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Managed Services: Tech Cost Savings vs. Productivity Gains
Posted October 28th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
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?
Recurring Revenues: Big Tech Companies Finally Assist Channel Partners
Posted September 23rd, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
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.
Tablet, iPad and Mobile Device Management: Can You Help?
Posted September 22nd, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
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?
After VMworld: Virtual Computer’s Desktop Virtualization Push
Posted September 22nd, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
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.
CompTIA Study: Managed Print Services On the Rise
Posted September 21st, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
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.
All Covered Acquires LAN Associates, PMV Technologies
Posted September 16th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
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.
Small Businesses: Stockpile Cash or Invest in the Business?
Posted August 16th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
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.
Kaseya Releases Mobile Device Management v1.0
Posted August 15th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
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.
ManageEngine: On-Demand Apps Meet Active Directory
Posted August 12th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
ManageEngine, the manged services software provider, has bolstered its ManageEngine On-Demand applications by adding Active Directory (AD) integration to ServiceDesk Plus On-Demand. The added feature is part of ManageEngine’s quest to “seamlessly integrate applications within the corporate boundary,” according to ManageEngine Director of Product Management Rajesh Ganesan.
Managed Security Services: Identity & Access Management Emerge
Posted August 10th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Mycroft Inc., an identity and access management specialist, is partnering up with SailPoint on a range of security initiatives.The relationship caught our attention because SailPoint has a channel partner program, and Mycroft is positioning the joint solution as a managed service for enterprises.
WANdisco Opens uberApps Store for Enterprise IT Managers
Posted July 25th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
If you’re a managed services provider (MSP) that has a hand in software development, then WANdisco would like your attention. The application lifecycle management (ALM) company on July 26 is set to launch the uberApps store, which could help service providers and enterprises to more easily select applications.
Providea Bolsters Managed Video Services Platform
Posted July 22nd, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Providea Communications, LLC has added a network and systems management tool to its Managed Video Services Platform. Providea’s new tool, called ClearTrac Control (CTC), will help resolve customer issues more rapidly, the company claims. Here are the details.
Got Social Media Etiquette? H*** Yes or No?
Posted July 21st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
What’s proper social media etiquette? The unwritten rules always seem to be changing. But a recent survey from Intermedia and Harris Interactive offers some guidance. The survey involved nearly 2,400 working adults, who apparently stopped tweeting and friending long enough to participate in the survey. Here are some of the findings…
HP Positions Application Lifecycle Management for the Cloud
Posted July 19th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
What if application developers could become managed services providers (MSPs) — managing software through its entire customer lifecycle, whether on premise or in the cloud? Perhaps Hewlett-Packard and Tasktop Technologies can assist with that goal. Indeed, HP and Tasktop are working together on a range of ALM solutions that might interest channel partners.
Appia Makes International Managed Services and VoIP Push
Posted July 6th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
I recently described how Appia Communications, an MSPmentor 100 company, promotes managed services to office complexes in Indianapolis, Ind. Now, I’ve caught up with Appia Vice President of Marketing Matt Siemens to learn where the company is heading next. The answer: Appia, based in Traverse City, Mich., has big plans for the international market. Here are the details.
SOHO Customers: A Real Opportunity for Managed Services?
Posted July 5th, 2011 by Dan Berthiaume
We all know the benefits of telecommuting. A range of factors — mobile computing, broadband access, corporate downsizing — has fueled the market for home-based corporate offices and home-based businesses. Now here’s the riddle for managed services providers: Are SOHO customers and home-based executives worth your time and effort to engage? Or are they high-maintenance, low-margin audiences whom you should avoid?
Managed Services Merger: Cogent Advises Mother Network-DSPI Deal
Posted June 14th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Mother Network Guardians, a Chicago-based IT service provider, has acquired Decisions Systems Plus Inc. (DSPI) to potentially grow its SMB customer base. Cogent Growth Partners, LLC — a merger and acquisition advisory firm — advised Mother Network on the deal, which highlights continued consolidation in the MSP and VAR markets.
Merger and Acquisition Guidance: MSPExcellence, TCI Partner Up
Posted June 2nd, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
More and more consultants are seeking to assist MSPs with mergers and acquisitions. The latest example: MSPExcellence, a business consulting firm, and Technology Capital Investors (TCI), which invests in MSPs and hosting firms, are teaming up to help MSPs maximize their success during and after the M&A process.
Survey: SMBs, Enterprises Nationwide Embracing MSPs
Posted May 27th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
About one-third of small, midsize and large companies in the United States can imagine a time when all of their IT assets and operations are managed by an MSP. That’s one of the key stats from a Nimsoft survey of 100 company executives representing companies with 1,000 to 20,000 employees. Here are some more findings from the survey.
FCC Urges SMBs to Protect IT Networks, Customers
Posted May 23rd, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Message from the Federal Communications Commission to small and midsize business (SMB) owners everywhere: Protect yourselves and your clients. The message came from FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in a congressional newspaper. The news came after the FCC had a roundtable discussion on cybersecurity and identified three things SMBs need to protect: their networks, their intellectual property and their clients’ personal information. Here’s an excerpt from the story published in The Hill in which Chairman Genachowski talked about SMB cybersecurity:
Zyrion Monitoring Software Makes Global Channel Push
Posted May 19th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Zyrion, Inc., which specializes in network performance and monitoring software, has given its international and North American channel partners the green light to expand its Zyrion Traverse offering to SMBs and large enterprise companies within their sales regions. Numerous MSPs already use Zyrion, and now they can more easily resell the solution into corporate settings for internal IT use.
Corporate Network Services: Managed Services Growth Mode
Posted May 18th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Corporate Network Services, Inc., an MSPmentor 100 company, set a rather lofty business goal two years ago. Specifically, CNS wanted to double its revenues within five years. Marching toward that goal, CNS has expanded its Mac support capabilities, pushed deeper into the government vertical and focused aggressively on application development services and managed services.
Will Managed Services Providers Pursue Nearshore IT Outsourcing?
Posted May 12th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Instead of outsourcing IT departments to distant countries, a growing number of U.S. organizations are pursuing so-called nearshore outsourcing. Companies like Softtek and HfS Research are working hard to explain the trend.“It’s all about working collaboratively in support of managed services,” said Softtek CEO Beni Lopez. “It’s cheaper to outsource your IT services to India than it is to outsource it to Mexico in terms of wages. But nearshore is cheaper than offshore because it cuts down things like the time zone difference, travel time and the amount of overhead.”
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