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Seven Managed Services Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write: June 11
Posted June 11th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
At least one major software company — a big one — is set to make managed services moves during the week of June 14. But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself: Here are seven managed services blog entries that MSPmentor didn’t find time to write for the week ending June 11, 2010.
Apple Dials Small Business Owners
Posted June 11th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
I was surprised to recently receive a voicemail from Apple. More precisely, The Apple Store in San Francisco was dialing my office phone line to see if I required any special products, business services or education. It wasn’t a consumer-centric message. It was Apple for business. And it’s a sign of things to come from Steve Jobs and Company. Here’s why.
Managed Services Acquisitions: Do Big Deals Threaten Small MSPs?
Posted June 11th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
What a week for managed services mergers and acquisitions. Covad, Megapath and SpeakEasy are rolling up to form a national voice and data service provider. PC Mall is buying Network Services Plus Inc., a 73-person MSP. All Covered is dialing MSPs up and down the U.S. East Coast to see if they’d like to be acquired. And ETG, a health care MSP, is receiving unsolicited inquiries about its business. All this confirmed and potential M&A activity makes me wonder: Can small MSPs continue to go it alone?
NetApp Service Providers and VARs: Cloud Storage Partners?
Posted June 11th, 2010 by Dave Courbanou
Instead of launching its own cloud services, NetApp is expanding its channel partner program to help managed storage service providers and VARs partner up, according to Channel Chief Julie Parrish (pictured). True believers in the strategy include Rackspace Hosting. Here are the details.
Gillware Partners With NMGI for Cloud Storage
Posted June 10th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Gillware Data Services, which provides free online QuickBooks backups to CPAs. But now Gillware has announced a partnership with Network Management Group, Inc. (NMGI) to provide a broader range of cloud services, including storage. Here’s the scoop.
Cisco Systems and Verizon Business Leap Into Cloud Together
Posted June 10th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
During the Ingram Micro Cloud Summit on June 7, a managed services provider (MSP) asked guest speakers why big telcos had yet to make cloud and managed services moves. My reply: Watch for major initiatives involving Cisco Systems and Verizon Business. Fast forward a few days, and the Cisco-Verizon cloud moves are coming into focus. Here are details.
MSPmentor 250: Third-annual Managed Services Survey Now Live
Posted June 10th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
It’s time for our third-annual MSPmentor 250 survey, which tracks the world’s top managed services experts, entrepreneurs and executives. Participation in the survey is free. But before you jump in, here’s how we’ve updated the survey for 2010. Read on.
Big Switch: Trusted Advisors Become Embedded Tech Advisors
Posted June 10th, 2010 by Bob Godgart
Much has been written and taught about the “holy grail” of IT service providers — to become your clients’ “Trusted Technology Advisor.” But don’t stop there. The next logical step is to become your customers’ Embedded Technology Advisor. Here’s why.
Microsoft’s Free Office Web Apps Counters Google Apps
Posted June 10th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Finally, after all the posturing and the back-and-forth, Microsoft and Google now have head-to-head offerings in the SaaS software productivity market. Indeed, Microsoft has just launched the free version of Office Web Apps on SkyDrive — a potential alternative to Google Apps. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect.
Symantec Archiving and eDiscovery Specialization
Posted June 10th, 2010 by Dave Courbanou
Symantec is introducing an Archiving and eDiscovery specialization for partners. Storage, management and unstructured information are the name of the game, of course. Here’s a high-level overview of the Symantec strategy.
Kaseya 2′s Little Brother: Managed Service Edition G1 Debuts
Posted June 9th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Kaseya, as expected, has launched G1 — an on-premises managed services platform for small and mid-size MSPs. Officially, Kaseya says G1 addresses small and midsize MSPs that need to “deploy services quickly and increase productivity within budget.” Basically, G1 sounds like a potential stepping stone to the higher-profile Kaseya 2 managed services platform. But unofficially, some Kaseya customers are wondering if G1 is Kaseya’s answer to LabTech Software’s aggressively priced MSP wares. Here’s the story.
CA Technologies Doubles Down on Managed Services Market
Posted June 9th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Is CA Technologies (formerly CA Inc.) serious about the managed services market? I found my answer at the Ingram Micro Cloud Summit in Dallas, where I began to experience double-vision. In one room, CA Technologies was talking up its strategy to managed services providers. In another room, CA’s recently acquired Nimsoft team was busy describing its role in the MSP sector. But can CA really become a mainstream player in the MSP space? Here are some thoughts.
Google: Forget Patch Tuesday, Embrace App Tuesday
Posted June 9th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Yesterday, as most people know, was Patch Tuesday, the day when Microsoft releases security updates for their products into the wild. Well, true to recent form, Google took it as an opportunity to take another dig at their rivals in Redmond, calling it “app Tuesday” and highlighting the fact that MSPs don’t have to worry about patching Google Apps — ever.
Microsoft Makes Enterprise Case for Windows Mobile 7
Posted June 9th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
The timing is a little suspect in the wake of the Monday’s Apple iPhone 4 presentation, but Microsoft has laid out the business case for Windows Phone 7, the latest version of their mobile operating system, in a blog entry that touts its integration with, what else, Microsoft products and services. Here’s the lowdown.
Sophos Jumps On Cloud Protection Bandwagon
Posted June 9th, 2010 by Dave Courbanou
Sophos is adding “Live” protection technology to their suite of security software. This cloud end-point security, like some rival options, is designed to deliver rapid, zero-day protection against threats and provide low overhead on systems. Here’s the story…
Level Platforms Hosts Regional MSP Events Instead of Big Bash
Posted June 9th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Why throw one big party when you can host multiple, regional gatherings? That’s the thought process at Level Platforms, the MSP software provider that is planning another road show series rather than hosting a big, annual partner bash. Here’s a quick update from Level Platforms CEO Peter Sandiford.
Last Call: SaaS Sales Tips Webcast – 2:00pm Eastern Today
Posted June 9th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
As you begin to evaluate white label SaaS solutions for your customers, VARs and MSPs must also develop a SaaS sales pitch to help articulate your value proposition. To get started, listen and submit your questions during The VAR Guy Live’s webcast at 2:00 p.m. eastern today (Wednesday, June 9). The topic for today’s webcast: How to Sell Initial SaaS Solutions. Here are some more details.
Workaholics Aren’t Heroes: 5 Steps to a Better-Run Business
Posted June 8th, 2010 by Maurice Saluan
While you may not say it out loud, your perception of success most likely involves working extra long hours. It is a prevailing notion in our culture that working at least 60 hours a week, staying plugged in through mobile devices 24/7, and constant multitasking are true measures of success.
Gary Pica: How to Bolster Your Managed Services Sales
Posted June 8th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Gary Pica, founder of TruMethods and a well-known managed services veteran, is onstage at the Ingram Micro Seismic Partner Conference in Dallas. Pica is sharing managed services sales tips. Here are some of the highlights, plus a hint about Pica’s next potential career move.
Cloud Infrastructure Update: Abiquo, Nasuni Evolve Products
Posted June 8th, 2010 by John Moore
MSP Peer Groups: Will They Go Vertical?
Posted June 8th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
I’m going out on a limb just a bit with this blog entry (surprise, surprise). It’s based on insights from only two managed services providers. But both MSPs strongly believe the peer group networking model will someday shift from (A) non-competing geographies to (B) non-competing verticals. Here’s what I mean.
RainStor Solves the “Big Data Problem”
Posted June 8th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Infrastructure software company RainStor has launched version 4 of their namesake data repository and retrieval solution, aimed squarely at quickly and compliantly compressing and querying large chunks of historical data. Here’s some background.
SaaS Sales Tips: June 9 Webcast
Posted June 8th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
As you begin to evaluate white label SaaS solutions for your customers, VARs and MSPs must also develop a SaaS sales pitch to help articulate your value proposition. To get started, listen and submit your questions during The VAR Guy Live’s Wednesday, June 9 webcast. The topic for this week’s webcast: How to Sell Initial SaaS Solutions. Here are some more details.
