MSPmentor

Don’t press the panic button. The mood is generally upbeat here at CompTIA’s SMB Summit in Bonita Springs, Fla. But a few attendees have mentioned that they’ve noticed some SMB customers holding more tightly onto their money in recent months. Still, the SMB sector appears to be the most promising market segment for VARs pushing into managed services. Here’s why. Read More >

The folks at Cognos, one of the leading business intelligence software providers, are in a curious position. Cognos’s rivals are getting acquired by big players like Oracle and SAP AG. And the software industry as a whole is moving toward software as a service (SaaS) — think Salesforce.com and NetSuite.com. So where does that leave Cognos? The BI software provider has to get a better feel for SaaS, managed services and the channel. Fast. Cognos’s CEO is doing exactly that. Here’s how. Read More >

Can you really become a managed service provider (MSP) in 30 days or less? Frankly, I doubt it. There are too many challenges in terms of sales, marketing, technology, customer education, etc. However, small business consultant Karl Palachuk is writing a series of blog entries to show solutions providers how to become MSPs in 30 days. I’m looking forward to reading Karl’s updates. Here’s his first piece on the topic.