At a time when some managed service providers are worried about Dell, Microsoft and Google moving onto their turf, Cisco Systems is taking a stand and offering assurances to MSPs.
During a phone chat with MSPmentor, Al Safarikas (pictured), Cisco’s senior director of service provider managed services, said Cisco remains true to its word and has no plans to become a service provider.
The Cisco Partner Exchange, a new Web destination from Cisco Systems, is designed to help managed service providers and other solutions providers to find and work with one another.
I have to admit: I often doubt that MSPs and channel partners want to work together, for fear of losing account control. But perhaps it’s time for me and skeptical MSPs to keep an open mind: For the typical Cisco channel partner, roughly 31 percent of revenue comes from peer partners, Cisco estimates.
Can one size really fit all in the managed services market? Cisco Systems doesn’t seem to think so. Al Safarikas, Cisco’s senior director of managed services, predicts that the most successful managed service providers will offer mass customization to their customers.
I partially agree with Safarikas, who shared his views through Cisco’s corporate blog. Here’s what he wrote, along with my perspectives.
TelePresence, that next-generation video conferencing technology, has yet to gain critical mass. But The VAR Guy, our resident blogger over at www.thevarguy.com, has been telling readers to expect TelePresence and the managed services market to converge on the hotel vertical.
He was right. A case in point: Marriott International says it’s deploying Hewlett-Packard’s managed TelePresence services and systems in its upscale hotels. Here’s the scoop. Read More >
Keeping pace with Cisco Systems’ business strategies can be a full-time job. I’m seeking some clarity, and plan to get an update on March 25, during a Web seminar featuring Sameer Jayakar, senior manager, SMB Network Management for Cisco Systems.
During the Web seminar, hosted by MSP University, Jayakar will take attendees on a tour of Cisco’s new Monitor Director Managed Services solution, and he will discuss Cisco’s managed services strategy for partners.
The seminar kicks off March 25 at 8:00 PST. You’ll find details from MSP University, one of MSPmentor’s key partners, here.
TelePresence, the next-generation video conferencing technology, is slowly catching on with big customers. But it could be a few more years before TelePresence becomes a mainstream opportunity for managed service providers. First, the good news: Hewlett-Packard says its Halo video conferencing deployments have been doubling annually since the product’s launch in 2005, according to Reuters. And as new TelePresence systems go in, customers will need managed service providers to deliver related bandwidth optimization services.
Now, for the reality check. Read More >
Byte and Switch, a web site that covers storage and networking, offers interesting perspective on recent acquisitions at IBM and Seagate. The IBM deal (acquiring Arsenal Digital) and Seagate’s move (buying MetaLINCS) both have strong managed services angles, according to the site. Surprised? You shouldn’t be.
As we mentioned in our 10 Managed Services Predictions for 2008, traditional IT vendors will continue to push deeper into managed services. Cisco, Dell, Microsoft, McAfee, Symantec… and the list goes on. Read More >
Generally speaking, managed service providers are less dependent on IT vendors than traditional VARs, according to Larry Kesslin, president of 4 Profit, a consulting firm to channel companies. Kesslin shared the observation during Cisco Velocity, a marketing summit for about 200 Cisco partners this week in Miami. Read More >
.gif "ConnectWise")
