MSPmentor

Another week has flown by. Missed deadlines. Dropped cell phone calls. Delayed video posts. Boy, I’m on a roll. Kidding aside, here are seven managed services blog entries that MSPmentor didn’t have time to write for the week ending March 19, 2010.

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Carpatia Hosting is putting a new twist on cloud computing, pushing beyond managed hosting and colocation services. Specifically, the company has introduced InstantOn — a cloud platform apparently designed with corporate compliance and security in mind. Here are some quick details.

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McAfee, Inc.’s Chief Executive David DeWalt made waves last Friday when he told Reuters that they were looking to acquire multiple technology companies this year. Here’s the scoop from the security sector.

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Citrix Systems is the latest company to move into the crowded managed services software market. Specifically, Citrix Online has acquired Paglo Labs Inc. — a provider of SaaS-based IT management software. Here are the details, and the potential implications for the MSP software landscape — where mergers, acquisitions and investments continue to accelerate.

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The Planet is the largest privately-held dedicated web server company in North America. But bigger doesn’t always mean better. That’s why The Planet is positioning itself around “value.” I spoke to Doug Erwin, CEO of The Planet, about how they’re getting there and what MSPs stand to gain. Here are some perspectives.

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Every time I blink there seems to be another merger or acquisition in the managed services market. The latest deal involves Serenity Systems Inc., a Houston-based IT managed services provider, acquiring “certain assets” of Kommar Solutions to help increase its customer base. I expect at least two more MSP-related acquisitions to onfold this week. In the meantime, the Serenity deal has an interesting twist. It involves advice and financial guidance from Ephor Group LLC. Here are some perspectives.

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Back in September 2009, we mentioned that CA, Inc. had acquired network monitoring solution provider NetQoS, but we didn’t hear much after that. Seeking answers, I spoke with NetQoS and CA about the acquisition, what NetQoS brought to the table, and what they can offer a managed services provider.

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mindSHIFT, which landed atop our third-annual MSPmentor 100 survey, appears to be considering another acquisition. A potential deal could be announced by mid-year. mindSHIFT CEO Paul Chisholm shares some clues about where the company is heading in this FastChat video with MSPmentor…

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Roughly four or five managed service providers are merging to form a national MSP in Australia. I’ve got quite a few of the details, including a FastChat video with one of the executives involved in the deal. At least two of the companies are on our MSPmentor 100 list. I’m about to catch a flight, but when I land I’ll be back with more details — including that MSPmentor FastChat video.

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The lines between managed service providers, telecom companies and hosting providers continue to blur. The latest example involves Cavalier — a telecommunications specialist — acquiring NET Telcos, which specializes in data centers, managed services and business continuity. Here are some quick details about the deal.

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Just when I was set to unplug for the night, I noticed another managed services industry merger — the second of the day. This one involves Presidio Inc. and Coleman Technologies Inc. — two VAR500 companies. The duo will combine to create a $1.1 billion Cisco-centric managed service provider that also has VMware, HP and Microsoft expertise. Here are the preliminary details plus some analysis.

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Sure, Avaya has won the auction to acquire Nortel Networks’ enterprise business. But now the real fun starts. Here are the top three partner and customer questions Avaya needs to answer as soon as reasonably possible, according to The VAR Guy.

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When GFI Software today announced plans to acquire HoundDog Technology Ltd. — a SaaS-driven remote monitoring and management company — my first question was an obvious one: Who’s next? Is consolidation about to accelerate in the managed services market? Why or why not? Here are some initial thoughts… including some whispers involving Hewlett-Packard and venture capitalists.

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When HoundDog Technology’s executive team canceled a business trip from Europe to the United States a few weeks ago, I knew something was up. Now, the answer presents itself. GFI Software has acquired HoundDog. Stay tuned. HoundDog’s RMM product will be re-launched as GFI MAX. More details/analysis on MSPmentor today. UPDATED, July 28, 11:01 a.m. eastern: Here are some more extensive thoughts about HoundDog, GFI and MSP industry acquisitions.

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MSPmentor’s M&A Tracker has spotted two managed services-related acquisitions in recent days. The first involves Safe Systems Inc. (an MSPmentor 100 company) and the second involves Deluxe Corp.’s Hostopia unit. Here’s a closer look at each deal.

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Horizon Data Center Solutions of Dallas has moved into the managed services market by acquiring Mareechi. Elsewhere, additional MSP-oriented acquisitions could be coming, according to buzz at last week’s 2009 HTG Summit and peer group meetings. Here’s the scoop.

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I’m shocked. Oracle this morning announced plans to acquire Sun Microsystems for $7.4 billion. It’s not a traditional managed services story. But the deal reorganizes the software landscape for managed service providers and VARs. And it also raises questions about what Oracle will do with all of that Sun hardware.

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Picture this: You compete in an emerging, fast-growth software market. The highly fragmented industry is filled with multiple,  successful software companies. Most of the companies are relatively small and privately held. Suddenly, industry growth rates slow a bit amid the recession. So, what happens next? Mergers and acquisitions. That’s the scenario facing the managed services software market. Here’s where I think we’re heading next.

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The Web is buzzing about IBM potentially buying Sun Microsystems for at least $6.5 billion. Check out details and analysis from The VAR Guy.

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Despite the horrendous economy, regional managed service providers are merging to form national MSPs that blanket the United States. The latest example: Azaleos and M3 Technology Group have merged to create a coast-to-coast managed service provider whose clients include Chiquita, Alcon and Wendy’s/Arby’s. Azaleos now claims to have “the highest concentration of Exchange and Unified Communications expertise outside of Microsoft.” Here are details and observations.

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Kear IT Inc., a solutions provider in Baltimore, Md., has acquired a managed services provider in Hanover, Pa. The company also named a VP of managed services. The deal is the latest to land on the MSPmentor M&A Tracker, which highlights MSP-oriented mergers and acquisitions across the globe. Here’s a closer look at Kear IT’s MSP move.

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Perot Systems Corp. has acquired Tellurian Networks, Inc., a managed service provider that hosts electronic medical records for physician groups. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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What happens when you take a hot technology industry (like managed services) and combine it with a cold economy? The answer: A whirlwind of mergers and acquisitions. The latest example involves ILS Technology acquiring “substantially all of the operating assets” of ComBrio Inc., a managed services software provider. Here are the details.

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