MSPmentor

As a blogger who watches the software as a service (SaaS) and cloud markets, I find it nearly impossible to keep track of the SaaS brands and subscription services Microsoft continually launches, kills or repositions.

The latest case in point: Microsoft is killing its Windows Live OneCare subscription security service and plans to launch a successor service codenamed Morro. The Morro launch is expected in the second half of 2009, according to Mary Jo Foley’s All About Microsoft blog.

Anybody else getting dizzy as they try to follow Microsoft’s online/SaaS brands?

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Cisco Systems is starting to pull back the curtain on a broader, more aggressive managed services strategy — with an emphasis on empowered branch offices. The company made several MSP-oriented announcements yesterday and hosted a virtual trade show to brief customers. But that’s just the start.

Here are some highlights from Cisco’s announcement, plus where I expect Cisco to go next.

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ADTRAN Inc., which specializes in Ethernet and VoIP hardware, has quietly partnered with Level Platforms and N-able in the managed services market. Here are some quick details.

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Distributors continue to jump on the Microsoft Software as a Service (SaaS) bandwagon. The latest example: Avnet Technology Solutions has launched OneTech Hosted SharePoint services for VARs and solutions providers.

Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS) follows Ingram Micro Seismic and other distributors into the hosted Microsoft applications market — which offers big opportunities and big challenges for managed service providers.

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Autotask today is expected to announce upgrades to Autotask Pro and Autotask Go!, the company’s family of professional services automation (PSA) Software.

The software helps VARs and managed service providers to establish, monitor and track service response goals, as well as manage Service Level Agreements, according to Autotask.

The upgrades, expected to be released today through Autotask’s Software as a Service (SaaS) design, allows Autotask’s 25,000 current users to take the following steps: Read More >

Microsoft says Exchange Online and SharePoint Online are now ready for deployment, with 100 new partners and managed service providers signing up to offer the hosted systems ever week.

But that’s not the entire software as a service (SaaS) story from Microsoft. The software giant is preparing Office Communications Online — a hosted unified communications package. And Microsoft hints that it’s preparing network administration and perhaps even a managed services platform for 2009.

So, are MSPs eager — or worried — about Microsoft in the on demand world? Here’s some analysis.

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Talk about a small world. On November 13 I traded email with Mathew Dickerson, a managed service provider in Australia. He and I were discussing how Telstra — one of Australia’s top telecom service providers — may promote managed services and SaaS (software as a service) across the country.

A few days later we have our answer: Teltra and Jamcracker on November 17 announced a partnership to provide on-demand software and IP services to small and midsize businesses across Australia. Here are the details.

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If you’re a manged service provider —of any size, in any country — you could earn free publicity. Simply fill out our MSPmentor 100 survey. If your company lands on the resulting MSPmentor 100 list, your organization could be ranked among the world’s top managed service providers. Read More >