MSPmentor

In recent weeks, some MSPs have called on Kaseya to spend more time developing and enhancing its core software platform and existing modules — rather than building out more add-on modules. In an online forum, Kaseya CEO Gerald Blackie has responded to MSPs by saying that the company continues to march forward on its R&D and software quality efforts. Here’s a summary of the dialog.

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He’s doing it again… The VAR Guy is pulling together his list of the Top 100 Channel Partner Conferences for 2012. Which ones should MSPs attend? Check out the list so far and add your suggestions and revisions. Then, hit the road and potentially meet The VAR Guy — if he really exists — in 2012…

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No need for panic. But here’s a trend worth watching as U.S.-based MSPs partner with India-based IT service providers: The Wall Street Journal reports that India-based companies have a “humungous” foreign bond debt coming due. The debt, much of it due in 2012 to 2014, will likely “further decelerate” India’s economy, the Journal reported. Here’s some perspective as MSPs mull the global partner ecosystem.

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Absolute Software, a mobile device and desktop management specialst, recently released the latest version of its Absolute Manage software featuring Absolute Safe for Apple iOS (and soon for Android). So where do MSPs fit into the Absolute Software strategy? I gained some insights from Director of Product Management Tim Williams.

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For the third time in recent weeks, MSP software providers are pushing the managed print services (MPS) market forward. The latest example comes from Level Platforms, which offers managed print and cloud management capabilities in the new Managed Workplace 2011 R3 release. Somewhat similarly, LabTech Software and N-able Technologies have also been talking up managed print services in recent weeks. After several false starts, MSPmentor believes the managed print services market is finally poised for considerable channel growth. Here’s why.

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The MSPmentor job board has received several new career postings. Most of the career listings are designed for sales, marketing and technology professionals who have managed services or cloud services expertise. Here’s the update…

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A widespread lack of protocols for mobile employee access to corporate networks among SMBs may not be too surprising a survey finding. However, according to a new survey from Citrix Systems, there is also a somewhat surprising lack of awareness about mobile employee access to corporate networks among SMBs.

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Here’s a stat that demands your attention: Microsoft claims 90 percent of Office 365 subscribers are small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. The statistic surfaced today as part of an Office 365 momentum update. But I wonder: If Office 365 is catching on in small businesses, how come MSPs don’t spend much time talking about Microsoft’s cloud suite?

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In recent months, MSPmentor has evangelized all-in, per-user managed services pricing. We’ve told readers to follow advice from TruMethods, an MSP coaching firm that promotes a “cake” pricing model, rather than an “ingredients” pricing model. Generally speaking, I think TruMethods’ advice is right on the mark. But some readers keep telling me per-device pricing for managed services is alive and well, particularly in the emerging mobile device management (MDM) market.

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When MSPmentor blogged about the crowdfunding trend yesterday, several readers sent me emails outlining additional funding options for small business owners, entrepreneurs and MSPs. Among those I heard from: BoeFly and Seedups. Here’s a look at their strategies, and the potential funding implications for SMBs.

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About two-thirds (65%) of IT pros, including some in enterprises with as few as 50 employees, expect an increase in employee-owned mobile devices accessing business data, according to a recent survey from InformationWeek Reports. And nearly 80% of survey respondents say mobile devices will increase in importance in their organizations in the next 24 months, more than double the 36% who said the same as recently as March 2010.

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The trend of “Big Data”  – huge, almost unmanageable volumes of data that large enterprises collect via social media, internet, mobile devices, sensing technologies and other means — dominates the current discourse surrounding data storage. But here’s a twist: Drobo says 100 million SMBs and sole proprietors are concerned about the storage and management of much smaller — but still vital — amounts of data.

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CenterBeam is the latest managed services provider to introduce Apple-centric managed services. The CenterBeam effort focuses on help desk services, endpoint management and security for Mac OS and Apple iOS — the operating system that drives iPhones and iPads. Meanwhile, Apple is striving to recruit 1,000 channel partners to service and support iOS devices multiple sources tell MSPmentor.

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Maildistiller, a hosted email security company founded in 2004, is attempting to make the leap from Europe into the North American market. During a quick call a few days ago, Maildistiller Marketing Executive Danielle Campbell predicted the company would leverage MSP relationships to build a U.S.-based presence.

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Former Autotask Technical Product Manager Steve Noel (pictured) has joined Bradford Networks as part of a cloud-based security push that focuses on MSPs and the SMB market. Noel joins former MSP leader Amy Luby as Bradford Networks attempts to accelerate its NAC (Network Access Control) security business through channel partners.

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For MSPs, small business owners and entrepreneurs, December is usually gut-check time. No doubt, many MSPmentor readers are deciding right now whether they want to (A) continue building their businesses in 2012 or (B) perhaps pursue an exit strategy. For those who are still in business development mode, quite a few readers are seeking ways to raise money for new business initiatives. For those folks there’s an emerging option called Crowdfunding. Here’s how it works.

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Yes, SMB customers are increasingly embracing ERP (enterprise resource planning) software, both on-premise and in the cloud. However, MSPs that wish to get in on the SMB ERP action may still have a few things to learn about the specific ERP needs of this market. Indeed, ChainLink Research outlines five key strategic considerations SMBs should examine before selecting an ERP solution, and they are just as applicable to selecting a managed services provider to help implement and maintain ERP technology.

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Enterprise mobility management services — which include services to manage mobile apps, devices, content, network services, expenses, policy and security — will grow to $11 billion worldwide by 2016, according to recent estimates from ABI Research. And in promising news for MSPs who serve an SMB clientele, ABI says small and medium-sized businesses represent an “untapped” segment of the enterprise mobility market. And no doubt, MSPs can weave mobile device management (MDM) into this conversation.

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Desktone, a desktop as a service (DaaS) specialist, is touting its virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) as a solution to help enterprises migrate to Microsoft’s Windows 7. Desktone also promotes its VDI and DaaS solutions to managed services providers, cloud systems integrators and large telecom companies. I spoke with Desktone VP of Marketing and Product Management David Grant to learn where he thinks Desktone fits into the DaaS and VDI conversation.

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The MSPmentor team spent the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. recharging and relaxing with friends and family. Now we’re plugging back in and catching up on managed services chatter. Here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news tips the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Nov. 25, 2011.

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NEVEX Virtual Technologies, an application performance start-up, has launched CacheWorks. NEVEX is hardly the first company to offer a “groundbreaking” solution to application performance issues. So what potentially makes the company’s solution stand out? I caught with NEVEX VP of Business Development Nigel Miller and Product Manager Andrew Flint to find out.

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Citrix Systems has developed a new solution that lets you integrate your services and applications with Citrix GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar and GoToTraning business collaboration products. The new Citrix solution is called the Citrix GoTo Developer Center, and  it’s free for current Citrix users.

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New opportunities surface on the MSPmentor Job Board ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. So before our U.S. readers shut off their smartphones and desktops for the long weekend, prepare for your feast by sampling the new sales and technical opportunities up for grabs. Then mull over your next career move during your turkey- induced coma.

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