I’ve been a bit distracted today putting the final touches on the third-annual MSPmentor 250 report, which tracks the world’s top managed services experts, entrepreneurs, executives, coaches and community leaders. In the meantime, here are seven managed services blog entries the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Aug. 6, 2010.
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Seven Managed Services Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write: Aug. 6
Posted August 6th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
MSPmentor Live Webcast: Join Us Today
Posted June 23rd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Our next MSPmentor Live Webcast is today (Wednesday, June 23) at 2:00 p.m. eastern. Three top MSPs plus ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini are prepared to discuss seven ways you can triple your recurring revenue. Also, it sounds to me like the guest MSPs will describe why they are abandoning per-device pricing. Here are some more clues about what we’ll cover.
MSPmentor Live: Join Us This Wednesday, June 23
Posted June 22nd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Our next MSPmentor Live Webcast is this Wednesday, June 23. Three top MSPs plus ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini are prepared to discuss seven ways you can triple your recurring revenue. Also, it sounds to me like the guest MSPs will describe why they are abandoning per-device pricing. Here are some more clues about what we’ll cover.
ConnectWise at Google I/O Conference: What’s Brewing?
Posted May 19th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
ConnectWise continues to host user group meetings in multiple cities. But CEO Arnie Bellini has an additional event on his calendar this week: The Google I/O conference, which kicks off today (May 19) in San Francisco. Why is ConnectWise — the professional services automation (PSA) software provider for VARs and MSPs — spending time at Google I/O? Here are some clues.
Managed Services: 2 Signs of Q1 2010 Market Growth
Posted March 29th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
As the first quarter of 2010 nears its close, anecdotal evidence from companies such as Autotask and N-able suggest that the managed services market is off to a solid start for the year. Autotask CEO Bob Godgart provided some upbeat anecdotes to a local Albany, N.Y., newspaper. And N-able CEO Gavin Garbutt shared some “freemium” business milestones with me in a FastChat video conversation. Here’s a look at statements from both companies, and the implications for MSPs.
Ask the Managed Services Experts: Dec. 9
Posted December 7th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
MSPmentor will host its final managed services webcast of the year this Wednesday, Dec. 9. Our guests are former MSP Gary Pica and ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini. Our format: Six business tips in one hour — plus non-stop questions from our attendees. Here’s how to join the webcast.
Managed Services Webcast: Ask the Experts
Posted December 1st, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
MSPmentor will host its final managed services webcast on Dec. 9. Our guests are former MSP Gary Pica and ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini. Our format: Six business tips in one hour — plus non-stop questions from our attendees. Here’s how to join the webcast.
Seven Managed Services Blog Entries We Didn’t Have A Chance to Write: Nov. 25
Posted November 25th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
In the U.S., this is a short work week for many readers because of the Thanksgiving Holiday (Nov. 25). We’ll continue to update MSPmentor daily for our international readers. But in the meantime — for U.S. readers who are unplugging soon — here are seven managed services blog entries we didn’t have a chance to write for the business week ending Nov. 25.
Seven Managed Services Blog Entries We Didn’t Have Time to Write: Nov. 13
Posted November 13th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
The Cisco Partner Velocity event in Paris has wrapped up, and I’ll be flying back to New York on Nov. 15. In the meantime, here are seven managed services blog entries our staff didn’t have time to write for the week ending Nov. 13.
ConnectWise Partner Summit: Six Managed Services Videos
Posted November 9th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
During the ConnectWise Partner Summit, MSPmentor sat down with a range of managed services experts. In the following MSPmentor FastChat videos, we covered such topics as hardware as a service (HaaS), MSP-to-MSP collaboration, sales and business development, online marketing for MSPs and email security. Here are six FastChat videos with a range of MSP industry experts…
Hosted ConnectWise Restored
Posted October 28th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
As of 10:30 a.m. eastern on Oct. 28, ConnectWise has restored service to 198 partners impacted by a Hosted ConnectWise outage, according to CEO Arnie Bellini. MSPmentor posted chatter about the outage on Oct. 27. Readers weighed in and Bellini posted an apology. So, what’s next?
ConnectWise and Autotask: Evaluating Acquisitions (And Each Other?)
Posted September 15th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini and Autotask CEO Bob Godgart are scouring the software market for potential acquisitions. And each CEO says they’d consider buying the other company. To be clear: I think this is more talk than action. But the talk provides clues about where the MSP and PSA (professional services automation) markets are heading. Here’s the scoop and some analysis for managed service providers.
CoreConnex Exits PSA Industry; Transitions ConnexIT MSPs to ConnectWise
Posted September 14th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
CoreConnex is getting out of the PSA (professional services automation) business, but the company doesn’t want to leave managed services providers (MSPs) and VARs stranded. The company has developed a strategy to transition PSA customers to ConnectWise. Here’s the scoop — and the bigger story about managed services industry consolidation.
Managed Service Providers Demand Firefox Support
Posted August 4th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
While the managed services market continues to converge with SaaS (software as a service) and cloud computing, I’m increasingly hearing from readers who have a far more basic request: They want all of their managed services platforms to support the three major browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari — with Google Chrome also popping up on some request lists.
Managed Services Revenue: The Good (And the Bad)
Posted July 29th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Take a look at recent financial data points from CA Inc., Nimsoft and Siemens Enterprise Communications Group (SEN Group). You’ll notice an emerging trend: It’s hip to disclose recurring revenue and managed services revenue information. The reason: Wall Street and financial watchers consider the recurring revenue model a sign of business stability. Plus, there’s a need to rise above the MSP industry noise, where the mainstream press and some of the high-tech press continue to foolishly hype managed services as recession proof. Here’s some perspective…
Managed Services: HoundDog Acquired, Who’s Next?
Posted July 28th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
When GFI Software today announced plans to acquire HoundDog Technology Ltd. — a SaaS-driven remote monitoring and management company — my first question was an obvious one: Who’s next? Is consolidation about to accelerate in the managed services market? Why or why not? Here are some initial thoughts… including some whispers involving Hewlett-Packard and venture capitalists.
ConnectWise CEO Discloses 2009 Revenue Estimate
Posted July 14th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
During a wide ranging conversation at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC09), ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini revealed to me a simple but dramatic mission for his company. Plus, Bellini pulled back the curtain a bit more on ConnectWise’s anticipated revenues and profits for 2009. Here are the details.
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference: Where are the MSPs?
Posted July 14th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC09) remains among the largest vendor-driven IT gatherings in the world. But there’s surprisingly little conversation about managed services here. I suspect that could change today (Tuesday) and Wednesday as Microsoft begins to talk even more about Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) and Windows Azure (the Windows-driven cloud service). But ultimately, there are some bigger trends worth nothing here at the conference. Take a look.
Apple Store Inspires ConnectWise Executives
Posted June 2nd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Where do you go for inspiration? Before you answer, consider the situation at ConnectWise. Roughly two months ago, ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini and COO Santo Cannone shared an “ah-ha” moment at an Apple Store in Tampa, Fla. As customers visited the Apple Genius Bar and interacted with Apple representatives, Bellini and Cannone discussed where to take ConnectWise next.
Coming Soon From MSPmentor
Posted May 29th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
The Kaseya Connect User Conference dominated my time this week. But there is additional news from across the managed services market that we still need to cover. Here are six key topics you’ll be hearing more about on MSPmentor real soon…
Skyping for Managed Services Dollars
Posted May 28th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
During the Kaseya Connect User Conference, ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini and former managed service provider Gary Pica are walking attendees through some best practices for lead generation and sales. Bellini’s tip of the day: Put Skype on notebooks and let salespeople work where they need to work.
Beware the Hosting Hype Cycle
Posted May 21st, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Frequent MSPmentor readers know I talk and blog about the Managed Services Hype Cycle (based on Gartner’s own Technology Hype Cycle chart). All technologies go through a maturity curve (a cycle of sorts) that involves a bit of pain (or lots of pain) for customers and MSPs. Now, some folks are starting to talk about a Hosting Hype Cycle. And it’s an important discussion.
Microsoft’s BPOS: Partner Opportunities Ahead
Posted April 29th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
When it comes to understanding Microsoft’s SaaS (software as a service) strategy, there are only four letters managed service providers need to know: BPOS, short for Business Productivity Online Suite. Most of Microsoft’s major SaaS applications fit under the BPOS umbrella, and the software giant has started evangelizing BPOS opportunities to MSPs. Now, the big question: Is BPOS a real opportunity for channel partners?
