MSPmentor

Call it the managed services paradox: Plenty of VARs want to offer managed services, but they often lack deep enough pockets to pay for robust managed services platforms. What’s the solution to this financial shortfall? Here are a few options. Read More >

Autotask made an intriguing move this week with its product branding. Solutions providers and software companies should take note. As Autotask prepared to launch an entry-level MSP solution, the company must have been tempted to call it “Autotask Lite.” In my humble opinion that would have been a mistake. Here’s why. Read More >

If cost is the biggest hurdle standing between you and a managed services practice, consider this: Autotask has launched a new, low-cost managed services platform called Autotask Go! The hosted MSP platform has a fixed fee of $99 and no start-up costs. And the user interface resembles intuitive, consumer-oriented designs (a la Quicken or Google Analytics).

According to Autotask CEO Bob Godgart, the Go! edition is designed for solutions providers with three or fewer employees. Godgart has been hinting about a potential low-cost solution for a few months, and officially announced it the SMB Nation conference in Seattle. Read More >

Okay, I was a little bit off with my dates. Last week, I suggested that a few low-cost managed service provider solutions would debut this week at the MSP Alliance conference in San Jose. I was half-right.

Untangle, an open source network security company, unveiled an MSP program with no up-front costs for solutions providers. But there’s more news coming. I hear that at least one — or two — MSP platform providers will use the SMB Nation event in Redmond, Wash., to unveil extremely targeted solutions for very small businesses. I’ll share more details later this week.

The week of September 24 could represent a tipping point for MSP platform prices. As you know, many VARs and integrators balk when they hear they have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on an MSP platform before they can begin generating recurring monthly revenue.

Apparently, that’s about to change. I hear several companies will discuss new pricing strategies during the MSP Alliance conference in San Jose. And Untangle has already confirmed to me that they will introduce an open source MSP security solution that will require no up-front costs to VARs/customers.

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