MSPmentor

After a year of anticipation, Symantec finally launched its managed service/software-as-a-service platform today. The Symantec Protection Network (SPN) initially supports storage services, with security services expected to arrive later this year or sometime in 2009.

Right out of the gate, SPN offers close integration with Symantec Backup Exec. That’s an important point: Hooks between SPN and Backup Exec could provide VARs and MSPs with a powerful one-two punch in the managed services market. Here’s why. Read More >

For the second time in a week, I’m hearing buzz about managed service providers working more closely with Amazon.com’s Simple Storage Service (also known as Amazon S3). For MSPs, the trick is embracing a reliable back-end storage service without mitigating your own brand in the market. Read More >

Big companies — EMC, and soon Symantec — are making big moves into the managed services market. But Vembu Technologies of Chennai (Madras), India, has quietly built a global managed storage business of its own.

More than 550 partners now use StorGrid, Vembu’s backup and storage solution. And Vembu is seeking to push its global partner network to more than 1,000 companies, according to Lakshmanan Narayan, president of Vembu. Read More >

In less than a year, Dell has made three key acquisitions to pump up its managed services and software as a service (SaaS) business. The latest acquisition involves MessageOne, which specializes in email continuity, compliance and archiving as a managed service. Here’s the scoop, and the bigger picture on Dell’s managed services push. Read More >

From EMC to Symantec, storage companies want their piece of the managed services pie. Toward that end, EMC is launching a software-as-a-service platform that allows customers to backup their information to EMC data centers. Meanwhile, Symantec is putting the final touches on its Symantec Protection Network — which will allow VARs to offer storage management services to their customers.

For managed service providers, the race is on to find a storage service that complements their existing platforms and sales strategies. Companies such as Symantec and Vembu have vowed to promote their managed storage services through channel partners, while direct sales veterans such as EMC still receive a healthy dose of skepticism from potential partners. Read More >

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 >

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 >