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ConnectWise Capital Now Has Cloud Services Triple Play
Posted January 24th, 2012 by Joe Panettieri
When LabTech Software launched a cloud edition yesterday, it completed a ConnectWise Capital triple play. Indeed, ConnectWise now essentially has at least three cloud services — ConnectWise Cloud, LabTech Cloud and Quosal On Demand — that MSPs can piece together into an extended business management platform. The net result: I think ConnectWise CEO has found a way to further increase ConnectWise’s valuation.
Level Platforms Grows Partner Base 45 Percent
Posted January 12th, 2012 by Joe Panettieri
Level Platforms grew its customer base 45 percent in 2011. Now, the company is preparing a major managed services road show and developing enhancements for Managed Workplace, Level Platforms’ flagship remote monitoring and management (RMM) software, said Dan Wensley (pictured), VP of partner development and marketing. Key to those efforts: Plugging Dave Sobel, the newly hired director of partner community, into Level Platforms’ business starting on January 23. Here’s the strategy.
Autotask, LabTech Conferences: Same Week, Same City?
Posted December 1st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
While piecing together the Top 100 Channel Partner Conferences for 2012, our editorial team noticed that Autotask and LabTech Software seem to be on a collision course in 2012. Indeed, the Autotask Community Live 2012 and LabTech Automation Nation 2012 conferences appear to be scheduled for the same week, in the same city.
Kaseya CEO Responds to R&D Questions from MSPs
Posted November 30th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
In recent weeks, some MSPs have called on Kaseya to spend more time developing and enhancing its core software platform and existing modules — rather than building out more add-on modules. In an online forum, Kaseya CEO Gerald Blackie has responded to MSPs by saying that the company continues to march forward on its R&D and software quality efforts. Here’s a summary of the dialog.
Five ERP Considerations for MSPs Serving SMB Customers
Posted November 28th, 2011 by Dan Berthiaume
Yes, SMB customers are increasingly embracing ERP (enterprise resource planning) software, both on-premise and in the cloud. However, MSPs that wish to get in on the SMB ERP action may still have a few things to learn about the specific ERP needs of this market. Indeed, ChainLink Research outlines five key strategic considerations SMBs should examine before selecting an ERP solution, and they are just as applicable to selecting a managed services provider to help implement and maintain ERP technology.
Mobile Device Management and RMM Software: Set to Converge?
Posted November 21st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Brace yourself. The worlds of mobile device management (MDM) software and RMM (remote monitoring and management) software are on a collision course. The reason: MSPs want a single dashboard to manage servers, desktops, notebooks, tablets and smartphones. Moving beyond Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, top MSPs must now add Apple iOS and Google Android to the management mix. But when will that dream — RMM platforms blended with MDM software — become a reality?
Level Platforms CEO Looks to Maintain Momentum In 2012
Posted November 21st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Anecdotal evidence suggests 2011 has been a strong year for Level Platforms. But can the MSP software provider continue that momentum in 2012 — especially as competition between RMM (remote monitoring and management) software providers intensifies? I’ve gathered some clues from Level Platforms CEO Peter Sandiford.
Managed Services: 7 Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write, Nov. 11
Posted November 13th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
The MSPmentor team is heading off to conferences hosted by Synnex and Intel this week. Plus we’ll closely track CA World in Las Vegas. But before MSPmentor kicks off another round of managed services coverage, here are seven blogs the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending November 11.
GFI Max User Conference: Four Questions Worth Asking
Posted November 8th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
GFI Max is hosting its first-ever U.S. customer conference this week (Orlando, Nov. 8-9). The customer conference, which certainly includes VARs and MSPs, offers an important inflection point for GFI and its partners. Indeed, parent GFI Software has acquired numerous companies, and the GFI Max portfolio now includes a range of remote management, security and storage solutions. Where do MSPs fit into the conversation? Here are four questions worth asking during the GFI Max gathering.
Microsoft System Center 2012 Set to Manage Apple iPads
Posted October 27th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Microsoft System Center 2012 will be able to manage Apple iPads, according to Heather Logan, a New York Metro Partner Territory Manager within Microsoft’s US SMB and Distribution team. Microsoft has launched several pre-release versions of System Center 2012, signaling the company’s growing focus on cross-platform mobile device management (MDM) and application management. It makes me wonder: Will Windows Intune, a cloud alternative to System Center, ultimately support iPad management as well?
SolarWinds Confirms Managed Services Provider Push
Posted October 25th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
SolarWinds, which develops IT management software, is set to work more closely with managed services providers (MSPs). SolarWinds will likely make an official announcement for MSPs sometimes this week, the company has confirmed to MSPmentor.
Tigerpaw Preps Convergence Community, Cloud PSA Platform
Posted October 24th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Tigerpaw Software, which develops on-premise PSA (professional services automation) software, is preparing to launch a convergence community in November, and cloud software platform sometime thereafter. The convergence community will be designed to help voice partners move into the data space. Tigerpaw President James Foxall (pictured) mentioned the forthcoming developments when we met last week at the 2011 Tigerpaw User Conference.
LabTech Software Pursues European Managed Services Providers
Posted September 27th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
LabTech Software CEO Matt Nachtrab (pictured) and ConnectWise Director of Community Jeannine Edwards have spent recent days in Europe. The effort involves a LabTech roadshow to educate aspiring and established MSPs — especially those looking for remote monitoring and management (RMM) software. Nachtrab concedes that most of LabTech’s momentum to date has involved North America and Australia. But in a FastChat video, Nachtrab describes how LabTech will seek to accelerate its European business in 2012.
Seven Managed Services Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write: Aug. 19
Posted August 19th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Some small news over at Hewlett-Packard this week (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) occupied most of our blog team efforts for the past 24 hours. So what else was going on this week? Here are seven managed IT services blog entries the MSPmentor team didn’t have time to write for the week ending Aug. 19, 2011.
NetSuite OpenAir and CommitCRM Make PSA Pitches
Posted August 15th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
The PSA (professional services automation) software market is getting increasingly crowded. Among the latest moves: NetSuite is finally pitching OpenAir — a SaaS-based PSA platform — more aggressively to channel partners. Plus, Commit Business Solutions is making new PSA moves to engage MSPs, IT service providers and computer repair professionals.
Level Platforms Managed Workplace 2011 R2: An MSP Encore?
Posted August 15th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Fueled by strong demand for Managed Workplace 2011, Level Platforms‘ revenues are up roughly 41 percent over the same period last year. Now, Level Platforms is hoping to play an encore with Managed Workplace 2011 R2, an updated managed services software release available on-premise and in the cloud.
LabTech Software Prepares Cloud and Hosted Strategy
Posted August 11th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
LabTech Software, the on-premise remote monitoring and management (RMM) provider, is gearing up to support MSPs in the cloud. LabTech CEO Matt Nachtrab says his company is still formulating a strategy for hosted LabTech software — but it sounds like the R&D efforts for LabTech in the cloud are under way.
Microsoft Windows 8: Strategy Updates at BUILD in September
Posted July 29th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Microsoft is expected to update its Windows 8 strategy during a new conference called BUILD (Sept. 13-16, Anaheim, Calif.). A teaser for the event suggests that Windows 8 will have a bigger market impact than the Windows 95 launch back in August 1995. Details about BUILD are still sketchy but MSPmentor has to ask the obvious question: Can Microsoft once again spark the imagination of ISVs (independent software developers) with Windows 8′s touch interface?
Cloud Service Level Agreements: Will CA and WatchMouse Save the Day?
Posted July 29th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Consider this riddle: How can VARs and MSPs monitor — and enforce — their service level agreements (SLAs) with cloud service providers? CA Technologies may have solved that riddle by acquiring WatchMouse today. The CA-WatchMouse deal also shows how CA is targeting acquisitions that bolster multiple CA divisions and products — including Nimsoft and CA Application Performance Management (APM).
Can Microsoft System Center Revenues Lift Windows Intune?
Posted July 22nd, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Perhaps MSPmentor is underestimating the future prospects of Windows Intune. Why am I starting to open my mind to Windows Intune’s future? The simple answer involves Microsoft System Center, which has generated double-digit revenue growth for 10 consecutive quarters, according to Microsoft GM of Investor Relations Bill Koefoed. Here are the details — and potential synergies with Windows Intune.
Tigerpaw Software Prepares Multiple Moves for VARs and MSPs
Posted July 21st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Tigerpaw Software Inc. is working on a new telecom initiative to help the company’s 1,400+ voice partners move into the data space, MSPmentor has learned. Meanwhile, Tigerpaw 11R2 — an upgrade to the company’s software platform — is set to debut in the next few weeks. As frequent MSPmentor readers know, Tigerpaw is a PSA (professional services automation) platform that allows VARs, MSPs and telecom resellers to more effectively manage their day-to-day business operations. Tigerpaw President James Foxall (pictured) gave me some clues about where Tigerpaw is heading next.
Microsoft’s Next Killer Platform: All Roads Lead to Lync
Posted July 20th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
It’s been about a week since I returned home from Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2011. Now that I’ve had some time to digest what I heard and saw, I’ve come to a conclusion: Lync is rapidly emerging as Microsoft’s next killer platform for channel partners, including MSPs. Here’s why.
Nimsoft Monitor Expands Cisco UCS Capabilities
Posted July 14th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Nimsoft‘s remote monitoring and management (RMM) software, called Nimsoft Monitor, has expanded its ability to manage Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) data centers. Nimsoft Senior Principal Product Manager Andy Kicklighter said the extended capabilities will help Nimsoft moving toward its goal of becoming “a full modern IT infrastructure management provider for MSPs.” The announcement surfaced at Cisco Live in Las Vegas, Nev.
