When we compiled our latest MSPmentor 100 survey results, I was surprised to see 18.2 percent of survey participants consider their companies Master MSPs. I must concede: I’m skeptical of that figure. It sounds somewhat inflated to me… like a stretch goal that many MSPs have yet to fulfill. Here’s an update on the Master MSP market, including a FastChat video conversation with Do IT Smarter President Lane Smith.
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Master MSPs: 2010 Reality Check
Posted February 11th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Five Questions for Dell Managed Services
Posted January 28th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
For about two months or so, I’ve been pursuing an update on Dell ProManage-Managed Services. How is the initiative performing? And have any new MSPs pursued Dell’s various certifications? No doubt, portions of the MSP community have dismissed Dell’s strategy. And some skeptical voices are growing louder. I’ve got plenty of questions — and observations. Here they are.
Two MSP Industry Experts Make Career Moves
Posted December 3rd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Adds, moves and changes: Several managed services industry veterans are making career moves ahead of the New Year. Some of the moves are public knowledge. Others are still to be formally announced. Confirmed today: Brian Sherman, the well-known veteran of Autotask and Business Solutions magazine, has launched Tech Success Communications. And Todd McKendrick, a veteran of Dell Managed Services and Do IT Smarter, is leaping to Nimsoft. Here’s a closer look at both moves.
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…
Seven Managed Services Blog Entries I Didn’t Have Time to Write
Posted September 11th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Admittedly, I’ve been a little distracted with the MSPmentor 250 this week. So once again my inbox is filled with a backlog of tips, rumors and news. Here are seven quick managed services headlines I didn’t have a chance to write during the week ending Sept. 11.
An On-ramp to Managed Services?
Posted July 17th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
What’s the fastest way to become a managed service provider? Are there certain steps you can take to accelerate your success? I weighed those questions while meeting with Virtual Administrator, a Master managed service provider, at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference 2009 (WPC09) in New Orleans this week. Here’s a recap.
Master MSPs Bolster Managed Storage Efforts
Posted June 23rd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Do IT Smarter, a master managed service provider (Master MSP), is adding CompuVault’s online data backup services to its suite of offerings. The relationship is the latest in a series of storage-centric moves across the Master MSP landscape. Here’s a look at recent activity.
Branding Your Managed Services Business On the Web
Posted June 12th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Alpheon and Do IT Smarter, two members of the MSPmentor 100, are proving there’s more than one way to brand a company in the managed services market. Both managed service providers have revamped their web sites and customer messaging in recent weeks. And in some cases, the efforts avoid the need to mention managed services. Here’s some perspective.
Podcast: Master MSP Lane Smith From Do IT Smarter
Posted February 25th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
In today’s episode, Do IT Smarter President Lane Smith describes his company’s position in the Master MSP market. This MSPmentor Live: Podcast covers the following four key topics:
- An Overview: How Do IT Smarter got started
- Beyond hosting: What else master MSPs offer
- Do IT Smarter and the MSPAlliance
- Next moves for Do IT Smarter, and aspiring MSPs
Check the MSPmentor Live: Podcast Center each week for a new podcast. But just for this week, check back daily for a new Master MSP-focused interview.
MSPAlliance Launches Master MSP Accreditation
Posted February 10th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
The Master MSP trend — where managed service providers host systems or NOCs for peer MSPs and VARs — continues to accelerate. And now, the MSPAlliance is striving to bring some clarity and order to the Master MSP market. Here’s how.
Six Web 2.0 And Blog Tips for Managed Service Providers
Posted December 26th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
As you develop your marketing, sales and PR strategies for managed services in 2009, you can embrace a range of closely related Web 2.0 technologies — blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds and so on. Which Web 2.0 technologies are right for managed service providers? Here are six tips to get you started.
Managed Services Franchises Explained
Posted December 10th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
How does a managed services franchise work? I posed that question to Jason Creally, VP of sales at The Utility Company, during a late-afternoon meeting on December 9. Creally walked me and Amy Katz (my business partner) through The Utility Company’s business model — which extends managed services out to more than 60 IT service provider franchisees across North America.
Master MSPs: 20 Percent of the Managed Services Market?
Posted October 27th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
So-called Master MSPs now represent nearly 20 percent of the managed service provider market, according to the ongoing MSPmentor 100 survey. Still, thriving as a Master MSP isn’t easy. Here’s why.
Network Depot Launches Hosted Kaseya Managed Services
Posted October 14th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Network Depot LLC, ranked No. 75 in last year’s MSPmentor 100 survey, is transforming itself into a Master MSP. The company has introduced a hosted Kaseya platform, known as Virtual Administrator, that small VARs can leverage.
Vendors Pursue MSPmentor 100 Companies
Posted September 30th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Forgive me for blowing MSPmentor’s own horn. But I’ve noticed a range of vendors now marketing their IT solutions directly to our MSPmentor 100 companies.
ConnectWise Partner Summit: Five Trends Worth Watching
Posted September 16th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
When the ConnectWise Partner Summit kicks off this week in Orlando, Fla., I’ll be sitting down with managed service providers and vendors to gather their observations. Roughly 700 MSPs are expected to attend the event. Here are five key trends I expect to track at the conference.
Dell’s Next Move: A Master MSP Strategy
Posted June 23rd, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
As part of its ongoing managed services push, Dell hopes to launch a Master MSP strategy in late 2008 or early 2009, MSPmentor has learned. The move has potential implications for anyone involved in managed services. Here are some of the preliminary details, based on a conversation I had with Greg Davis, vice president and general manager of Dell’s Americas Channel Group.
Jamcracker’s MSP LaunchPad: Ready for Liftoff?
Posted June 18th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Sometime this week, Jamcracker is expected to formally unveil its MSP LaunchPad strategy for managed service providers. Steve Crawford, Jamcracker’s VP of marketing, walked me through the LaunchPad initiative on June 17.
The Secret to Selling Managed Print Services
Posted June 16th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Earlier this year I attended a few managed services luncheons hosted by Do IT Smarter, Xerox, MX Logic and a few other vendors. I heard some practical guidance for selling and supporting managed print services.
Recap: Seven Trends From Managed Services Summit
Posted May 21st, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
The MSPAlliance held its Managed Services Summit earlier this week in Framingham, Mass. Although I didn’t attend the event, I interviewed a few attendees and vendors to get a feel for their top priorities in the months ahead. Here are seven key trends I heard about:
Update: NetEnrich, Level Platforms Reinforce the Master MSP Model
Posted April 25th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Do IT Smarter is doing it. Ingram Micro Seismic is doing it. The Utility Company is doing it. And now NetEnrich is doing it. I’m referring to the increasingly popular “Master MSP” business model, where VARs leverage software as a service (SaaS), and a third-party partner hosts and coordinates the VAR’s managed services platforms.
N-able Makes Microsoft Partners Free Offer
Posted April 14th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
N-able Technologies wants to win the hearts and minds of Microsoft’s North American partners and managed service providers. Indeed, N-able is offering Microsoft partners a free one-year subscription to a new software as a service (SaaS) platform called N-central Express.
Do IT Smarter, ZINFI Partner On Managed Services
Posted March 25th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Apparently, Do IT Smarter and ZINFI Technologies couldn’t contain their excitement. The duo will officially debut a partnership during next week’s MSP Alliance conference in Atlanta. But Do IT Smarter and ZINFI are already describing their new relationship to the world at large.
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