MSPmentor

A few weeks ago I mentioned some of my concerns about the ever-growing Gartner Magic Quadrant research effort. Now, it’s time for me to reverse course — just a little — because I’m very curious about the new Gartner Client Management Tools Magic Quadrant research. The research includes Kaseya — but it stops short of covering additional MSP-centric software companies that offer remote monitoring and management (RMM) platforms. Here’s some perspective.

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Just under a month after acquiring Lyra Research, the Photizo Group has released an update and roadmap research study on the European managed print services (MPS) sector. Among its most significant findings, the managed print services research and consulting firm predicts that the European MPS market will be the world’s largest MPS market, in terms of number of companies entering into MPS contracts, by 2013. Europe is already second only to the United States in overall MPS revenues.

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Gartner has created one heck of a brand with its Gartner Magic Quadrant research. Hundreds of vendors scramble to qualify for the Magic Quadrant — which identifies top technology companies in dozens of different markets. CIOs, in turn, often use Gartner’s Magic Quadrant research to help select IT products and services. Sounds great — but some of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant Leader picks make me scratch my head. Here’s one example…

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Photizo Group, a managed print services research and consulting firm, has acquired Lyra Research, a research and consulting company that has strong ties to the international imaging industry.

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Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) apparently have growing plans for tablet computers and Apple iPad purchases in 2012, according to The NPD Group, a consumer market research firm. For managed services providers, SMB tablet spending plans for 2012 reinforce the need for proactive mobile device management (MDM) strategies, MSPmentor believes.

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Talk about jumping on a crowded bandwagon. When International Data Corp. unveiled its MarketScape study of the managed print services (MPS) market, Xerox, Hewlett-Packard and Lexmark each claimed MPS victories. The IDC MarketScape study reminds MSPmentor of  Gartner Inc.’s Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services Worldwide. Each time new study results surface, multiple technology companies stand up and attempt to dominate the spotlight.

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How are enterprises evolving their information management strategies? A recent Coleman Parkes Research study, organized by Hewlett-Packard, may offer some answers. The study included over 500 interviews with top-level business and technology executives from enterprise companies around the world. Each company has at least 1,000 employees. Among the most striking results? Roughly 60 percent of the executives surveyed recognized the need for a strategy to analyze data sources in order to efficiently use their enterprise data, but admitted that they currently do not have strategy in place.

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Many managed services providers continue to hurt themselves with poor pricing practices and lack of price integrity, according to a new 2112 Group research report sponsored by N-able Technologies and NetEnrich. Generally speaking, MSPmentor believes the report’s conclusion is on the mark.

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Virtela, a cloud-based mobile device management (MDM) provider, continues to evolve to address customer trends. The latest focus area involves management services for Apple iOS, Google Android, tablets and smartphones in corporate environments. Here’s what’s driving the effort.

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It’s been a busy end of the 2011 calendar year for MobileIron, the mobile device management (MDM) and security provider for the enterprise. In late November the MDM provider partnered with Gijima, a South African IT services provider for large enterprises in its region. And days later MobileIron announced the general availability of MobileIron 4.5 for mobile Android devices.

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Think the holidays is the off season for employers bringing aboard new hires? Think again! The MSPmentor Job Board is busy as usual this week, as new opportunities for consultants and sales representatives have surfaced. So now is the time to take action and start the new year with a new career.

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netForensics, which develops cloud security solutions for managed service providers (MSPs), has introduced a security suite for MSPs called nFX One. The new suite has four components for MSPs that want to deliver on-demand security services but do not have the resources to take on additional capital or operational expenses.

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ProfitLine, a telecom expense and mobility management services provider, has a message for enterprises trying to support employee-owned devices as the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) phenomenon continues to gain traction: You must establish expectations with employees before allowing them to connect their own devices to your network. That according to ProfitLine Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Eric Januszko and ProfitLine VP of Marketing Kathleen Glass, both of whom I spoke withabout the trends they are seeing among their enterprise clients when it comes to BYOD. Here’s a little bit of what they had to say.

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ManageEngine, which specializes in managed services software and IT service desk software, has recently released two new products to help SMBs and enterprise companies automate their workflow — especially as the world increasingly goes mobile.

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IBM continues to accelerate its partner strategy in the mid-market. The effort includes a growing push to transform VARs and resellers into managed services providers. Andy Monshaw, general manager of IBM’s global and medium sized business, offered MSPmentor an update.

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A recent study conducted by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry, finds that companies using IT managed services are seeing significant cost savings. But I’ve got to wonder: Are managed services really about cost savings — or is the real benefit predictable business operations for both the customer and the MSP?

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When the Channel Transformation Alliance surfaced this week, it signaled that big technology companies — including HP, Microsoft, CA Technologies and Symantec — are finally ready to help VARs and MSPs to develop recurring revenue business models. In some ways, the Channel Transformation Alliance reminds MSPmentor of the old MSP Partners initiative, where vendors helped channel partners to shift from break-fix business models to managed services and now cloud services business models.

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Demand for mobile device management (MDM) — for tablets, smartphones, iPads, iPhones and more — is starting to flood some IT help desks and service desks. Indeed, 86 percent of IT service desks have seen an increase in the number of mobile devices they’re being asked to support, according to a study by LANDesk Software and the Service Desk Institute. Plus, 76 percent of respondents said growing demand for mobile device management has had a negative impact on their businesses. The obvious question: Can MSPs step in to help customers with their mobile management needs?

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Virtual Computer, a distributed desktop virtualization specialist, remains in business expansion mode following the recent VMworld 2011 in Las Vegas. Virtual Computer’s NxTop4 is a client-hosted virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution that MSPs can manage centrally. The company claims NXTop4 addresses two of the top challenges facing server-hosted VDI.

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Managed print services (MPS) finally seem to be gaining moment but the market for MPS services will still face some challenges, according to a recent study by CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association.

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All Covered has acquired LAN Associates and PMV Technologies, two managed services providers located in New York and Michigan, respectively Also, All Covered acquired Techcare in May 2011. The company has now made 19 acquisitions in three years.

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As some folks worry about a potential double-dip recession, small business owners face an inflection point: Is it time to pump more money back into the business? Or should entrepreneurs stockpile cash? The second-annual Brother Small Business Survey offers some intriguing insights.

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Managed services providers (MSPs) could face mobile device management (MDM) challenges as smart phones and tablet computers continue to infiltrate small businesses and large enterprises. With that challenge in mind, Kaseya has launched Kaseya Mobile Device Management (MDM) 1.0.

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