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In Case You Missed Them: 15 Most Popular Channel Blogs, April 29
Posted April 29th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
We realize you may not have time to track all conversations across our websites: MSPmentor, The VAR Guy and TalkinCloud. So, here are the 15 most read channel blog entries across our channel blog network for the week ending April 29, 2011.
Small Healthcare Practices Need Managed Services Help
Posted April 29th, 2011 by John Moore
The New York eHealth Collaborative, a public-private group that promotes health IT adoption, has been holding a series of conferences in cities across the state. The April 28 event in Syracuse was geared toward physicians and practice managers, but there were a few takeaways for managed service providers and other channel partners pursuing healthcare.
Microsoft Earnings: Business Revenues Set Stage for Office 365
Posted April 29th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
When Microsoft announced earnings results yesterday, it was a firm reminder about how quickly technology waves can build and crash. Look closely at the earnings and you’ll see the netbook market imploding even as Microsoft’s business-related sales grow and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner signals the imminent arrival of Office 365. What does all this mean for MSPs? Hardware platforms come and go, but software architectures for mobile and cloud computing should have staying power. Here’s the update.
Funding: What Investors Want From Managed Services Providers
Posted April 29th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Founders Investment Banking LLC has considerable experience in the managed services market. The company is currently assisting ETG — a top MSP focused on the healthcare vertical — with several funding considerations. But what exactly is the state of the MSP investment market right now? And what do private equity firms — or large MSPs — look for before they pump money into smaller MSPs? Zane Tarence, a managing director at Founders Investment Banking, offers some clues.
Vertical Market Managed Services: Thinsolutions Makes Moves
Posted April 29th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Thinsolutions, a managed services provider in Cleveland, Ohio, is going vertical. Indeed, the MSPmentor 100 company has launched a Vertical Chief Information Officer (VCIO) strategy to tackle industry-specific vertical markets. Here’s how.
MSPs: How to Ensure Technology Delivers Value to Customers
Posted April 28th, 2011 by Eric Townsend
Engineers love to talk geeky. High speed interconnects, parallel processing, SSDs, and advanced instruction sets. Only Wally, Alice, and Dilbert really care about these things, right? I don’t think that’s totally true, but MSPs occasionally chide Intel by saying that Moore’s Law (which says the speed of technology doubles every 18 months to 2 years) really means that confusion around technology features doubles approximately every two years.
Spiceworks Bets $25 Million On IT Product Sourcing
Posted April 28th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Spiceworks, the free remote management and help desk tool for VARs and MSPs, is pushing deeper into new markets. Indeed, Spiceworks has raised $25 million in series D funding to help SMB channel partners and users more easily purchase IT products online. In some ways, I think Spiceworks may potentially compete with Autotask‘s VARStreet and CNet’s Channel Online. Here’s why.
Memo From HP to MSPs: Use Hewlett-Packard Infrastructure
Posted April 28th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
For the second time in recent weeks, Hewlett-Packard is promoting a hardware and storage win in the managed services market. And sources within HP say the computer giant is preparing more steps to ensure MSP infrastructure leverages HP StorageWorks, HP BladeSystem and related technologies. But what’s the potential upside for MSPs? Here’s the update.
Managed Services Franchises: The Launch Pad Seeks SMB Partners
Posted April 28th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
The Launch Pad is seeking VARs and MSPs to become managed services franchises. The company, based in Tampa, Fla., is leveraging ConnectWise, QuoteWerks, Zenith Infotech and other managed services platforms to help franchise MSPs promote “business in a box” solutions to SMB customers. We’re intrigued but we’re also curious about the larger question: Are managed services franchises taking off in North America? Here’s some perspective.
Terremark Enterprise Cloud: What’s In It for Channel Partners?
Posted April 27th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
When Verizon Business acquired Terremark Worldwide earlier this year, the business combination set the stage for Verizon to more aggressively promote cloud computing to enterprise customers. But take a closer look at Terremark, and you’ll discover the cloud services provider helping VARs and MSPs to generate their own recurring revenues. Here’s how.
SEC Filing: Quest Software’s PacketTrap MSP Business Accelerates
Posted April 27th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Sometimes you need to look beyond the headlines to figure out how a managed services software business truly is performing. A case in point: If you dig into SEC filings, you’ll discover that Quest Software’s 2009 buyout of PacketTrap appears to be exceeding original expectations. And some industry pundits now predict Quest may remain on the managed services software acquisition trail. Here’s why.
CenturyLink Buys Savvis in $3.2B Managed Hosting, Cloud Deal
Posted April 27th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
In a major cloud computing and managed hosting deal, CenturyLink has acquired Savvis for $2.5 billion plus net debt of approximately $700 million. The key trend: Big telecommunications and broadband companies are busy acquiring midsize cloud computing and managed hosting specialists. Should MSPs panic as cloud giants like Savvis, Terremark and NaviSite get acquired? Apparently not. Here’s why.
Extrahop, SevOne Form Network Monitoring Technology Alliance
Posted April 27th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Extrahop Networks, an application performance management specialist, and SevOne, focused on network performance management, have inked a technology alliance. The goal: Deliver, both companies claim, “the industry’s best application-aware network performance management system” to Extrahop and SevOne clients. Here’s the update.
Paessler: Monitoring Software Specialist Hires Channel Chief
Posted April 27th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Paessler AG, which develops network monitoring software, has hired a North American Channel Chief — Bill Brown — and extended its monitoring software to smartphones and tablets running Google Android. Here’s the update.
PacketTrap Business Acceleration Program: MSP Profit Boost?
Posted April 27th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
How much should MSP’s charge for their services? How should you market and sell your offerings? How are you supposed to map out your SLA’s to best support their client base? For the past 18 months or so, Quest Software’s PacketTrap has been helping MSP’s answer those questions through their Business Acceleration Program. Here’s the update, including perspectives from PacketTrap Director of MSP’s Mike Byrne (pictured).
Xerox Partner Summit: Managed Print’s Time to Shine?
Posted April 26th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
The Xerox Partner Summit, known as Fusion 2011, is set to start April 27 in San Antonio, Texas. For Xerox and the broader printer industry, the next few days provide multiple opportunities to shift managed print services (MPS) from a niche discussion to a mainstream channel opportunity. Here’s why.
ETG: Healthcare MSP Evaluates Potential Investors, Suitors
Posted April 26th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
ETG, the seasoned healthcare managed services provider, is working with Founders Investment Banking LLC Director of Technology Practice Zane Tarence to evaluate potential strategic relationships. Apparently, potential investors and suitors have been knocking on ETG’s door because the MSP’s annual revenues surged roughly 50 percent to $6.5 million in 2010 vs. 2009.
Lyrix Targets MSPs With Hosted VoIP Add-on
Posted April 26th, 2011 by John Moore
Lyrix Inc. is cultivating a service provider channel for its hosted speech-enabled auto attendant (SEAA) offering. The company’s Mobiso Speech Assistant uses speech recognition — instead dial-by-name lookup — to direct callers to the appropriate party. Lyrix is positioning Speech Assistant as an add-on sale for hosted IP PBX providers. VoIP services typically lack speech recognition as part of the offering, noted Stewart Hampton, marketing director at Lyrix. Hosted SEAA, however, lets service providers tap that technology as part of a broader solution.
Axcient, Autotask Integration Provides Autotask Direction Clues
Posted April 26th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Axcient, a hybrid cloud backup company, continues to build stronger relationships in the managed services market. The latest effort involves integration with Autotask, the PSA (professional services automation) software provider. The Axcient-Autotask integration also provides some clues about how CEO Mark Cattini is positioning Autotask for potential growth.
15 Trends at Major Managed Services Conferences…
Posted April 26th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Three major managed services conferences are set to kick off next week. They include the Kaseya Connect User Conference (May 1-3, Las Vegas), HTG Dallas (May 2-5) and the Global Managed Print Services Conference (May 2-4, Orlando, Fla). MSPmentor will be on hand for all three gatherings. What do we expect to see and hear? Glad you asked. Here are 15 trends and themes we’ll be exploring at each MSP conference.
Mobile Device Management: Virtela Protects Smartphones, Tablets
Posted April 25th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Can managed services providers (MSPs) make a decent living safeguarding smart phones and tablet computers for end-customers? Virtela sure thinks so. The MSP and cloud specialist has launched a global mobile device management service that costs $5 per device per month. The service, which includes a white label capability for VARs and MSPs, is compatible with AppleiOS (Apple iPhone and iPad), Blackberry, Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian devices.
Amazon Cloud Outage: The Silver Lining for MSPs
Posted April 25th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
When Amazon.com announces earnings results on April 26, the online retailer will surely need to explain its recent cloud computing outage to investors and pundits. In the meantime, recent cloud setbacks at Amazon and Sony provide ample opportunity — yes, upside — for managed services providers (MSPs). Here’s why.
LabTech 2011 Debuts for Managed Services Providers
Posted April 25th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
LabTech Software, the small but fast-growing RMM (remote monitoring and management) software provider, has launched LabTech 2011 — a platform upgrade that offers improved SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) capabilities, custom alerts, and other performance enhancements for the channel, the company asserts. The latest LabTech release debuts amid a crowded field of upgrades, and one week before the Kaseya Connect User Conference in Las Vegas. Here’s the update.
