MSPmentor

While MSPmentor strives to be the most timely voice of managed service providers, several managed services blogs are popping up on the radar. Some are from vendors. Others are from distributors. A few are from MSPs themselves. Here’s a quick look at six MSP-oriented blogs we’re reading. Read More >

First, establish a brand. Then, reinforce it at every opportunity. That pretty much sums up Ingram Micro’s strategy in the managed services market, where its Seismic brand continues to gain enhancements. The latest on-demand services, available as part of Ingram’s Seismic Virtual Services Warehouse, can be organized into the following three categories: Read More >

Digital signage: At first, it was considered a hardware opportunity for VARs. But a second look reveals that it’s a recurring revenue and software-as-a-service (SaaS) opportunity for managed service providers.

MSPmentor said exactly that on February 6. Now comes word that Ingram Micro, the massive distributor, plans to offer a digital signage SaaS solution from BroadSign to more than 35,000 VARs across the U.S. and Canada.

Similarly, Cisco is helping partners to master new opportunities in digital signage.

When it comes to managed services partnerships, Tech Data’s strategy can be summed up in four words: The more the merrier. The big distributor has inked an MSP platform partnership with Zenith Infotech. The deal comes only a few weeks after Tech Data partnered to offer managed print services.

So far, 2008 is shaping up to be the year that distributors solidified key partnerships and programs across the managed services market. All of the major players — Arrow, Avnet, Ingram Micro, Tech Data, Synnex, etc. — are making MSP-related moves.

And for good reason. While some skeptics worry about managed services becoming a commodity, MSPmentor anticipates a different market scenario: As VARs continue to embrace managed services platforms, they will begin to layer on new, higher-margin services such as video surveillance and unified communications. For a peek at these emerging services, check out MSPmentor’s Managed Services Hype Cycle, which is based on Gartner’s classic technology hype cycle curve.

Or, continue along with this blog post for more on the Tech Data-Zenith Infotech relationship. Read More >

Much like its rivals, Tech Data is making multiple managed services moves. But so far, those moves have not protected distributors from the economic slowdown. Here’s how distributors are embracing managed services, plus a financial nugget suggesting the North American economic slowdown is starting to impact distributors.

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When it comes to managed services, Trend Micro certainly has a sense for timing. The security company has launched a “pay as you go” managed service with Ingram Micro. The offering comes as Trend rival Symantec prepares to launch its own software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, know as the Symatec Protection Network. Let the showdown begin. Read More >