Not every MSP can leverage the Google Apps Marketplace, and not every solutions provider has cloud applications ready to go. Enter AppsOnCommand, a new white label solution that lets you host any application and deliver it as software as a service (SaaS).
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AppsOnCommand: Windows Apps Meet SaaS
Posted March 10th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Carpathia Launches InstantOn Cloud Platform
Posted March 2nd, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Carpatia Hosting is putting a new twist on cloud computing, pushing beyond managed hosting and colocation services. Specifically, the company has introduced InstantOn — a cloud platform apparently designed with corporate compliance and security in mind. Here are some quick details.
MSPs Explore Cloud Moves At Parallels Summit
Posted February 24th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Where are managed services providers (MSPs) heading next? I think I found a few answers at the Parallels Summit in Miami this week. Admittedly, I suspect most MSPs and VARs aren’t fully familiar with this SaaS- and cloud-centric conference. Too bad. First movers from the original managed services wave — MSPs like Pointivity — are here trying to catch the next wave. As are MSP-centric team members from Cisco Systems and Google. Here’s what you missed.
Microsoft Quietly Researches Hosting Market
Posted February 23rd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Microsoft is quietly conducting some informal SaaS and hosting research at the Parallels Summit in Miami. The cloud-centric conference has attracted several hundred service providers and VARs focused on recurring revenue opportunities. Clearly, Microsoft is working hard to connect more closely with summit attendees — many of whom are checking out the Google Apps reseller program. Here’s some perspective.
How to Help Customers Survive Web Traffic Spikes
Posted February 17th, 2010 by John Moore
As a managed service provider with a hosting operation, how to you prepare for customers with unpredictable web site traffic surges? Here are some best practices from Voxel, the managed hosting and cloud provider.
Savvis Nearly Doubles Cloud Revenues
Posted February 4th, 2010 by John Moore
Savvis Inc. has a message for anyone doubting the cloud computing market: Check out our cloud revenues. Although still a small portion of Savvis’s business pie, cloud revenues at the company nearly doubled in 2009 — getting a boost from new customers and existing media industry clients. Here’s a closer look at Savvis’ cloud revenue trends.
Google Apps: Saving Schools Big Money?
Posted January 29th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Yes, you likely know the City of Los Angeles is making a big move to Google Apps. But week after week, Google also seems to be promoting school district wins, too. For MSPs serving the education vertical, studying up on Google Apps is now a requirement. Here’s why.
Mark Logic Brings XML to Amazon EC2
Posted January 20th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Yet another software firm is stepping into Amazon’s cloud. The latest example: Mark Logic, best known as developers of information infrastructure technology, has announced its intentions to bring their XML server solution to the cloud, starting with MarkLogic Server for Amazon EC2. Here’s the scoop.
Worth Watching: RackSpace Puts Databases in the Cloud
Posted December 21st, 2009 by Matthew Weinberger
Most managed service providers (MSPs) know Rackspace as a potential hosting partner. But the Rackspace Cloud effort (formerly called Mosso) is worth watching, especially as MSPs evaluate their own SaaS and cloud strategies. The latest Rackspace move involves a partnership with FathomDB. And it could provide an alternative to Microsoft’s emerging Azure cloud. Here’s a look.
Google Apps in Los Angeles: A Closer Look
Posted December 15th, 2009 by Matthew Weinberger
The City of Los Angeles has finalized its decision to migrate its 30,000 city employees from their existing GroupWise e-mail system to Google Apps, according to the official Google Enterprise blog. Yes, we’ve previously covered the deal, But there’s still plenty for MSPs to learn from this deployment. One example: City of Los Angeles CTO Randi Levin says the project will cut the municipality’s electricity bills by nearly $750,000 over five years. Here’s an update.
Dell Bets $450 Million On Cloud Moves
Posted December 8th, 2009 by Matthew Weinberger
Over the past few years, Dell has made multiple software acquisitions. You remember the names — Silverback, Everdream, etc. But now, Dell Cloud Evangelist Barton George is starting to tell people how those deals fit together into a $450 million cloud and SaaS (software as a service) push.
Rackspace Cloud Business: A Closer Look
Posted November 13th, 2009 by MSPMentor
Rackspace is seeing growth in its cloud computing business at the same time the company’s traditional managed hosting operation acquires more of an up-market tone. But exactly how much has RackSpace’s cloud grown? And where is it going next? Here’s a look at the company’s strategy.
Zetta Cloud Storage Goes Live
Posted October 21st, 2009 by Matthew Weinberger
Zetta, an enterprise-level cloud storage service available to managed service providers and VARs, finally leaves a long closed beta phase and becomes available to the channel at large today. Sure, online storage is an increasingly crowded market, but Zetta claims to have licked a few challenges that plague their peers. Here’s how.
Vembu: Corporate Cloud and Consumer Cloud Storage
Posted October 15th, 2009 by Matthew Weinberger
Vembu, best known among managed service providers for their rebrandable StoreGrid, a network storage product that backs up drives locally and to Amazon’s cloud, is making a move into consumer territory. The twist is, they don’t really expect to make much money from it.
SaaS and Cloud Stocks Up Nearly 50% In 2009
Posted September 26th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
MSPmentor’s SaaS 20 Stock Index, which tracks software as a service and cloud computing stocks, is up a whopping 47 percent so far in 2009, with three index members — Taleo Corp. (TLEO), SuccessFactors Inc. (SFSF) and Omniture Inc. (OMTR) — rising more than 100 percent so far this year. Here’s a closer look at the SaaS 20 Stock Index, and some changes we’ll be making to the index.
Terremark Finds $2.5 Million in the Cloud
Posted August 7th, 2009 by John Moore
Terremark Worldwide is beginning to measure the impact of its year-old enterprise cloud services business. And the numbers look promising. Take a look.
Google’s Emerging SaaS Rival
Posted February 17th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
When we covered the new Google Apps Reseller program a few weeks ago, plenty of managed service providers stood up and took notice. Now, I invite you to learn about the company that’s well positioned to compete with Google in the Software as a Service (SaaS) market. You’ll find the scoop over here, on TheVARguy.com.
Blurring the Lines: Managed Services and Cloud Computing
Posted November 26th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Software companies and MSPs are erasing the line between managed services and cloud computing. In fact, I don’t think there ever was a line between the two specialties.
Salesforce.com Enters Web Hosting Business
Posted November 3rd, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Competition in the Web hosting market continues to rise. The latest example involves Salesforce.com, which has unveiled a new service — called Force.com Sites — that allows customers to run their Web sites in the Salesforce.com cloud. The move comes only a few days after Microsoft launched its Azure cloud services.
Bracing for Hurricane Gustav
Posted August 31st, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
As we all keep our eyes on Hurricane Gustav, our first thoughts turn to the safety and well-being of everyone caught in the storm’s path. In the days ahead, MSPmentor will write about contingency planning, managed services and cloud computing — and their potential role in disaster recovery efforts. But ultimately, we’ll strive not to lose sight of the fact that millions of Americans have been displaced by Gustav.
Nirvanix Takes Aim At Amazon.com Simple Storage Service (S3)
Posted June 6th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Nirvanix, an online storage provider, is making some interesting head-to-head claims against Amazon.com’s Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3). Specifically, Nirvanix claims that its Storage Delivery Network offers downloads that are roughly 200 percent faster than S3. The data is based on testing done by 3Tera Inc.
Climbing From Managed Services to SaaS Clouds
Posted April 9th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
The move from managed service provider to software as a service (SaaS) can seem intimidating, but the barriers to market entry continue to fall. Each week, yet another company introduces a SaaS framework that you can plug your managed services business into.
Salesforce.com: What’s Coming April 14?
Posted March 25th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Move over, Steve Jobs. Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff is teasing press and analysts with a cryptic invite to a major announcement on April 14. Salesforce.com won’t say what’s cooking.
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