nimsoft, has our attention. His personal blog, dated March 12, mentions that the managed service platform provider…
That’s quite a teaser line, Gary. What’s going on? A merger? An acquisition? A big customer win? A product launch?
N-able: No Economic Bumps So Far
Posted March 13th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Gavin Garbutt, CEO of N-able Technologies, is a glass-half-full type of guy. Despite the tricky U.S. economy, Garbutt sees continued momentum for the managed services industry, and offers some anecdotal proof points that business is humming along — globally.
Managed Endpoint Security Services: Careful With the Hype
Posted March 13th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Add Datacastle to the list of endpoint security specialists targeting managed service providers. The Seattle-based company has announced an endpoint data protection platform that MSPs can offer to their customers.
Circle The Dates: West Coast Managed Services Events
Posted March 12th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
If you’re located on the west coast of the United States, a series of managed services events hosted by N-able are heading your way March 18-21. We’ve plotted these events — and many others — on the MSPmentor event map (see below). You can also spot upcoming events by visiting MSPmentor’s Event page.
The Next Managed Services Battleground: APIs
Posted March 12th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
I wrote that same headline for one of my blog entries about a year ago. Even today, I believe that open application programming interfaces (APIs) will be the difference between success and failure in the managed services industry.
How to Promote Your Managed Services Milestones
Posted March 12th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Alas, many managed service providers are tech-centric companies that don’t understand marketing and PR. But instead of rehashing this age-old weakness, let’s focus on the positive: There are some easy ways for managed service providers to generate positive press and media coverage about their companies. Here’s the simplest tip of all.
Managed Services Career Opportunities
Posted March 11th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Are you looking to land a job in the managed services industry? Or perhaps you’re looking to leap from one managed service provider to another. MSPmentor’s new careers widget can help you spot career opportunities and hiring trends across the globe. Take a look:
Sizing Up the U.S. Managed Services Market
Posted March 11th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Demand for managed services in the United States will grow 7 percent annually through 2012, according to a new report from Research and Markets. Frankly, the report sounds very conservative, considering top managed service providers are generating double- and even trip-digit revenue growth rates, according to our own MSPmentor 100 report.
Circle the Date: SMB Nation Event, Featuring Managed Services Panel
Posted March 11th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
SMB Nation is gearing up for its east coast conference, scheduled for March 29-30 at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. The event will feature a managed services panel discussion led by Matt Makowicz, author of “Selling Managed Services.”
Guess Who’s Chasing Google Apps?
Posted March 11th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
At first glance, Google Apps’ biggest potential competitor in the online application world is Microsoft.
Software as a Service: Price Wars Coming?
Posted March 11th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
It was inevitable. As Salesforce.com continues to ring up record sales, rivals, startups and even managed service providers are saying they can offer the same quality software as a service — at a lower price.
Managed Email Security Services: Your Choices Mount
Posted March 10th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
At 5:00 p.m. eastern, I was tied up speaking with MX Logic about their strategy for managed email security services. By 5:15 p.m. eastern, my inbox had more news pertaining to this market. Things certainly are getting hyper-competitive in the email security sector.
EMC’s Help Desk Acquisition
Posted March 10th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
I wouldn’t quite file this under “managed services,” but EMC’s latest acquisition — involving Infra Corporation — still caught MSPmentor’s attention. Unfortunately, the EMC press release is filled with technology jargon. But there are some key takeaways for managed service providers.Infra Corporation develops a Web solution that automates IT Service Management processes (including Incident, Problem, Change, Configuration, Release, Availability and Service Level Management). Infra Corporation’s specialties include ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library), a set of best practices that are gaining critical mass with managed service providers.Ultimately, the deal is part of a larger services-oriented trend at EMC. The storage giant a few weeks ago named former Microsoft executive Paul Maritz to head its cloud computing initiatives. And EMC has also launched online storage services based on an earlier acquisition.Terms of the Infra Corporation buyout were not disclosed.
Viral Marketing for Managed Services
Posted March 10th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Considering the popularity of YouTube, it’s hardly surprising that many managed service providers are making videos in a bid to market their companies virally.
Take a look at our 