MSPmentor

I apologize — in advance — for once again positioning ConnectWise and Autotask against each other. It’s not my mission in life. But the rival PSA (professional services automation) software providers continue to counter each other on a range of fronts. The latest move: ConnectWise announced a cloud-based platform today. Next up, Autotask is planning a cloud announcement on Oct. 5. Here are the details plus some perspectives.

Read More >

MSPAlliance President Charles Weaver (pictured) has offered up his thoughts regarding CompTIA’s acquisition of MSP Partners (the deal was announced earlier today). Here’s a recap of Weaver’s perspectives, plus my two cents.

Read More >

CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux (pictured) is calling for ‘coopetition’ in the managed services education market. Even as CompTIA acquires MSP Partners today, the organization plans to continue working closely with MSP University, MSP Services Network and other industry leaders. Plus, Thibodeaux says he’ll continue to “extend a hand” to the MSPAlliance to seek out common ground for potential work together. Here are more thoughts from Thibodeaux plus observations from industry executives.

Read More >

After several months of quiet discussions, CompTIA has acquired MSP Partners. The deal could have broad implications for managed services providers, vendors, VARs and rival associations like the MSPAlliance. But there’s a bigger story here: CompTIA plans to connect the dots between managed service providers and end-customers. Here’s why MSPs should care.

Read More >

Kaseya continues to put the final polish on its next major software platform — which will include on-premise and SaaS (software as a service) components. But the company is rethinking whether to call a major new release Kaseya 6, according CEO Gerald Blackie. Here’s more on Kaseya’s branding and launch strategy.

Read More >

Over the past few weeks one of MSPmentor’s most widely read blog posts involved tips and tricks for mastering Google Adwords and Google paid search. But growing buzz around Microsoft Bing got me wondering: Should managed service providers (MSPs) start testing paid search and advertising on Microsoft Bing? Here are some quick thoughts.

Read More >

Xerox’s pending acquisition of Affiliated Computer Services, announced earlier today, has an deja vu quality to it, coming as it does a week after Dell’s move to purchase Perot Systems. Will the Xerox-ACS deal potentially impact the managed print services market? Here’s some analysis.

Read More >

If you plan to attend SMB Nation Fall (Oct. 2-4, Las Vegas) and want to potentially meet, send me an email. Also, MSPmentor and The VAR Guy will host a TweetUp on Oct. 2. Watch our Twitter feeds (@MSPmentor and @TheVARguy) Oct. 2 for details. In the meantime, here are five trends to examine at SMB Nation.

Read More >

Like it or not, the reality for MSPs is that they’re only an SLA breach or significant outage away from losing a customer. This immense contractual pressure is a significant motivator that drives MSPs to develop sophisticated approaches to continuous service improvement.

Read More >

When managed service providers say they target midsize customers, the statement can mean many things. In one scenario, the MSPs remotely manage midsize corporate networks. In another scenario, the MSPs resell remote monitoring and management software into midmarket IT departments, and therefore develop new business relationships with midmarket customers. N-able’s channel partners seem to be gaining momentum in that latter scenario. Here’s some analysis.

Read More >

MSPmentor’s SaaS 20 Stock Index, which tracks software as a service and cloud computing stocks, is up a whopping 47 percent so far in 2009, with three index members — Taleo Corp. (TLEO), SuccessFactors Inc. (SFSF) and Omniture Inc. (OMTR) — rising more than 100 percent so far this year. Here’s a closer look at the SaaS 20 Stock Index, and some changes we’ll be making to the index.

Read More >

The government isn’t always quick to latch on to a technology trend, but the case of cloud computing seems to provide an exception. Here’s why.

Read More >

Another week of travel is over. Amy Katz (my business partner) and I spent much of the week in Boston at meetings. Great conversations. But my inbox is filled with news tips and chatter that I haven’t had a chance to cover yet. So, here are the seven managed services blog entries I didn’t have time to write for the week ending Sept. 25.

Read More >

Here’s a book that is probably not on any entrepreneur’s top 10 or even top 100 business books list, but it’s one I keep on my desk just about all the time: The Portable Coach: 28 Surefire Strategies for Business and Personal Success by Thomas Leonard. Before his untimely death six years ago at the age of 48, Leonard was the founder of Coach University (where I received my coach training). His book is not a tool just for coaches. It’s for everyone in business who wants to be happier.

Read More >

Several new managed services career opportunities — including a bunch of positions at Nimsoft — have surfaced on MSPmentor’s free job board. If you’re looking to make a hire — or looking for a new career — check out the board. It’s designed to promote careers in managed services, software as a service (SaaS) and channel-oriented positions.

Read More >

Fusepoint Managed Services has joined the ranks of companies offering hosting and managed services around Microsoft’s SharePoint collaboration and content management suite. The big question: Is there room for additional MSPs to differentiate their hosted SharePoint offerings?

Read More >

As people who live along the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard know, hurricane season is in full swing. For residents there, checking flashlight batteries and having sheets of plywood ready to cover windows are annual rites. But when a major storm system does loom on the horizon, there’s still an inevitable swirl of commotion as people near the sea head for safer habitats. Perhaps forgotten in concern for personal safety are thoughts of company financial records and business data. While skies and minds are clear, it may be a good time to start a conversation with your customers about their business continuity plans.

Read More >

Our next MSPmentor Live webcast is Wednesday, October 21 at 2:00 p.m. eastern. We’ll cover six tips that help you upsell managed security services. Here’s a bit more about the webcast…

Read More >

AT&T’s Tech Support 360 service — positioned as a virtual helpdesk for small businesses — has attracted more than 100,000 small business customers since its launch in late 2008. Next up, AT&T plans to work more closely with Intel vPro technology in 2010. In the meantime I wonder: Are small MSPs running into AT&T in the managed services market?

Read More >

LogMeIn, one of the few software companies to launch an IPO (initial public offering) in 2009, has started talking much more regularly about managed services and reducing truck rolls for VARs. The latest example involves LogMeIn’s decision to support Intel’s vPro Remote PC Assist Technology (RPAT). Here are the details.

Read More >

Amy Katz (my business partner) and I spent Tuesday in Boston meeting with a range of IT companies. For the first time in about two years, the economy did not dominate our meeting discussions. It made me wonder: Are managed services providers (MSPs) experiencing a strong 3Q?

Read More >

Transportation management systems software, which shippers use to plot the best routes and optimize loads, is making the shift to managed services. Consider the following developments and their implications for MSPs.

Read More >

As Dell moves to acquire Perot Systems for $3.9 billion, the deal has several potential implications for solutions providers and managed services providers (MSPs). Here are three pieces of information worth noting.

Read More >