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As he prepares for a quarterly company management meeting in Miami, Kaseya CEO Gerald Blackie sees plenty of upside — and a few challenges — awaiting the managed services industry.
“If we don’t shine as an industry [during the economic crisis] we’re missing the boat,” said Blackie. “Companies that enable new productivity and levels of efficiencies are more inclined to do well during a recession.”
Amy Katz (my business partner) and I sat down with Blackie on October 21 in Miami. During our conversation, Blackie expressed continued enthusiasm for managed services, but conceded smaller MSPs could face economic challenges.
Consonus Technologies Inc., a data center expert and managed service provider, has cancelled its initial public offering (IPO). The Cary, N.C.-based company originally filed to launch an IPO in May 2007, notes the Web Host Industry News.
But turbulent financial markets and a less-than-stellar IPO by rival RackSpace forced Consonus to remain private — at least for the time being. Read More >
When I speak with managed service providers and VARs, the conversations often involve so-called “exit strategies.” How can an MSP get acquired? What are the secrets to attracting a buyer? I asked Gary Pica, general managed of mindSHIFT Technologies, those very questions this morning.
Pica will be a guest speaker on our next MSPmentor Live: CEO Exchange. In 2005, Pica sold his company (Dynamic Digital Services Inc.) to mindSHIFT — one of the world’s best-known managed service providers. How did Pica attract a buyer? His answer was rather simple.
I just spotted this on The Wall Street Journal’s Business Technology blog:
In a study released Wednesday by the University of San Francisco, Mark Cannice, founder of USF’s Entrepreneurship Program, found that venture capitalists’ confidence is at its lowest level since the university began surveying venture investors in 2004.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean bad news for the managed services industry. Here’s why.
Call me crazy, but I view the economic crisis as an opportunity for you to pull away from your competitors. While everyone is busy cutting costs, you can invest in your brand and market your way to new customer engagements.
Still, every business should seek to control their costs — regardless of the economy. With that goal in mind, check out this list of 78 ways to control your business costs, published by Inside CRM.
Sekar Vembu (pictured), founder and CEO of Vembu Technologies, is the latest software entrepreneur to launch his own blog. But instead of hyping Vembu’s storage solutions, the executive describes why he looks forward to the return of “normal and sustainable economic growth.” Read More >
Network Depot LLC, ranked No. 75 in last year’s MSPmentor 100 survey, is transforming itself into a Master MSP. The company has introduced a hosted Kaseya platform, known as Virtual Administrator, that small VARs can leverage.
Hosting managed services for other VARs is part of a growing trend across the MSP landscape. But in addition to offering new revenue opportunities, becoming a Master MSP also involves some challenges. Read More >
Yes, the managed services industry continues to grow during the current economic crisis. However, it’s important to note: Even if you introduce services that your customers crave, some customers may fail to pay you.
Skeptical? Consider the situation with the U.S. electric grid. Electric service is the most basic managed service. Businesses and consumers “can’t live without it. Even so, some utilities and power suppliers are experiencing record payment delays from their customers.
Here’s one example from LIPA, the Long Island Power Authority — along with some thoughts on how to ensure customers keep paying you for your services.
