MSPmentor

New, confirmed details about the Synnex managed services channel strategy have finally emerged. The distributor is working closely with MSPs and VARs to pursue one million freemium managed nodes and a mid-market opportunity of at least $100 million. The catch: MSPs need to leverage the freemium software nodes by end of 2011. Confirmed partners in the Synnex managed services effort include Axcient, Intronis, Level Platforms, Symantec and Reflexion. Here’s the scoop.

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I’m hanging out at the Synnex Varnex conference today in Boston — and catching up on some work — before heading to Ingram Micro VTN in Chicago on Monday night. Among my key tasks today: Telling you about the seven blog entries MSPmentor didn’t have time to write for the week ending April 8, 2011. Here they are…

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California-based Zuora, which provides SaaS solutions for subscription management and billing, is partnering with Salesforce.com to deliver a new product designed for the communications industry.  According to a blog post from Shawn Price, president of Zuora, the new offering—called Zuora for Communications—will provide “billing and customer care in a unified solution for managing the entire subscription commerce lifecycle …entirely in the cloud.” Is this a potential recurring revenue billing solution for MSPs?

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The word “partner” gets thrown around quite a bit in the IT market. But this blog entry isn’t about technology partnerships. Instead, it’s about joint business ownership — working with someone to build a business together. Quite a few MSPs have joint ownership structures, with two or more executives holding major stakes in the company. But how the heck can you ensure you’re going into business with the right person? Speaking from personal experience, here are five traits and requirements you should absolutely demand from the person who will help to make (or break) your professional fortunes and personal sanity.

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In the distribution market, rivals Ingram Micro and Synnex are preparing some cloud channel partner updates for VARs and managed services providers. The latest moves will likely surface at two separate conferences the week of April 10 in Boston (Synnex Varnex) and Chicago (Ingram Micro VTN). So what’s on tap? I expected plenty of updates from Ingram Micro VP of Managed Services and Cloud Computing Renee Bergeron (pictured) and Synnex Senior VP Robert Stegner. Here’s a preview.

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Cloud security was the name of the game at the IBM Cloud Forum in San Francisco today, where Big Blue unveiled IBM SmartCloud– which aims to help customers build private, public and hybrid clouds. The effort focuses heavily on security and “service automation management,” according to IBM General Manager of Application and Integration Software Robert LeBlanc (pictured). But where do MSPs and other channel partners potentially fit into the conversation?

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As the merger and acquisition trend continues, some managed services providers (MSPs) are leveraging M&A consultants to assist — and potentially accelerate — the process. The latest example involves Cogent Growth Partners, a buy-side M&A advisory firm, assisting Jamison West Consulting Services Inc.’s buyout of Titanium Ant Inc. Another example involved Weaver and Associates Ltd. assisting Do IT Smarter’s sale in 2010. Is this the start of a larger trend?

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Small and midsize businesses are increasing their IT budgets 8 percent this year compared to 2010, and SMB demand for a range of IT services — particularly cloud services and virtualization — continues to accelerate, according to a recent Spiceworks survey. The findings were hardly surprising… until you look at some of the IT staffing predictions.

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Chris O’Malley, a CA Technologies veteran with deep cloud computing and M&A experience, is set to succeed Gary Read as CEO of Nimsoft. The move comes roughly one year after CA acquired Nimsoft. Here’s the update, including perspectives from O’Malley (pictured) and Read — and the potential implications for managed services providers.

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CA Technologies has purchased Base Technologies, a privately held IT consulting firm in the government market. Base offers virtualization management, mainframe technology, security and managed IT infrastructure services to the government vertical. I don’t see any potential channel conflict with MSPs serving the SMB sector. But I do wonder what the deal means for larger MSPs focused on the U.S. public sector.

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In the northwest suburbs of Chicago you’ll find Verity Three — a decade-old technology support company that has recently signed its biggest deal to date. Verity Three President Jonathan Smith hopes the deal will be a springboard into servicing some of the larger engineering and banking firms in the United States. Here’s the background.

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After a few months of discussions, interACT has agreed to distribute VM6 Software‘s virtualization platform (VMEX) in Europe. The move follows VM6′s recent managed services partner program launch. Here’s the update.

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A major executive change is under way at Nimsoft, the managed services software company owned by CA Technologies. Nimsoft CEO Gary Read is stepping down, to be succeeded by CA GM Chris O’Malley. The planned transition comes roughly one year after CA acquired Nimsoft as part of a cloud computing and managed services software push. Plus, it sounds like some executive promotions and key hires are set to be announced soon at Nimsoft. Check MSPmentor again in about 30 minutes for the complete report. Here’s the complete report.

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No matter how good your intentions for preparing for a crisis, no one is really ever quite prepared for the worst. This probably has something to do with human nature and an innate inability to contemplate a truly worst-case scenario. Yet, prepare we must because the consequences can be dire. I’m sure most, if not all, of you are familiar with the statistics on companies that suffer major data losses: Most of them go out of business. I bet many of you have used such statistics to make a case for business continuity strategies.

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Rob Leon, formerly VP of Spam Soap and a well-known executive in the managed services market, is planning his next career move. Leon confirmed that he’s left Spam Soap (SaaS email security) and its sister company, Inhouse IT (an MSP). Here’s the update, plus perspectives on how Spam Soap itself is evolving.

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Our next MSPmentor Live webcast is Wednesday, April 13. The topic: Maximizing Partnerships to Build a Better Business. We’ll explore how MSPs are working with one another, peer groups and associations to unlock new revenue opportunities. We’ll answer attendee questions throughout the webcast. Here’s a look at our guest speakers and some more background on the event…

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It has been roughly a year since ConnectWise Capital invested in CharTec, the hardware as a service (HaaS) specialist. Since that time, CharTec has pushed deeper into additional markets like backup and disaster recovery (BDR). The latest example: CharTec has now integrated its backup and disaster recovery (BDR) appliance with ConnectWise‘s PSA (professional services automation) software, according to Corporate Administration Director Monique Rogers (pictured). Here’s the update.

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When it comes to the IT channel, sometimes the media — MSPmentor included — is guilty of focusing too much on massive VARs and MSPs. Meanwhile, there are thousands of micro MSPs (sub $1 million annual recurring revenues) navigating the SMB market. Can those micro MSPs thrive as big vendors promote SMB cloud solutions?

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Nimsoft, part of CA Technologies, is pushing beyond its monitoring software heritage and launching a service desk solution. The new offering, called  Nimsoft Unified Manager, combines monitoring and service management in a single SaaS solution. It’s based on software that Nimsoft quietly acquired in December 2010, according to Nimsoft Director of Product Marketing Chris O’Connell. Here’s the update.

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Say hello to managed services acquisition number 18 for 2011. This latest deal involves BEAR Data Solutions Inc. snapping up LiquidIT, an MSP based in Las Vegas. With headquarters in San Francisco, BEAR Data’s offerings include virtualization, unified communications, networking, storage, staffing, and managed services. The company said the LiquidIT buy will help it grow its portfolio of services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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A quarter century ago, there were computer VARs and telecom consultants and they existed mainly on parallel tracks. Telecom convergence slowly began to change that situation. Launching in the 1980s, the Integrated Services Digital Network pointed the way toward a voice/data future. IP telephony, unified communications and multimedia networking have done more to get computer and voice people working together. The voice and data businesses have something else in common: margin pressure. Eroding hardware profits helped push VARs into the MSP space. Similarly, voice specialists are encountering shrinking margins in carriers’ voice/data services.

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In an article for Risk Magazine, Clive Davidson looks at how software-as-a-service (SaaS) may save smaller financial firms. He describes the current climate where firms, big and small, are preoccupied with changing systems and processes to comply with regulatory changes.  “But,” Davidson points out, “there is only so far the resources at many smaller institutions can be stretched.” Could a managed service be the solution to their problems?

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We’ve been hearing a lot about email encryption as a managed service. While some MSPs are delivering encryption as a solution unto itself, many are choosing to bundle encryption as a feature (or add-on option) into a larger set of communication apps. Either way, as more data moves into the cloud, encryption is clearly becoming a hot topic. Here’s yet another announcement to demonstrate encryption as a key feature for managed services.

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