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Selling Managed Services: How to Get Your Foot In the Door
Posted April 18th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
In our earlier blog entry, we wrote about the five mistakes reps make when selling managed services.
Race to the Bottom, Or Race to the Top?
Posted April 18th, 2008 by Peter Sandiford
Joe’s recent blog entry — asking whether MSPs were killing their own margins — touches on one of the most widely held misperceptions in the business.
Calyptix, Level Platforms Partner On Managed Security
Posted April 17th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Calyptix Security and Level Platforms are introducing a manage security solution for established and aspiring MSPs. Here are the details, along with a bit of background on Calyptix — one of the more recent entrants in the MSP space.
MSPmentor Live: Podcast 002, Featuring Advanced Network Products CEO David Mulvey
Posted April 17th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Welcome to MSPmentor’s Weekly Podcast.
- Episode #: 002, (April 17, 2008)
- Featured Guest: David Mulvey, president of Advanced Network Products — one of the top managed service providers in North America. Mulvey’s company was ranked number 17 in the MSPmentor 100 list.
- Topics Covered: Mulvey’s best — and worst — moves as an MSP. How to prepare your sales team for managed services. Why advanced Network Products (www.anp.net) is investing in its own network operation centers rather than outsourcing the NOC function to a larger service provider.
And check the MSPmentor Live: Podcast Center for additional weekly podcasts.
MSPmentor Live: Podcast 002, Featuring Advanced Network Products CEO David Mulvey Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadAre Managed Service Providers Killing Their Own Margins?
Posted April 16th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
I’m starting to hear from multiple managed service providers, who say some MSPs are under-pricing their work and hurting overall industry margins. Other critics worry that rapid starter programs for MSPs will saturate the market with poorly trained service providers who charge pennies on the dollar.
How Much Is Your Company Worth?
Posted April 16th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
As managed service providers continue to acquire one another, readers have been asking me about MSP valuations. Are buyout prices based on specific financial multiples? Are MSPs valued based on a multiple of revenue, gross profits, net income, something else?
Ingram Hosts Microsoft Applications
Posted April 15th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
The writing has been on the wall for several weeks. MSPmentor told Microsoft partners in March that managed service providers needed to master — or at least explore — hosted versions of Microsoft Exchange Server, Dynamics CRM and SharePoint. Now, Ingram Micro’s Seismic team is hoping to accelerate MSP moves to those hosted applications. Here’s the scoop.
Fonality: Open Source VoIP Meets Managed Services
Posted April 15th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Chris Lyman is setting in the middle of a perfect storm. As CEO of Fonality, Lyman is building an IP-PBX company that leverages Asterisk (an open source platform) and embraces managed service providers. In other words, Fonality has converged three hot markets (unified communications, open source and managed services) into a single solution.
Cisco Vows Not to Become Service Provider
Posted April 15th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
At a time when some managed service providers are worried about Dell, Microsoft and Google moving onto their turf, Cisco Systems is taking a stand and offering assurances to MSPs.
MSPmentor Launches Weekly Managed Services Podcasts
Posted April 14th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
MSPmentor’s latest content effort involves weekly podcasts covering the managed services market. The podcasts will debut on our home page this Thursday, April 17. Here’s how to tune in.
It Can Be Easy “Being Green”
Posted April 14th, 2008 by Dan Shapero
Environmental and energy conservation issues are popular topics in the business world — and in the managed services world. Increasing energy costs and their impact on international affairs combined with increased concern about global warming and other environmental issues have shifted the social and economic consciousness of the business community.
N-able Makes Microsoft Partners Free Offer
Posted April 14th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
N-able Technologies wants to win the hearts and minds of Microsoft’s North American partners and managed service providers. Indeed, N-able is offering Microsoft partners a free one-year subscription to a new software as a service (SaaS) platform called N-central Express.
Update: Top 250 Managed Services Experts
Posted April 14th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
We’ve updated our MSPmentor 250 map to reflect the most recent reader nominations.
Profitable Managed Services: Six Ways to Acquire Customers
Posted April 11th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
One of the best presentations on managed services I’ve ever read reached my inbox on April 10. It was sent by Joe Paquet, VP of vendor alliances and relations at Axis Business Solutions, an MSP in Portsmouth, N.H.
MokaFive Promotes Desktops as a Service
Posted April 11th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Most managed service providers have heard of hardware as a service (HaaS). Now, here comes “desktops as a service.” The term popped up during a chat I had earlier this week with MokaFive President and CEO Bill Demas.
Memo to Dell: Include Partner Messaging in Everdream Webinars
Posted April 10th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
My email inbox today had a Webinar invite from Dell. The company on April 22 plans to educate corporate customers about Everdream, a remote administration and asset management tool for PCs and mobile systems.
MSP Combines Security With Exchange Server
Posted April 10th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
How can a managed service provider differentiate itself from Microsoft’s own hosted Exchange Server offering? Azaleos, an MSP in Seattle, has found one potential answer. The company has launched security services to safeguard its Exchange email customers. Here’s some background.
Cisco Helps Managed Service Providers Partner With One Another
Posted April 9th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
The Cisco Partner Exchange, a new Web destination from Cisco Systems, is designed to help managed service providers and other solutions providers to find and work with one another.
Level Platforms Expands, Simplifies Partner Program
Posted April 9th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
LPI Level Platforms Inc. says it has enhanced and simplified its partner program to help managed service providers (MSPs) go to market more quickly and effectively.
Climbing From Managed Services to SaaS Clouds
Posted April 9th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
The move from managed service provider to software as a service (SaaS) can seem intimidating, but the barriers to market entry continue to fall. Each week, yet another company introduces a SaaS framework that you can plug your managed services business into.
Will Microsoft Introduce Managed Security Services?
Posted April 9th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Microsoft is spending considerable time this week talking up Forefront “Stirling,” a suite of integrated security products for desktop, server and network management. Although Stirling won’t arrive until the first half of 2009, I wonder if it will evolve to become a managed security service platform.
Google Apps, Salesforce.com: So Happy Together?
Posted April 8th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
A few weeks ago I noted that Salesforce.com plans to make a major announcement on April 14. I wasn’t sure what the news was, but there are growing indications that it includes Salesforce.com gaining closer hooks to Google Apps. If true, this could be a defining moment for the software as a service industry.
Where Are The Managed Services IPOs?
Posted April 8th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
If the managed service market is so darn hot, when can we expect MSP platform providers to begin launching initial public offerings?
Take a look at our 