MSPmentor

You know the drill: It’s the end of the year. Time for some predictions to stir some reader debate and feedback. Here’s a look at where I see the managed services market going in 2008. Agree? Disagree? I’m all ears. Read More >

Call it the managed services paradox: Plenty of VARs want to offer managed services, but they often lack deep enough pockets to pay for robust managed services platforms. What’s the solution to this financial shortfall? Here are a few options. Read More >

OnForce Senior VP Nadjarian

OnForce, the online marketplace for VARs, has a rather interesting spin on the managed services market. During a visit to the company’s headquarters near Boston today, I heard how OnForce “turbo charges” managed services. That sounded a bit like marketing hype. But a conversation with OnForce Senior VP Paul Nadjarian helped to clarify how the OnForce marketplace helps VARs to extend their own managed services. Read More >

Autotask made an intriguing move this week with its product branding. Solutions providers and software companies should take note. As Autotask prepared to launch an entry-level MSP solution, the company must have been tempted to call it “Autotask Lite.” In my humble opinion that would have been a mistake. Here’s why. Read More >

If cost is the biggest hurdle standing between you and a managed services practice, consider this: Autotask has launched a new, low-cost managed services platform called Autotask Go! The hosted MSP platform has a fixed fee of $99 and no start-up costs. And the user interface resembles intuitive, consumer-oriented designs (a la Quicken or Google Analytics).

According to Autotask CEO Bob Godgart, the Go! edition is designed for solutions providers with three or fewer employees. Godgart has been hinting about a potential low-cost solution for a few months, and officially announced it the SMB Nation conference in Seattle. Read More >

I just got off the phone with Autotask CEO Bob Godgart. He’s out at the SMB Nation conference in Seattle to share his managed services vision and make a few strategic announcements.

Godgart has a habit of sharing interesting factoids that a lot of people may otherwise overlook. A case in point: He’s extremely upbeat about managed service platforms converging with the mobile market. Surely, field technicians and mobile executives want to access their MSP dashboards from handhelds, smart phones and other devices.

Skeptical? Don’t be. The number of people leveraging Autotask’s LiveMobile software has doubled in the past 45 days, according to Godgart. The software’s CRM (customer relationship management) component is particularly popular, Godgart adds.

Check this site again on September 28 for more perspectives from Godgart. If you do, you’ll learn why Godgart had such a strong motivation to “go” to the SMB Nation event.

I’m in San Jose for the MSP Alliance Fall Managed Services Conference. It’s my first time at an MSP Alliance event. And frankly, I’m not sure what to see. But I do expect to hear about five key trends at the event. Here’s the rundown.

Read More >