MSPmentor

At first glance, managed services platforms represent the perfect business opportunity for VARs. But take a closer look — and talk to companies like Kaseya and Nimsoft — and you’ll discover a completely different target customer for MSP-centric systems. Here’s the scoop.

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Even as some managed service providers begin to feel pressure from the economic slowdown, there are hints that the MSP market continues to generate healthy growth. A key example: Nimsoft, which develops IT performance and availability monitoring solutions, says it generated record Q1 results — including 83 percent recurring revenue growth.

Nimsoft announced the results on May 14, but I sensed another upbeat quarter from the company when I interviewed CEO Gary Read on April 7. Here’s a bit more on Nimsoft’s results, and its meaning to the broader MSP market.

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Tech Data has announced several new steps in its managed services efforts — including expanded initiatives with Advanced Technology Services and Zenith Infotech.

It’s good to see distributors offering “choice” to VARs and aspiring MSPs. But VARs will also need extra hand holding as they evaluate their MSP platform options. Here’s why, along with a closer look at Tech Data’s moves.

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Welcome to MSPmentor Live: Podcast edition.

• Episode Date: May 15, 2008
• Featured Guest: Cheryl Snapp Conner, managing PR, Snapp Conner PR.
• Topics Covered: Why small MSPs need PR strategies; how Web 2.0 technologies are impacting PR; when and why MSPs should launch their own PRs; the biggest PR mistakes small tech companies make; how to measure the effectiveness of your PR efforts.
• Listen Now: Check the MSPmentor Podcast Center for our conversation with Cheryl Snapp Conner, along with previous podcasts focused on sales, marketing and technology strategies.

Tech Data, the big IT distributor, is particularly active today. The company is hitting the wires with three VAR- and MSP-related announcements. I hear more news related to managed service providers could be coming in the next few days.

In the meantime, Tech Data is promoting several partner-centric milestones, including the fact that the company’s lead generation tool — MyOpportunityTracker–has funneled more than 240,000 sales leads to partners. Here’s a closer look at some of the Tech Data news, and its implications for managed service providers. Read More >

When it comes to automation, it may seem as though IT departments are like the barefooted cobbler’s children. Much time and effort has been spent automating Finance, HR, Manufacturing and services. But little has been spent on automating IT. That’s changing. Here’s how.

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The pace of mergers and acquisitions in the managed services market seems to be accelerating. Our MSPmentor M&A Tracker now lists 10 such deals this year — and we suspect there are dozens more that we’ve yet to hear about.

Give our MSPmentor M&A Tracker a look and please let us know if there are any deals we’ve overlooked or should add to the list. You can alert us by posting a comment below or by emailing MSPmentor Editorial Director Joe Panettieri (joe [at] ninelivesmediainc.com).

Admittedly, some deals listed on the M&A Tracker aren’t pure MSP acquisitions, but each deal did have a managed services component attached to it.

Vertical market solutions providers are opening their wallets to acquire managed service providers. The latest example: PHNS, a solution provider to the healthcare vertical, has purchased AmeriVault — which specializes in online data backup and recovery services.

This is the 10th MSP-centric buyout we’ve spotted this year, and the second this week. Here’s some analysis of the PHNS-AmeriVault deal, and the fast-evolving MSP acquisition market.

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