MSPmentor

Independent software vendors (ISVs) have always been the lifeblood of Microsoft’s business. But these days, Microsoft is maintaining a careful balancing act — promoting software as a service (SaaS) directly to customers while also recruiting managed service providers to assist the effort.

The latest example: Attenda Limited, which describes itself as the “Always On Managed Services Company,” has joined Microsoft’s SaaS Incubation Center Program in Europe. SaaS specialists and MSPs should be watching this Microsoft partner program closely. Here’s why. Read More >

During a mid-2007 phone chat with Autotask CEO Bob Godgart, I asked him which managed services-oriented companies he watches most closely. His immediate reply: Google. Fast forward to the present, and it’s clear why Godgart and the rest of the managed services industry keeps close tabs on the search engine giant.

Indeed, Google has quietly launched a managed email security service for businesses, schools and non-profit organizations. For managed service providers, Google’s growing interest in software as a service is both a challenge and an opportunity. Read More >

While the mainstream media focuses on Microsoft-Yahoo today, I’d like to drill down into a rather interesting trend involving Microsoft, managed services and SaaS (software as a service). Seems like Microsoft Dynamics, the company’s ERP offering, is emerging as a platform for managed service providers to potentially host and offer to customers. Here’s why. Read More >

Byte and Switch, a web site that covers storage and networking, offers interesting perspective on recent acquisitions at IBM and Seagate. The IBM deal (acquiring Arsenal Digital) and Seagate’s move (buying MetaLINCS) both have strong managed services angles, according to the site. Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

As we mentioned in our 10 Managed Services Predictions for 2008, traditional IT vendors will continue to push deeper into managed services. Cisco, Dell, Microsoft, McAfee, Symantec… and the list goes on. Read More >

So, you’re thinking about offering managed hardware as part of a monthly service contract. Before you make the move, consider this: Perhaps it’s time to take a close look at open source desktops (particularly Ubuntu Linux running OpenOffice) as an option for your customers. Here’s why.

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For many managed service providers, hosted email represents a first foray into software as a service (SaaS). But email is a commodity these days — a nice, basic offering that pays decent dividends but won’t make you rich. If you’re looking for growing SaaS opportunities, it might be time to embrace hosted CRM (customer relationship management) or business intelligence. Here’s why.

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Forgive me if I’m a little confused. I’ve read a ton about Microsoft Office Live and Office Online over the past year. Sometimes, it’s a little tricky to understand exactly how Microsoft’s managed services and SaaS (software as a service) offerings are positioned. But the answer is finally emerging. Read More >