When it comes to hosted email, why zig when you can zag? That explains the strategy at EtomicMail, a managed service provider that’s hosting Zimbra — an open source email platform — rather than Microsoft Exchange.
Here’s a look at EtomicMail’s strategy, and the potential lessons learned for rival managed service providers.
The iPhone 3G goes on sale July 11, but Azaleos — a top managed service provider focused on Exchange Server — is already promoting a strategy for the new Apple device. Smart move. I wonder: Why aren’t more MSPs copying the Azaleos iPhone strategy? Read More >
If you believe the Microsoft bashers, open source and software as a service (SaaS) will ultimately destroy Microsoft’s traditional software markets and revenue streams. But while open source continues to gain serious momentum, we’re not seeing solutions providers and SaaS experts abandon Microsoft. On the contrary, a growing number of Microsoft partners are lining up to support Dynamics CRM, SharePoint and Exchange Server.
The latest example involves Frontpages (www.fpweb.net), a hosting provider that plans to offer Dynamics CRM to small businesses (starting at $99 per month), corporate ($495) and larger enterprises ($4,595 per month). Read More >
If you’re a managed service provider that’s seeking potential investor dollars — or if you simply want to promote your business momentum — perhaps you should steal a page from mindSHIFT Technologies. The MSP acquired a software as a service (SaaS) specialist in April, and is now stepping into the spotlight at Capital Connection 2008, a major investor conference this week in Baltimore, Md.
Capital Connection positions itself as “the region’s premier event that brings together the country’s most prominent investors with leading-edge technology companies.” The event hosts start-up, early stage, expansion-stage and later-stage private growth companies.
Look at the concise way that mindSHIFT describes its focus to event attendees, and you’ll find an MSP that really understands its niche.
If you’re a Microsoft partner that’s skeptical about software as a service (SaaS), consider this: Half of all Exchange email inboxes will involve hosted systems within five years, notes Mary Jo Foley’s All About Microsoft blog. I’ve been alerting readers in recent weeks about Microsoft’s SaaS strategy for Exchange, Dynamics CRM and SharePoint. Ultimately, Microsoft will need to compete and cooperate with managed service providers (MSPs) that host those applications. Here’s how some Microsoft partners intend to cope with the software giant’s SaaS moves.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that managed service providers are pushing deeper into the Microsoft applications market. Most of the Microsoft-centric initiatives seem to involve hosted Exchange Server, Dynamics CRM and /or SharePoint applications.
The latest example involves Azaleos Corp. — a well-known MSP focused on Exchange Server — launching a managed SharePoint Server 2007 service called OneStop ViewPoint. The Azaleos strategy also involves a hybrid on-premise/off-premise MSP model, where some equipment is deployed at customer sites and other software runs remotely.
Here’s what aspiring MSPs can learn from the Azaleos strategy.
Mergers and acquisitions continue at a rapid pace in the managed services industry. The latest deal involves Alentus — a managed service provider with software as a service expertise — acquiring two Linux-centric hosting firms.
Based in Laguna Niguel, Calif., Alentus snapped up Austin, Texas-based Website Source, Inc. and SpeedFox, Inc., which specialize in Linux website hosting. The acquisitions reinforce the growing popularity of hosting both open source and closed source applications under one roof.
Alentus’s acquisitions are the latest in a growing list of MSP buyouts followed by our MSPmentor M&A Tracker.
Microsoft is preparing an “application streaming” initiative, in an effort to more effectively position Microsoft Office against Google Apps, according to ComputerWorld. Anyone who thinks this is nothing more than a commodity software war needs to think again.
While Google has lined up major colleges to standardize on Google Apps, Microsoft is quietly pushing cable companies to embrace its software as a service (SaaS) product portfolio. Here’s the scoop. Read More >
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