MSPmentor

When a company changes its name and logo, sometimes the moves are simply window dressing — little changes within the actual business. But I sense real change is under way at CA Technologies (formerly CA Inc./Computer Associates). And it’s clear that CA Technologies is very serious about reworking most of its software licensing plans to better serve MSPs and partners that want recurring revenue models. Here’s why.

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It was a pretty intense week for MSPmentor and our sister sites, The VAR Guy and our newly launched Talkin’ Cloud. Even as we expand our blogging staff there are still quite a few blog entries that the MSPmentor team didn’t have time to write. So, here we go: Seven managed services blog entries MSPmentor didn’t publish for the week ending December 10, 2010.

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Freemium isn’t a new concept: Get customers hooked on something free, then provide something of high value that triggers customers to switch from free to paid services. It sounds so easy. But plenty of freemium strategies implode. Still, some MSP software providers have freemium offers for channel partners. My question: Should MSPs emulate the freemium strategy with end-customers — and if so, how?

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When LANDesk Software unveiled a global alliance with Wipro Technologies this week, it got me thinking: Is LANDesk, which has a new owner, poised to work more closely with MSPs in the managed services market in 2011? To be honest, we don’t hear much about LANDesk from small MSPs. But the LANDesk-Wipro Technologies relationship seems to signal a core commitment to larger MSP-type engagements. Here’s why.

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Attention top managed services providers: The fourth annual MSPmentor 100 survey closes on Friday, December 17. Why should you participate in the global survey? And what are the potential benefits to MSPs that land on the MSPmentor 100 list? We’ve got all the answers in our MSPmentor 100 center. Also don’t forget to…

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CentraStage, a remote monitoring and management (RMM) software provider in Europe, is planning a push into U.S. markets sometime in early 2011, according to CEO Christian Nagele. What’s the strategy? And how will CentraStage attempt to stand out in the very crowded RMM market? Nagele shared some perspectives with MSPmentor today. Here’s the update.

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Between end of quarter sales activity and the rum-pum-pum-pum of the holidays, Web 2.0 time is at a real premium. So help a blogger out.  Here are 25 top of mind, discovery-type questions that I like to use in order to qualify potential sales leads. What about you?  What are your favorite customer probes?  Let’s go for 50 and help each other get ready for a killer 2011.

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While the fourth annual MSPmentor 100 Survey draws ever closer to a close (deadline is Dec. 17, 2010, folks), we continue our profiles of MSPs that made the third annual list. NetGain Technologies, which came in at No. 28, has had a year of modest growth spurred by some significant customer gains, although Mark Jacobson, NetGain’s CEO said it’s “not as strong as I’d like it to be.” We find those types of statements refreshing: Another eager MSP that’s always striving to improve their own performance. Here’s the update.

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Earlier this week MSPmentor noted that Dell has been very quiet on the managed services and systems management fronts. Now it’s time for us to eat a little bit of crow. Specifically, the Dell KACE team is making some systems management moves that may interest MSPs. Here’s the update.

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Google vs. Microsoft? That’s so 2010. With the launch of Google Message Continuity, the search giant’s Postini message services arm ads “Gmail’s reliability” to on-premises Microsoft Exchange 2003 or 2007 deployments. With the two working in concert, Exchange messages are backed up to Google’s cloud and can be accessed in a Gmail-like interface that can be accessed from anywhere, Google asserts. Here’s the scoop.

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MSP software providers in Europe and New Zealand are preparing U.S. initiatives. The separate efforts involve Europe’s CentraStage and New Zealand’s Naverisk. I’m still gathering details about CentraStage’s strategy but I’ve just received an update about Naverisk’s moves. Specifically, Naverisk has launched a freemium offer to U.S.-based MSPs that want to try the remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform. The question: Even with a free price tag is there really room for another RMM tool in North American markets? Here are some educated guesses.

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As the managed services market grew up, a healthy number of MSPs decided to outsource their help desks to third-party partners. But now, ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini is calling on MSPs — even small MSPs — to build their own help desks. By having a help desk in-house, small MSPs can build person-to-person relationships with end-customers, while more closely monitoring trends and needs within their SMB customer bases, Bellini asserts. So, what’s the upshot for MSPs?

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IBM has launched SaaS-based help desk software. Is this another enterprise cloud move by Big Blue? Hardly. IBM says the IT service management platform, launched under the IBM Tivoli brand, is designed for small and midsize businesses. The big question: Has IBM really developed a small business solution or is this yet another enterprise offering force-fit into the SMB market? Here are some perspectives.

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Conventional wisdom says the job market slows down during the holidays. But take a look at the MSPmentor Job board, and you’ll find new MSP-related career openings in management, sales, marketing and technical areas. Here are some quick details. Take a look.

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Call it one last hurrah for the Zombie fad of 2010, but Google Wave — the e-mail/instant messaging hybrid that failed to attract an audience — has come back to life. Specifically, Google has turned over development to the open source Apache Software Foundation’s incubator program. Here’s the scoop on the newly minted Apache Wave:

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As the cloud computing noise grows louder, some MSPs are starting to wonder how they’ll maintain SMB account control. We’ll share some answers during our final MSPmentor Live Webcast of 2010, scheduled for today (Wednesday, December 8 ) at 2:00 p.m. eastern. I hope you’ll join us. Here are some details about our guest speakers and the topics we’ll cover.

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Only about 20 percent of MSPs focus some of their efforts on managed print services, according to the ongoing MSPmentor 100 survey (which closes Dec. 17). I find that figure surprisingly low — especially since printers will remain an on-premise, recurring revenue opportunity for VARs and MSPs over the long haul. So what’s holding back the managed print services market? I’ve got a few hunches.

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Check the latest financial facts and figures and you’ll discover Dell gaining momentum in the IT channel. The company’s latest quarterly results included a range of impressive partner-related milestones — especially when it comes to channel server sales and deal registration. But poke around Dell and you won’t hear much these days about Dell’s Managed Services strategy, especially as it relates to channel partners and MSPs.

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Like father, like son. LabTech Software has launched a special financing promotion for its managed services software. The offer comes a few days after ConnectWise introduced a similar year-end promotion. Not by coincidence, ConnectWise Capital invested in LabTech Software in early 2010. Here’s the update.

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Roughly 36 percent of managed services providers (MSPs) are testing or deploying some form of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), according to our preliminary MSPmentor 100 research results (the survey closes Dec. 17.). But here’s the twist: If Microsoft would adjust its licensing policies for Windows and Office, I suspect VDI would catch on even faster with MSPs. And once Microsoft’s Office 365 arrives in 2011, I wonder if VDI’s momentum will slow. Here’s why.

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Sometimes inflection points arrive when you least expect them. Rewind to the IT Nation conference in November 2010. During a lunch break I happened to sit next to Peter Sandiford, CEO of Level Platforms. Sandiford mentioned that he continues to read and enjoy MSPmentor but he politely added that the site was losing its focus. I took his feedback to heart… but I also had a secret I couldn’t share with Sandiford at the time. Fast forward to the present and I think my chat with Sandiford also provides some healthy, timely reminders about MSPs maintaining their own focus — especially while finalizing plans for 2011. Here’s why.

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Nine Lives Media Inc., parent of MSPmentor, today launched Talkin’ Cloud — the first video blog and forum for cloud computing in the IT channel. Once you read the official news release you’ll understand how Talkin’ Cloud complements our existing brands (MSPmentor and The VAR Guy). Here are some quick thoughts on the topic.

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As the cloud computing noise grows louder, some MSPs are starting to wonder how they’ll maintain SMB account control. We’ll share some answers during our final MSPmentor Live Webcast of 2010, scheduled for this Wednesday, December 8 at 2:00 p.m. eastern. I hope you’ll join us. Here are some details about our guest speakers and the topics we’ll cover.

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