Professional services automation (PSA) software allows MSPs to better manage their own businesses. PSA software is frequently available on-premise or as a SaaS configuration. Typical PSA software includes CRM (customer relationship management), trouble ticket management, marketing and sales components. In addition to the PSA news coverage and analysis below, the MSPmentor Resource Center (free registration required) includes dozens of PSA case studies.
A few weeks ago I mentioned some of my concerns about the ever-growing Gartner Magic Quadrant research effort. Now, it’s time for me to reverse course — just a little — because I’m very curious about the new Gartner Client Management Tools Magic Quadrant research. The research includes Kaseya — but it stops short of covering additional MSP-centric software companies that offer remote monitoring and management (RMM) platforms. Here’s some perspective.
After quietly selling off its VARStreet business in December 2011, Autotask is putting the public spotlight back on its international push. The latest chatter: Autotask says 500 IT channel partner customers in the United Kingdom now use the company’s SaaS and cloud platform. Autotask’s timing and wording is worth noting. Here’s why.
Intronis has released a new version of its cloud-based backup platform for managed services providers (MSPs). The Intronis upgrade, dubbed Winter Release ’12, includes integration with ConnectWise. Plus, managed services providers can now use iPhone and Android apps to manage their Intronis cloud-based backup processes, according to Intronis VP of Marketing and Customer Success Carol Ferrari.
I’m packing my bags and heading to the CA Technologies MSP Symposium in a couple of days (Jan. 29-31, Miami, Fla). But before I head for the blogging exit, here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news stories the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending January 27, 2012.
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.
Shockey Monkey 2.0 — also dubbed Shockey Monkey Reloaded — debuted this week. It’s a free PSA (professional services automation) software platform for managed services providers and their end-customers. The man behind Shockey Monkey is Vlad Mazek — the executive who also built the ExchangeDefender business. So what makes Shockey Monkey unique in a fiercely competitive software market segment? Mazek offered some insights.
Tigerpaw Software, the business automation and service management software provider, is calling on its satisfied customers to help take sales viral. To with the company has launched a Tigerpaw Customer Referral Program to give existing customers — typically VARs, MSPs and telco resellers — a little added incentive.
ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini and President David Bellini have spent the past two years preparing for software industry convergence and competitive wars. The result: ConnectWise and its investments — most notably LabTech Software and Quosal — have been in growth mode. But ironically, the anticipated MSP software wars never fully emerged. Here’s the back story.
It’s time to shift our managed services coverage back into overdrive. The New Year holiday is over. MSPs are getting back to work. But before you check in with your customers, here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news tips that MSPmentor didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending December 30, 2011.
Before MSPmentor marches forward with you into 2012, we’re spending this week looking back at the most read managed services stories of 2011. Let’s get started: Here’s a look at the most read MSP stories from Q1, 2011 and their implications for managed services providers.
On the one hand, sales of Microsoft Dynamics — CRM, ERP and accounting applications — continue to rise swiftly. On the other hand, more and more MSPs continue to adopt PSA (professional services automation) software. So could Microsoft Dynamics and PSA software be on a collision course within the managed services provider community? Perhaps yes.
After months of quiet development, Cisco Systems has officially launched the Cisco OnPlus Service — a cloud-based service that allows MSPs to monitor SMB customers’ network infrastructure. At $5 per network location per month, the Cisco OnPlus Service hopes to carve a niche between PSA (professional services automation) and RMM (remote monitoring and management) platforms. Here’s why.
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.
The MSPmentor team spent the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. recharging and relaxing with friends and family. Now we’re plugging back in and catching up on managed services chatter. Here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news tips the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Nov. 25, 2011.
The MSPmentor team will continue blogging right up until the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. But in the meantime, here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news tips the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Nov. 18, 2011.
Now that the IT Nation conference is over, I’ve had some time to think about the continued evolution of ConnectWise and its sister companies — CharTec, LabTech Software and Quosal. I hesitate to say ConnectWise “owns” each of those companies, since I hear investment terms — organized through ConnectWise Capital — are likely different for each company. Also, each ConnectWise Capital investment has a different mission and market focus. So how will the ConnectWise Capital portfolio members evolve in 2012? I’ve got some educated hunches.
Thrive Networks, the managed services business owned by Staples, continues to see double-digit growth in the services market. Some of that growth can be traced back to Thrive Networks’ relationships with Axcient and SonicWall, which power the MSP’s backup and disaster recovery (BDR) and managed firewall services.
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.
At the ConnectWise IT Nation conference today, CEO Arnie Bellini demonstrated deeper integration between ConnectWise, LabTech Software and Quosal. The move reinforce’s Bellini’s vision to build a Microsoft Office-like suite for the IT Channel. But Bellini also evangelized continued integration with third-party RMM and quoting software platforms. Here’s a look at the keynote so far.
The ConnectWise IT Nation conference kicks off November 9, but most attendees are already on hand for numerous pre-conference sessions. So what’s the managed services chatter so far? Here are 10 conversations, trends, and news tips worth tracking.
When the IT Nation conference kicks off Nov. 9 in Orlando, dozens of MSPmentor 250 members — managed services experts, entrepreneurs and executives — will be on hand. Among the folks we hope to meet: ConnectWise CTO Linda Brotherton (pictured). MSPmentor recently spoke with Brotherton to gain some high-level thoughts about ConnectWise’s software development strategy. Now, we’re curious to know what’s on tap for 2012.
Tigerpaw Software is set to launch mobile and cloud solutions for VARs and MSPs, President James Foxall told partners and customers during the 2011 Tigerpaw User Conference yesterday. MSPmentor speculated earlier this week that we may hear some sort of hosted or cloud announcement from Tigerpaw. Foxall said he expects newer Tigerpaw customers to be the first adopters of the company’s cloud solution.
Starting today, several hundred VARs, MSPs and telecom resellers are attending this week’s Tigerpaw User Conference in Dallas. The big question: Can this second-annual Tigerpaw conference build upon last year’s event, which pumped some fresh ideas into the managed services and telecom reseller markets?
