MSPmentor

I’m starting to finalize my calendar for the IT Nation conference (Nov. 9-11, Orlando). But before MSPmentor previews that conference, here are seven managed services blogs the MSPmentor team didn’t have time to write for the week ending Oct. 21, 2011.

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Scott Mallet, president of Network Technology Solutions, died of an apparent heart attack on Oct. 29. Mallet was only 36. HTG Peer Groups, of which Mallet was a member, confirmed the news in an email to MSPmentor this evening. The peer group organization, which includes dozens of VARs and MSPs, is planning to honor Mallet at next week’s HTG All organizational meeting in Orlando, Fla.

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More evidence that e-discovery has entered a consolidation phase comes from Flex Discovery, an Austin, Texas MSP that recently completed an acquisition and has two more in the works. Here’s a look at the strategy.

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Dimension Data, the $4.7 billion IT services provider, has launched a global managed services effort focused on video and visual communications. Officially called Managed Service for Visual Communications, the effort will allow customers to focus on their core businesses, reduce operational costs, lower barriers to entry and improve user experiences for video, Dimension Data claims.

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We’ve all seen the ads. Match.com can be a great place to meet that special someone – maybe even your spouse or partner. But what the ads don’t disclose is all the time, effort and misses that led up to that “perfect match.”  On the personal level, it’s all worth it, but in the business world, who has the time, energy or money to throw at relationships that just aren’t going to pan out?! My point is this – when it comes to selecting a business partner, especially for high-profile, game-changing technologies like cloud, a few clicks of the mouse aren’t going to cut it.

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IBM continues to accelerate its partner strategy in the mid-market. The effort includes a growing push to transform VARs and resellers into managed services providers. Andy Monshaw, general manager of IBM’s global and medium sized business, offered MSPmentor an update.

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Tigerpaw Software and Corelytics are challenging their software users — VARs, MSPs and IT service providers — to an ‘Amazing Business Race’ competition in which users must meet sales and other business performance goals in order to continue the race. If you were at the 2011 Tigerpaw User Conference last week, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Here’s why.

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A recent study conducted by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry, finds that companies using IT managed services are seeing significant cost savings. But I’ve got to wonder: Are managed services really about cost savings — or is the real benefit predictable business operations for both the customer and the MSP?

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EarthLink, the IP infrastructure and services provider, has two businesses from Synergy Global Solutions: its IT Solution Center and its hosted application business. The purchases arrive as EarthLink continues to expand its managed services strategy.

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Microsoft System Center 2012 will be able to manage Apple iPads, according to Heather Logan, a New York Metro Partner Territory Manager within Microsoft’s US SMB and Distribution team. Microsoft has launched several pre-release versions of System Center 2012, signaling the company’s growing focus on cross-platform mobile device management (MDM) and application management. It makes me wonder: Will Windows Intune, a cloud alternative to System Center, ultimately support iPad management as well?

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Collabrance, an emerging subsidiary of GreatAmerica Leasing Corp., sounds like it is taking a fresh look at the Master MSP market — offering managed services to independent telecommunication, office equipment and IT dealers. Collabrance, which just launched a new website, claims to “help technology resellers provide IT services and support to their customers.” Specifically, Collabrance promotes security, communication and data protection services to reseller partners.

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BoxTone, an enterprise mobility management (EMM) specialist, has teamed with 3LM to deliver an embedded security and management platform for Google Android mobile devices and applications. Here are the details.

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Avere Systems and Nexenta have partnered to promote a scalable, open storage solution to conduct inline deduplication and thin provisioning, the company’s say. The effort combines Avere’s FXT Series of appliances with Nexenta’s ZFS technology to deliver what both companies are calling an enterprise-class data management solution.

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Give Zenith Infotech credit. The company remains on the road at trade shows and conferences across North America, even as Zenith Infotech tries to navigate a recent debt default. But here’s the glaring problem: During a keynote session at today’s ASCII conference in New Jersey, Zenith Infotech launched into a cloud computing educational session but failed to address the elephant in the room: The company’s financial viability amid the bond default. Here’s how Zenith Infotech has to adjust its public messaging going forward, especially ahead of the larger IT Nation conference in November 2011.

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Alert Logic, the security as a service specialist, says Q3 revenues were $5.6 million, up 46 percent from Q3 2010. Translation: Demand for cloud-based security services continues to grow rapidly, though MSPmentor does not have a view into Alert Logic’s overall profitability metrics. Here’s some more background.

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Zenoss, the open source server and network monitoring software provider, says 2011 revenues grew 300 percent year over year (YoY). The company claims IT service providers increasingly opt for Zenoss rather than management platforms from IBM, HP, CA Technologies and BMC.  Anecdotal evidence suggests Zenoss’s annual revenues will easily exceed $10 million in 2011. But is Zenoss really disrupting the Big 4 IT management software providers?

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Numara Software, which develops service desk and help desk software, has launched a North American channel partner program. The effort includes a managed services provider (MSP) licensing option. The partner program debuts only a few days after Numara purchased FromDistance, a mobile device management (MDM) software provider. Here’s the background.

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ManageEngine and Zoho are integrating their network monitoring and remote control software. In theory, MSPs will gain a single dashboard for a growing number of customer monitoring and remote IT support tasks. Here’s why.

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New opportunities have popped up on the MSPmentor Job Board for top-level IT engineers and solutions managers. Several technology companies have recently posted openings throughout the United States. Generally speaking, the career opportunities spam marketing, sales, technology and executive leadership in the managed services and cloud services markets.

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SolarWinds, which develops IT management software, is set to work more closely with managed services providers (MSPs). SolarWinds will likely make an official announcement for MSPs sometimes this week, the company has confirmed to MSPmentor.

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MSPs could find themselves with an emerging set of opportunities among telecom service providers, ISPs and cable companies: operations support systems and business support systems, which are collectively known as OSS/BSS. Here’s why.

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eFolder, the cloud storage provider, is set to launch an MSP migration program that helps to shift partners from Zenith Infotech BDR (backup and disaster recovery) to eFolder’s cloud services. The so-called eFolder BDR Rescue Program, which seeks to capitalize on Zenith Infotech’s recent bond default, will apparently launch this week. Here’s what MSPmentor expects MSPs to hear.

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Maybe you thought the Red Sox and the Braves were going to hit it out of the park last month. But, as I write this, the wild card-winning Cardinals are battling the Rangers in the World Series. Baseball’s unpredictable like that, you never know who is going to step up and drive in the game-winning run.

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