MSPmentor

And that’s a wrap: We’ve finally completed the fifth-annual MSPmentor 100 report. Complete results will be unveiled February 15. In the meantime, here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news stories for the MSPmentor team didn’t have time to write for the week ending February 10, 2012.

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There is a general sense in the business community that current database implementations are not providing enough “bang for the buck,” but there appears to be a lack of knowledge about how to improve the situation. According to a new InformationWeek survey of more than 750 business technology professionals, only 12% say their databases are a good deal.

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StorageCraft, the backup and disaster recovery (BDR) software provider, has decided to update its European partner program to include new training tools and more opportunities for partners earn bonuses. Here’s the scoop on the development that StorageCraft’s European partners should welcome with open arms, as the company says its 2012 Partner Program is designed to help boost all partners’ profits this year.

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N-able Technolgies, the remote monitoring and management (RMM) software provider, has partnered with Hartco Distribution in order to expand its reach further into Canada. N-able’s plan is to target what N-able VP of Sales Mike Cullen [picture] referred to as “untapped opportunities for MSPs” in the Canadian market. Here’s more on the plan, as well as how Hartco fits in.

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Competition among remote monitoring and management (RMM) software providers is beginning to heat up in 2012. And as is usually the case, intense competition is leading to rapid software solution innovation. The latest example? The RMM provider Level Platforms has introduced its signature Managed Workplace 2012 edition with one of the hottest new business management software features on the market today — mobile device management (MDM) software.

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ManagEngine, the IT management software provider owned by Zoho Corp., hopes to make some noise at Mobile World Congress (Feb. 27-March 1, Barcelona, Spain). Indeed, ManageEngine is set to debut its mobile device management (MDM) solution for Apple iOS (iPhone, iPad) devices at the event.

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Zenith Infotech is preparing upgrades and enhancements to assist managed services providers (MSPs) with BDR (backup and disaster recovery) storage, private cloud computing and small business video conferencing/telepresence services. The enhancements surface while Zenith Infotech continues to negotiate its debt agreements with bondholders.

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When Cisco Systems (CSCO) delivered relatively strong Q2 2012 financial results earlier today, the numbers revealed the networking giant has successfully cut costs while restoring top-line revenue and net income growth. Listen closely and you may even hear CEO John Chambers suggest Cisco is taking share from rival Juniper Networks (JNPR) in the service provider market. Here’s the chatter.

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As the merger and acquisition trend continues across the managed services market, I figured it’s time to weigh in with a few of my own experiences. It has been roughly five months since Penton Media (a big company) acquired Nine Lives Media (a small media business and parent of MSPmentor). The Penton-Nine Lives combo has worked out really well. But I must also concede: I’ve made my share of mistakes since the M&A deal was announced. Here are five such mistakes, and the things I’d do differently next time around.

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Zendesk has launched a European partner program to help help accelerate demand for the company’s customer service and help desk solutions.

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Dimension Data, an IT solutions and services provider, has acquired the Xigo, a telecom expense management (TEM) solution provider, as part of its broader plan to become a complete managed communications services provider.

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Mobile device management (MDM) software and cloud platforms continue to flood the market. Sales of smart phones and tablets continue to rise. More than 70 percent of MSPs say they offer MDM services, according to our fifth-annual MSPmentor 100 report. The time is ripe for managed services providers to profit from MDM. Or is it?

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Things have shifted a bit this week on our MSPmentor Job Board. The usual openings for technicians and support personnel have been replaced by MSPs looking for business development, marketing, sales and SEO experts.

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Hours after officially releasing its new VFCache Flash storage solution, EMC Corp. on Feb. 6 held a press conference in San Francisco, Calif., to discuss its enterprise Flash strategy. Mark Sorensen, senior VP of EMC’s Flash Business Unit , described how VFCache will work with EMC FAST and other products, and how the company’s international channel partners will help EMC push to the forefront of enterprise Flash solution development.

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BMC Software‘s recent buyout of Numara Software, a SaaS company, has potential implications for the IT management market. And some potential rivals such as ManageEngine are responding with competitive statements.

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eXo, which develops a content management system, has released eXo 3.5. The multi-tenancy platform could allow managed services providers (MSPs) and cloud services providers (CSPs) to offer customers dedicated portals for content and collaboration, social streams and services, and mobile access. eXo Founder and President Benjamin Mestrallet (pictured) described the strategy to me last week.

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EMC Corp. kicked off February 2012 be releasing VFCache — a new Flash caching solution that EMC business customers can combine with EMC’s Flash storage systems in order to “dramatically improve application performance,” EMC claims.

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For nearly two decades, PC Helps, a desktop application support provider, has worked behind the scenes for help desk service providers and enterprise end-users. Indeed, PC Helps offers 24×7 live support and vows to answer calls in two rings or less. The company supports 160 different business applications for roughly 160 commercial enterprise businesses with at least five hundred employees.So what’s next? PC Helps CEO Brian Madocks (pictured) offered some insights.

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The Super Bowl kicks off in 52 hours. But I’m a bit distracted, plugging away on the fifth-annual MSPmentor 100 report — which debuts Feb. 15. In the meantime, here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news stories the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for February 3, 2012.

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SMBs do not always follow the wider trends in business process outsourcing (BPO), but some of the general trends services advisory firm Tholons predicts for the BPO market in 2012 should be of particular interest to MSPs serving an SMB client base. Forecasted developments in the areas of vertical BPO, risk management, and social applications offer potential opportunity for MSPs serving SMB clients. Interested in learning more? Read on.

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SolarWinds, the IT management software provider, has acquired EminentWare, a Windows server and workstation patch management software provider. SolarWinds VP of Network Management Sanjay Castelino offered MSPmentor some insights on where the company is heading next.

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The Aldridge Company, a technology and cloud integrator for SMBs, has merged with Rafte & Company, a business and technology consulting firm, to offer a more comprehensive IT support offering. Financial terms were not disclosed. Here’s a little more background on both Texas-based companies, as well as what the merger means for both Aldridge and Rafte business customers.

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Continuum, as expected, launched the Continuum Vault backup and disaster recovery (BDR) platform earlier this week, CEO Michael George (pictured) has confirmed. Developed in partnership with Datto, the Continuum Vault offering initially targets 1,000 managed services providers (MSPs) that have expressed interest in the new BDR platform.

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