MSPmentor

I’ve been hyping the convergence of open source, software as a service (SaaS) and managed service providers (MSPs) in recent months. But I have to admit, it has been difficult to find MSPs that actually run a large mix of open source SaaS systems. That all changed tonight at the MSP Revolution conference, when I met John Truitt, president of Kalleo Technologies.

Kalleo, based in Peducah, Kentucky, leverages Asterisk, SugarCRM, Nagios and GroundWork Open Source as part of its daily managed services business. The systems aren’t perfect — not yet, at least — but they reflect key emerging trends that will go mainstream across the managed services market over the next two to five years, I believe. Here’s why.

Read More >

I hear Autotask has a patent pending related to a managed services user interface. That doesn’t mean Autotask will actually receive the patent. But it raises an interesting question: Should the managed services industry follow Autotask’s lead, and work harder to define and safeguard its intellectual property?

As a whole, I think MSP software providers and their customers don’t do enough to promote and defend industry innovations.

At the Everything Channel conference (Aug. 17-20, Dallas), Autotask and OnForce expect to announce an integration partnership, MSPmentor has learned. The deal will allow Autotask customers to easily outsource IT projects and tasks to OnForce — the marketplace for computer repair services and IT consultants, according to several sources in the know.

The expanding OnForce relationship is the latest step in Autotask CEO Bob Godgart’s outsourcing management strategy. And the deal also reinforces a trend toward open APIs (application programming interfaces) across the MSP industry. Read More >

In case you couldn’t join us for MSPmentor Live: CEO Exchange on June 25 and June 12, both webcasts are now archived and available for your on-demand viewing. Simply visit the MSPmentor Event Center to access the webcasts. Read More >

PartnerPedia — a new social network for managed service providers and VARs — is set to launch in July. The site is the latest online community that allow MSPs and IT service providers to network, collaborate and outsource work to one another.

However, PartnerPedia is different from vendor-driven IT communities, MSP association sites, and online marketplaces for VARs. Here’s why.

Read More >

(Update 6/26/08: If you missed this event on June 25, the archive will be available on June 30 in the MSPmentor Events Center.)

Last call: There’s still time to register and join us today (June 25) for our MSPmentor Live: CEO Exchange Webcast, which starts at 2pm eastern.The webcast — “Escape Commodity Pricing Through Business Automation” — will feature a fast-moving dialog, where you get to ask top MSP CEOs your most pressing questions. So register now.

Here’s what we’ll cover: Read More >

Whether you’re an established or aspiring managed service provider, time is running out to register for this Wednesday’s MSPmentor Live: CEO Exchange Webcast.

The webcast — “Escape Commodity Pricing Through Business Automation” — starts at 2pm eastern on June 25. It will be a fast-moving dialog, where you get to ask top MSP CEOs your most pressing questions. So register now.

Here’s what we’ll cover: Read More >

In the 1990s, long distance phone companies wanted to offer “last mile” local phone services. Now, a similar trend is emerging in the managed services market — where regional and even national MSPs want to offer personalized, local, on-site services.

Enter OnForce, the online market place where IT service providers can hire one another to manage specific technology projects. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a growing number of MSPs are leveraging the OnForce market place to outsource contract work to solutions providers.

Just ask DirectPointe, the top-ranked company on our 2008 MSPmentor 100 list.

Read More >