MSPmentor

Logicworks, a managed service provider in New York, has made a rather interesting move that other MSPs should note: The company claims it is the first authorized MySQL Platinum Hosting Partner in the U.S.

Smart move. MySQL is the open source database recently acquired by Sun Microsystems for $1 billion. It is, in my estimation, one of the top 10 open source technologies VARs should be watching — or embracing — this year. Read More >

Some pundits say managed services will become a commodity. I disagree. Managed services are not a single technology. Rather, managed service provider (MSP) platforms are a way to continually deliver new solutions to customers.

Think of it this way: As one managed service matures (for instance, managed storage) a new managed service will emerge (for instance, video surveillance). In order to show this visually, let’s take a look at Gartner’s famed Hype Cycle chart.

Now stick with me, and I’l quickly explain how I see the MSP market evolving.

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Call it the ultimate double play: Open source coupled with software as a service (SaaS). Using that formula, SugarCRM is striving to double its size this year, asserts CEO John Roberts.

During a phone interview earlier today, Roberts declared the age of proprietary, closed software to be nearing its end. He asserted that even traditional SaaS deployments from companies like Salesforce.com will face intense pressure from open-source SaaS alternatives. Read More >

Morph Labs is the latest company to meld managed services, software as a service (Saas) and open source into a platform solution. The Philippines-based startup claims it has launched a platform that allows independent software vendors (ISVs), entrepreneurs and other businesses to quickly enter the SaaS market. Read More >

Generally speaking, software as a service (SaaS) is a great business model for tech companies and their customers. But a flood of press coverage has suggested that SaaS specialists are immune to an economic slowdown or recession.

Once again, MSPmentor wants to go on the record stating that this just isn’t true. The latest example: RightNow, a leading SaaS provider, has delivered a disappointing financial forecast. Here’s a quick look at the situation at RightNow, and some big-picture thoughts on SaaS. Read More >

Even amid a questionable economy, John Roberts (pictured) sounds upbeat. As CEO of SugarCRM, Roberts leads one of Silicon Valley’s fastest-growing open source software providers. But that’s not all. SugarCRM also offers its software as a service (SaaS).

Smart move. As this site has pointed out before, the worlds of open source, managed services and SaaS are converging. And for good reason: Customers and their solutions providers increasingly want open options with predictable pricing and low acquisition costs. “The new rules of the industry are no proprietary code and no lock-in techniques,” said Roberts during a phone chat with me on January 16. Those trends and SugarCRM’s market opportunities should allow the company to launch an initial public offering within two years, he added. Read More >

Can software as a service (SaaS) and managed services keep you afloat during a sinking economy? That continues to be the buzz on Wall Street and across the blogosphere. I’m not predicting a recession — I’ve always been a glass-half-full type of guy — and I also don’t want to hype SaaS and managed services as a cure-all for economic wounds. With all of those caveats in mind, I do believe solutions providers should focus on SaaS, managed services and open source as their three cornerstones in 2008. Here’s why. Read More >

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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