CompTIA President and CEO Todd Thibodeaux is scheduled to attend Autotask Community Live (May 22-24, Miami). Among the items on his agenda: Discussing the new MSP Partners Trustmark. I wouldn’t call the trustmark a certification or accreditation. Rather, I think it seeks to be like a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for the managed services industry.
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A Closer Look: CompTIA’s New MSP Partners Trustmark
Posted May 20th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Autotask Community Live Preview: 10 Themes Worth Tracking
Posted May 18th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
More than 700 people — mostly managed services providers and VARs — are registered to attend next week’s Autotask Community Live conference (May 22-24, Miami, Fla.). There will be a flood of news announcements. But what’s really going on behind the curtains? And what key questions should attendees be asking? Here are 10 trends, themes and potential news nuggets that MSPmentor will pursue at the conference.
Telecom Agents Seek Managed Services Opportunities
Posted April 4th, 2011 by John Moore
A quarter century ago, there were computer VARs and telecom consultants and they existed mainly on parallel tracks. Telecom convergence slowly began to change that situation. Launching in the 1980s, the Integrated Services Digital Network pointed the way toward a voice/data future. IP telephony, unified communications and multimedia networking have done more to get computer and voice people working together. The voice and data businesses have something else in common: margin pressure. Eroding hardware profits helped push VARs into the MSP space. Similarly, voice specialists are encountering shrinking margins in carriers’ voice/data services.
Selling Managed Services: Find & Listen to Decision Makers
Posted March 29th, 2011 by Matthew Graven
In an economy of limited budgets and shrinking workforces, selling new services can be a tricky proposition. How can an MSP leverage the changing nature of how business is done as a value proposition for businesses to invest in new managed services?
Peer Groups: MSP Centrifuge Partners With Paul Dippell
Posted March 25th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
The MSP Centrifuge, an emerging managed services peer group, has partnered with Service Leadership Inc., Paul Dippell’s well-regarded consulting firm for solutions providers and channel-centric vendors. Meanwhile, the market for MSP peer groups appears to be growing. In addition to MSP Centrifuge and HTG Peer Groups, it sounds like Stuart Selbst is preparing to launch virtual peer groups (online gatherings) for MSPs in the SMB market. Here’s the update.
Seven Managed Services Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write: Feb. 18
Posted February 18th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
The MSPmentor team plans to unplug for a full three days as the U.S. celebrates Presidents’ Day Weekend. (Of course, we may surface if any big, breaking news happens over the extended weekend.) In the meantime, here are seven managed services blogs MSPmentor didn’t find time to write for the week ending Feb. 18.
Ask a Mentor: How Can I Compare Managed Services Software?
Posted February 1st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Each Tuesday, MSPmentor’s Ask a Mentor service publishes a reader question and invites you to weigh in with recommendations. This week’s question comes from a reader in Europe who is seeking information about managed services software — options and recommendations. Here’s the question and our reply…
CompTIA Prepares April 2011 Managed Services Effort
Posted January 27th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
CompTIA, which acquired MSP Partners in 2009, is making some adjustments and preparing some new moves that should surface by April 2011. Specifically, CompTIA is preparing a “managed services industry credential” that seeks to help top MSPs stand out from the masses. Interestingly, CompTIA does not use the term “accreditation” or “certification” to describe the forthcoming industry credential. Here’s the update.
Managed Services: 5 Biggest Surprises in First 5 Days of 2011
Posted January 6th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
I have a confession. I was a little depressed on Monday, January 3. The news cycle was a little slow and it seemed like the managed services market was trying to wake up from a holiday hangover. (I despise slow news days.) And then: Boom. Lots of managed services news and surprises that, quite frankly, I didn’t expect. We’re only five (and a half) days into the New Year. But here are the biggest managed services surprises I’ve seen so far.
Managed Print Services: Can CompTIA Help MSPs to Print Money?
Posted November 11th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
There’s money in managed print services. How do I know? First, Photizo Group started organizing managed print services conferences — and the buzz tied to the events has been pretty positive. More recently, CompTIA organized a community for managed print services. The big question: Can Photizo Group, CompTIA and print manufacturers help to turn the sleepy managed print services industry into a big money maker for MSPs? Here are some perspectives.
CoreConnex Promotes Financial Dashboard to More MSPs, VARs
Posted August 23rd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
CoreConnex, promoter of the Corelytics financial dashboard, continues to expand its channel partner strategy. The Bellevue, Wash.-based software company has inked recent deals with MSP University and CompTIA. Here are some quick details.
CompTIA Launches Managed Services Business Templates
Posted August 23rd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
CompTIA has launched four templates to help managed services providers organize their customer agreements, on-board customers, develop pricing models and organize best practices. Here’s a quick overview.
CompTIA Breakaway: Where Cloud Meets Managed Services?
Posted August 2nd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Plenty of MSPmentor readers are heading to CompTIA Breakaway (Aug. 9-12, San Antonio). No doubt, the conference will stir plenty of cloud channel chatter. I wonder: How many VARs and MSPs attending Breakaway generate some revenues from cloud and SaaS applications right now? Also, how will the worlds of managed services and cloud computing converge? Here are some clues.
Seven Managed Services Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write: July 9
Posted July 10th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Vacation is over… time to get back on the road for Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC10), HostingCon and the Avnet Partner Summit. But before I head to the airport, here are seven managed services blog entries MSPmentor didn’t have time to write for the week ending July 9, 2010.
Seven Managed Services Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write: June 25
Posted June 25th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
I’m not sure how, when or why it happened. But this weekly “Seven things…” blog entry has developed a cult following of sorts. My inbox is filled each Friday morning with rumors, gossip and, um… music picks (thanks Gerard…) from readers. And each Friday afternoon, we publish seven pieces of reader chatter that MSPmentor’s blog team otherwise didn’t have a chance to cover. Here’s the rundown for the week ending June 25, 2010.
Kaseya Connect User Conference: 5 Day One Highlights
Posted June 2nd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
The Kaseya Connect User Conference started yesterday (June 1) with an expansive panel, a poolside party and plenty of back-room chatter. Here are five key takeaways and highlights from Day One at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas.
Former MSPSN CEO Assists Synnex’s MSP Moves
Posted January 21st, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Synnex, in a potential competitive move against Ingram Micro Seismic, has tapped former MSP Services Network (MSPSN) CEO Amy Luby to assist the distributor’s managed services efforts. The initiative also involves itControl Solutions Inc. Here are some preliminary details.
CompTIA and HTG: Peer Group Trend Continues
Posted December 16th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
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.
Buyout: MSP Services Network Acquired
Posted December 8th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
MSP Services Network, one of the industry’s best-known master MSPs, is about to be acquired. A deal involving High Street Technology Ventures is expected to be announced today (December 9). Who will run MSPSN and what does this mean for the broader managed services market? Here’s some analysis — including an interview with MSPSN’s incoming CEO, and some thoughts on the Master MSP sector.
MSP Services Network: Partnering On Multiple Fronts
Posted November 5th, 2009 by Matthew Weinberger
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.
Google Set to Accelerate Enterprise Push
Posted October 23rd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
If you check in with enough sources close to Google, you start to get the feeling that the search giant is preparing to accelerate an enterprise-oriented SaaS (software as a service) push in Q4 2009 or early 2010. Here’s what apparently is coming — and the potential implications for managed service providers.
MSPAlliance Responds to CompTIA-MSP Partners Deal
Posted September 30th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
MSPAlliance President Charles Weaver (pictured) has offered up his thoughts regarding CompTIA’s acquisition of MSP Partners (the deal was announced earlier today). Here’s a recap of Weaver’s perspectives, plus my two cents.
Seven Managed Services Blogs I Didn’t Have Time to Write: Sept. 4
Posted September 4th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
I just returned home from Red Hat Summit. Great event, but it consumed a lot of my week. Once again my inbox is filled with tips, rumors and news. Here are seven quick managed services headlines I didn’t have a chance to write during the week ending August 28.
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