MSPmentor

During a phone chat Monday afternoon, Symantec VP of Global Channel Sales and Strategy Julie Parrish gave me an update on the company’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, known as the Symantec Protection Network (SPN). It sounds to me like Symantec is taking its time with SPN and won’t make it generally available for a few more weeks.

Indeed, Symantec is being extra thorough with its channel efforts after working through some online setbacks in late 2006 and early 2007. During most of our chat Monday, Parrish described how Symantec has systematically addressed online ordering problems that partners began experiencing in November 2006.

I’ve documented the problems (and Symantec’s corrective actions) before, and was interested to hear more about the Symantec Protection Network’s status. And for good reason: For managed service providers, SPN represents a new opportunity to offer small and mid-size businesses online storage and, eventually, online security. 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 >

When it comes to managed services, Trend Micro certainly has a sense for timing. The security company has launched a “pay as you go” managed service with Ingram Micro. The offering comes as Trend rival Symantec prepares to launch its own software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, know as the Symatec Protection Network. Let the showdown begin. Read More >

October is shaping up to be a busy month for Symantec’s various online software efforts. While the company prepares to launch Symantec Protection Network (a software as a service platform for partners), Symantec is also promoting its Managed Security Services (MSS) to customers. Here’s what Symantec’s strategy means to managed service providers. Read More >

MSP platform providers can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Cisco Systems Inc. does not — I repeat, does not — plan to introduce a managed services platform. Instead, the company is preparing new pricing models for its products, so that managed service providers can more easily formulate their own pricing models for customers.

Cisco will announce the MSP pricing program in October. Some of the early details about the program popped up on TheVARguy.com on September 12. When pressed about the managed services strategy, Cisco executives said they had no plans to compete with Autotask, N-able, Kaseya, and other MSP platform providers. Also, Cisco has no plans to launch a managed security platform, nor does it plan to compete with the forthcoming Symantec Protection Network.