MSPmentor

Another week has flown by. Missed deadlines. Dropped cell phone calls. Delayed video posts. Boy, I’m on a roll. Kidding aside, here are seven managed services blog entries that MSPmentor didn’t have time to write for the week ending March 19, 2010.

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And now for something completely different. Autotask has acquired VARStreet. The move potentially allows VARs and MSPs to have a single dashboard for managing distributor relationships and product sourcing (VARStreet) and IT services automation (Autotask). Here’s some analysis of the deal, the potential implications, and a FastChat video conversation with Autotask CEO Bob Godgart.

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In today’s fast-paced world of technology, new IT issues — and new solutions — can arise in the blink of an eye. This poses a unique challenge for MSPs and VARs trying to stay ahead of the game while simultaneously working to contain costs and maximize ROI. After all, if you can’t or don’t evolve with ongoing service advancements you will quickly begin to lose customers to those competitors who continually find ways to reinvent themselves. So, what’s your next move? Here’s some guidance.

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The convergence of SaaS with managed services is on display at the Intermedia Partner Summit in Silicon Valley. A few minutes ago, MSPs started asking Intermedia if the company would integrate its hosted Exchange service with MSP-oriented tools. Intermedia said yes. In fact, some of the work is already complete. And more integrations are coming.

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The rules in the Australia managed services software market continue to evolve. As N-able CEO Gavin Garbutt heads to the land down under for a series of MSP events, rival Kaseya (in partnership with Ingram Micro) has launched a SaaS initiative for Australia and New Zealand solutions providers. Two years ago, I don’t think the Australia market was ready for SaaS-centric managed services offerings. Apparently, that’s changed.

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The deal finally happened. ConnectWise Capital has invested in LabTech Software, a remote monitoring and management (RMM) software provider located in Toledo, Ohio. Official news is expected to surface in the next 24 hours or so. At first glance, it’s a relatively small deal. But I think the ConnectWise-LabTech relationship has key implications for the overall MSP software industry. Here’s why.

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Own Web Now (OWN) has launched a synchronization tool that apparently automates billing between ConnectWise and OWN’s cloud services for managed services providers (MSPs). According to OWN CEO Vlad Mazek, his company completed similar work for the Autotask platform in 2009. Here are some details about OWN’s synchronization tools for PSA (professional services automation) platforms.

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Even as the managed services market expands, the world shrinks. A case in point: MSPs located in Europe and Australia are beginning to network with one another through HTG Peer Groups. Here are some perspectives, including views from HTG President Scott Scrogin, who recently returned from a series of MSP-related meetings in Australia.

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Kaseya appears poised to launch the Kaseya 2 platform this week. The effort includes on-premise and SaaS (software as a service) tools for managed services providers and IT administrators. In fact, I think Kaseya is set to debut at least three SaaS tools for MSPs and IT administrators. Here are some perspectives.

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A software market for MSP middleware seems to be emerging. From Rezitech to Directive Technology Integrators, managed services providers (MSPs) are writing middleware for PSA (professional services automation) platforms like Autotask and ConnectWise. Here’s a closer look at the trend.

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There’s no denying 2009 was a challenging year. Nearly everyone was forced to cut costs, streamline operations and undergo the proverbial belt tightening to stay out of the red. It wasn’t easy. Salary levels were frozen. Bonuses canceled. Furloughs mandated. And, in the worst cases, employees laid off and businesses closed. Now, here’s some upside.

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By now, you’ve likely read the top managed services blog entries from Q1, Q2 and Q3 of 2009. Now, let’s look at the stories and chatter that generated the most MSPmentor readership in Q4 2009…

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We’ve already covered the most widely read managed services blog entries from Q1 and Q2. Now, let’s take a look at what MSPmentor’s visitors were busy reading in Q3 2009…

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Zenith Infotech plans to host 124 U.S. Open Houses in the first quarter of 2010 — part of a push to promote managed services infrastructure and business continuity services to solutions providers targeting small and mid-size companies. Take a closer look and you’ll notice this is part of a larger trend that’s accelerating across the managed services market: Software companies hitting the road and holding face-to-face engagements, open houses and user group gatherings.

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As I mentioned yesterday, MSP-centric software companies are getting very cozy with peer groups (which typically include VARs and MSPs). Less than 24 hours after that blog post, Autotask has announced a relationship with 1nService, an international group of integrators that represent $1.5 billion in combined revenues. I’m on a flight at the moment (cleared for landing…) but will offer more perspectives later today.

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If you still doubt the power — and influence — of peer groups then check out a recent announcement involving CompTIA and HTG Peer Groups. The relationship is the latest indication that big associations and vendors see peer groups — comprising VARs and MSPs — as fertile ground for growth. Here’s why.

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Sources say something is cooking between ConnectWise and CharTec — which specializes in Hardware as a Service. What could be brewing? At first glance, I don’t know much. At all. (Surprised?) But take a closer look and you might start to see the bigger picture. It involves PSA (professional services automation) and RMM (remote monitoring and management) software companies eventually cooperating and competing in the cloud. Here’s why.

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Nimsoft has launched a Unified Monitoring Alliance that includes Autotask, ConnectWise, FusionStorm, Ingram Micro, Rackspace Hosting and roughly 30 other service providers and independent software vendors. What does all this mean? Here’s my take on Nimsoft’s efforts.

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Our team is back home after attending the ConnectWise Partner Summit, HTG Peer Group meetings and Symantec Partner Engage this past week. Now I’m packing and leaving tonight for Cisco Partner Velocity in Paris. In between all that, here are seven managed services blog entries we didn’t have time to write for the week ending Nov. 7, 2009.

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As the ConnectWise Partner Summit kicks off in Orlando, Fla., MSP Services Network (MSPSN) is touting recent integration with the ConnectWise platform. But instead of betting her business on one relationship, MSPSN CEO Amy Luby is developing partnerships and relationships with a range of software providers and associations. Here’s an update on MSPSN’s strategy.

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Life is moving pretty fast. Voicemail  and email are overflowing. And we’re packing for multiple events the week of Nov. 2. Here’s a look at seven managed services blog entries we didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Oct. 30, 2009.

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When we pontificated on the ups and downs of Drupal a few weeks ago, we kept hearing one thing over and over again: What about Joomla and JoomConnect? Well, here’s the deal: Joomla! (The exclamation point is part of their name), a free and open modular content management system, is compelling on its own. But JoomConnect — a service that integrates Joomla! with ConnectWise — is starting to generate buzz of its own.

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What a week. Our bloggers have been on the road at N-able Partner Summit, Astricon, Oracle OpenWorld and Avaya’s partner conference. Lots of fantastic blogs still to be written. Here are the seven managed services blog entries I didn’t have time to write for the week ending Oct. 16.

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