MSPmentor

Doyenz this week pulled back the curtains on the latest version of its MSP-focused platform, dubbed ShadowCloud. Here’s a look at Doyenz’s cloud and virtualization strategies, and their implications for managed services providers.

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Terremark Worldwide Inc. has been busy of late, generating strong managed services revenue and also getting cozy with VMware. Here’s a closer look at the provider of colocation and managed services.

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During the Autotask Community Live conference, Ubuntu Linux made a surprise appearance and a surprise encore. Twice during the event, managed service providers (MSPs) told me how they were building their businesses on top of Ubuntu. The two prime examples involve Rezitech and Network Depot. Here’s the scoop.

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In recent weeks, I’ve been promoting the concept of hybrid services — where part of a solution remains on-premise and another portion is hosted in a cloud. But Doyenz is putting a slightly different spin on the situation. The Seattle-based start-up, which appears to have a quiet relationship with Kaseya, wants to shift virtualized Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) and other Microsoft applications into the clouds. Here’s how.

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Instead of relaxing for the New Year holiday, LPI Level Platforms was busy launching Managed Workplace 2009. The new managed services platform debuts today (January 5). LPI Level Platforms CEO Peter Sandiford (pictured) sent me a note January 2 with some quick thoughts about the update.

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Virtualization was supposed to simplify IT. But as companies consolidate their physical servers, virtualize their applications and push some services into the cloud, it’s getting more difficult to track and manage all of those virtual assets.

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A quick observation: Pointivity, which specializes in application hosting, managed services and cloud computing, has signed on to leverage Parallels virtualization software in the company’s data center.

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From VMworld to the ConnectWise Partner Summit, managed service providers attending conferences this week are talking up managed virtualization services.

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Here’s an interesting statistic: Managed service providers that have virtualization expertise say their new business revenues have grown 34 percent over the past 18 months, according to a recent survey sponsored by Nimsoft.

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What role will Linux and open source middleware play in the managed services market? Gus Robertson, vice president of global business development at Red Hat, is weighing that question right now.Robertson is evaluating how Red Hat can work more closely with systems integrators, managed service providers and other key partners, according to Mark Enzweiler, vice president of global channel sales at Red Hat.I’m not predicting that Red Hat will directly enter the MSP space. Rather, Red Hat will likely follow the lead of Untangle and Calyptix Security – two open source companies that already cater to MSPs. I don’t sense that Red Hat will formally “announce” an MSP strategy — contrary to my earlier feelings from April 2008. But I’m seeking a follow-up interview with Robertson to get some of his views on the convergence of open source with managed services. 

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I asked several managed service providers yesterday whether their customers were interested in Macs and Linux as secure, easy-to-manage alternatives to Windows PCs. The answer was a resounding “no.” Instead, the MSPs said, many of their customers are willing to virtualize their desktops, shifting most applications up to a server.

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Is the party over for VMware and the virtualization market? Yes and no. In a surprise move, former Microsoft executive Paul Maritz has been named president and CEO of VMware, replacing ousted co-founder Diane Greene.

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Here’s part two of our top 30 highlights from the Kaseya User Conference in Las Vegas. This portion focuses on Kaseya CEO Gerald Blackie’s keynote, for the most part.

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Business continuity is the ability of an organization to continue functioning after an unplanned interruption. Data disaster recovery is an important part of business continuity capabilities.

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No, Microsoft hasn’t acquired or launched a managed services platform. But the software giant continues to push deeper into the IT management market. In fact, Microsoft this week is hosting an IT management summit in Las Vegas.

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The convergence of open source with managed services and software as a service (SaaS) continues. The latest example: Red Hat, arguably the world’s best-known open source company, has created two staff positions to serve hosting partners. Plus, Red Hat is evaluating a strategy to work more closely with managed service providers, MSPmentor has learned. Here’s the scoop.

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Most managed service providers have heard of hardware as a service (HaaS). Now, here comes “desktops as a service.” The term popped up during a chat I had earlier this week with MokaFive President and CEO Bill Demas.

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A few weeks ago, I started hearing rumblings about managed service platform providers embracing the virtualization market. One of the first movers in this effort is Nimsoft, which today unveiled automation tools for monitoring VMware environments. But Nimsoft won’t be alone for long. Plenty of companies are looking to convergence virtualization with managed services. Here’s a sampling of what to expect.

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In the world of journalism, there’s an old saying: “Three’s a trend.” I thought of that truism this morning when I learned Tech Data plans to offer VMware to its resellers. Managed service providers should take note. In addition to Tech Data, at least two MSP platform providers are striving to help VARs more effectively manage virtualized servers.

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I lifted the headline for this blog entry from a presentation David Strom delivered this morning at the MSP Alliance conference in San Jose. So, what were the five disruptive technologies? Three of them were obvious, but David caught my ear with his analysis of the other two — and some timely perspective on Microsoft Small Business Server.

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