MSPmentor

We’ve nearly reached 2012. But before we all ring in the New Year, MSPmentor is looking back at the most read managed services stories of 2011. We’ve already recapped the 10 most read MSP news stories from Q1 and Q2 2011. Now let’s look at the most read MSP stories from Q3 2011 and the reasons managed services readers tuned in.

Read More >

Autotask has sold VARStreet to VARStreet’s management and employees, ending a 21-month business marriage that never quite clicked. Autotask will focus on international expansion with VARs and MSPs, while VARStreet heads off as an independent company, seeking to help VARs and MSPs to more easily source IT products. Here’s why the two companies ultimately went their separate ways.

Read More >

Autotask has already celebrated the start of 2012 and with former solution provider and current Senior Vice President of Business Development Len DiCostanzo now heading up Autotask Community, the IT business management software vendor has made some big plans for its partner customers.

Read More >

MSPs can thank the stagnant economy for the surge in SMB adoption of managed services and outsourced IT services — a trend that will continue, believes Mark Cattini, president of Autotask.

Read More >

It’s no secret that Autotask has big plans for international growth in 2012 — and in fact has already started its quest for worldwide expansion by opening an office in London. Autotask CEO Mark Cattini believes it is a natural progression for a company boasting customers in more than 50 countries, and it’s a move that’s beneficial for both Autotask and its partner community.

Read More >

By raising $6 million in new funding, Autotask joins a lengthy list of MSP-centric software companies and cloud services providers that has tapped private equity or venture capital — or made acquisitions in 2011. Here’s the scorecard… and a look at two cloud-centric software companies that will very likely raise money next.

Read More >

Autotask has raised $6 million in venture capital and private equity to fund global expansion, a spokesman has confirmed. Also, a report from Albany, N.Y., quoted Autotask CFO Vince Zumbo (pictured), about the new financing. Even before the funding arrived, Autotask apparently spent $1 million on its European expansion this year, the report stated. Here are some perspectives for Autotask’s community of managed services providers and VARs.

Read More >

Former Autotask Technical Product Manager Steve Noel (pictured) has joined Bradford Networks as part of a cloud-based security push that focuses on MSPs and the SMB market. Noel joins former MSP leader Amy Luby as Bradford Networks attempts to accelerate its NAC (Network Access Control) security business through channel partners.

Read More >

The MSPmentor team is heading off to conferences hosted by Synnex and Intel this week. Plus we’ll closely track CA World in Las Vegas. But before MSPmentor kicks off another round of managed services coverage, here are seven blogs the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending November 11.

Read More >

GFI Max is hosting its first-ever U.S. customer conference this week (Orlando, Nov. 8-9). The customer conference, which certainly includes VARs and MSPs, offers an important inflection point for GFI and its partners. Indeed, parent GFI Software has acquired numerous companies, and the GFI Max portfolio now includes a range of remote management, security and storage solutions. Where do MSPs fit into the conversation? Here are four questions worth asking during the GFI Max gathering.

Read More >

GFI Software has acquired Monitis, which develops cloud-based network and systems monitoring software. The GFI-Monitis deal surfaces a few weeks before the first GFI User Conference (Nov. 8-9, Orland0, Fla.). Monitis will march forward as its own brand, while also integrating into the GFI Max RemoteManagement platform, which GFI promotes to MSPs. Meanwhile, there are also signs that GFI and Autotask are working more closely together. Here’s why.

Read More >

Starting today, several hundred VARs, MSPs and telecom resellers are attending this week’s Tigerpaw User Conference in Dallas. The big question: Can this second-annual Tigerpaw conference build upon last year’s event, which pumped some fresh ideas into the managed services and telecom reseller markets?

Read More >

How’s this for ironic: North America will host several of the world’s largest managed services conferences within the next few weeks. But some of the most interesting managed services innovations continue to occur in Australia and New Zealand. Here’s the blow by blow.

Read More >

Last week was a pretty interesting time in the channel and, as usual, much of the interesting news was announced at SMB Nation. Some of it was made publicly, and some of it was not. What were some of the interesting trends — and the potential implications for MSPs? Read on.

Read More >

Why is former Autotask CEO Bob Godgart also resigning as chairman of the company, effective October 1? The answer surfaced today when Godgart launched ChannelEyes, a Facebook-type social network for channel partners and channel-centric vendors. The VAR Guy has the details and early perspectives.

Read More >

Former Autotask CEO Bob Godgart is boarding an airplane this morning. Godgart’s apparent destination: the SMB Nation conference in Las Vegas. Godgart is set to step down as Autotask’s chairman, effective October 1, to “pursue a new venture.” So what is he up to?

Read More >

Autotask Corp.‘s global strategy is now fully unveiled. After weeks of hints, the business management software provider has confirmed plans to localize Autotask’s cloud platform in at least six languages (in addition to English) across Europe and Asia.

Read More >

Autotask‘s new customer acquisitions (January through August 2011) are up 70 percent vs. the same period last year, according to CEO Mark Cattini. During a wide-ranging interview with MSPmentor today, Cattini (pictured) and Senior VP of Global Sales Kevin Donovan described Autotask’s strategy for continued growth. Cattini and Donovan also described their views on building community with MSPs, software partners, distributors and other participants in the Autotask ecosystem.

Read More >

I had a long conversation with Autotask CEO Mark Cattini and Senior VP Kevin Donovan earlier today. I’ll try to organize some thoughts for a blog later today. In the meantime, here are seven pieces of managed IT services news and chatter that MSPmentor didn’t have time to write for the week ending Sept. 16, 2011.

Read More >

The cloud storage and online backup markets are fiercely competitive. So how does a company like Intronis hope to stand out from the crowd? The answer involves a healthy mix of MSP community building and a new cloud software release — dubbed Intronis Fall Release 11, which arrived today. Here’s the update.

Read More >

Servoyant continues to enhance its network monitoring platform for MSPs. The Servoyant system is available via the cloud or as an appliance-based solution. The latest release, called Servoyant 4.1, includes more than 70 enhancements, most notably an updated integration with Autotask APIs for more efficient workflow, new adaptive recievers to generate alerts, an improved automatic provisioning system, and remote monitoring improvements, the company claims.

Read More >

I kept my hands off the keyboard over the weekend. It didn’t feel right blogging about the managed services industry at a time when the United States remembered the victims and the heroes of September 11, 2001. So now, after a slight delay, here’s a look at seven managed services blogs MSPmentor didn’t write for the week ending Sept. 9, 2011.

Read More >

When Microsoft activates the next major Windows Intune release on October 17, I’ll be watching closely. Peer blogger Matt Weinberger accurately positions Windows Intune as a cloud-based remote PC management platform. But I’ve got my usual questions for the managed IT services audience.

Read More >