MSPmentor

At Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2011 (WPC11), the software giant has successfully communicated momentum on a number of fronts — everything from Windows Azure adoption to Windows 7 deployments. But there’s an elephant in the room for some MSPs. At times I’ve ignored it, minimized it and turn away from it. Still, there’s no denying that Microsoft’s cloud billing policies continue to annoy some very influential managed services providers (MSPs) here at WPC11.

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Backupify, a cloud data backup company, is launching a reseller program that includes managed services providers. The Cambridge, Mass.-based firm offers an archiving, search and restore service for Google Apps and social media accounts. Backupify targets both consumers and businesses and will enlist service providers to help with the latter market. MSPs already represent a Google Apps channel into small businesses. Backupify wants to equip MSPs with another service they can offer those customers.

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A strategic MSP-related conference is set to start later this week (June 9-11, Philadelphia, Pa.). But there’s no mention of managed services in the conference name. And you’ve got to work closely with TruMethods, an MSP-centric consulting firm, to get your foot in the door. The event’s name: Schnizzfest. Here’s what to expect.

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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.

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Google Message Continuity, the Postini-powered, Gmail-leveraging message continuity service, now supports backing up Microsoft Exchange 2010. But despite the potential benefits, extending Google Message Continuity like this raises more questions than it answers. Here’s why.

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The looming SaaS battle between Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 (the forthcoming successor to Business Productivity Online Suite) just got a bit more interesting. Indeed, Oracle has launched Oracle Cloud Office — a SaaS platform that VARs and MSPs can host on their own. Also, Oracle launched Open Office 3.3, the latest version of the desktop productivity suite. Here are five quick points for MSPs to keep in mind as they mull desktop and mobile productivity strategies for their customers.

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The General Services Administration last week provided some reinforcement behind the Obama Administration’s “cloud-first policy,” taking action of its own. Specifically, GSA awarded a $6.7 million, five-year task order contract to Unisys Corp. for cloud-based e-mail and collaboration tools. In the process, GSA claimed to be the first federal agency to move e-mail into the cloud on an agency-wide basis. Unisys partners with Google, Tempus Nova, and Acumen Solutions.

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Google Apps resellers get a powerful new tool in their arsenal with the launch of a reporting API that gives more insight into how the cloud productivity suite is being used. The functionality isn’t new, but the ability for resellers to leverage it programmatically is intriguing. Here’s the scoop.

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Google’s cloud productivity strategy seems to revolve around controlling three key markets: the SMB, the educational institution, and the government agency. We hear a lot of success stories from the first two, but a recent Google Enterprise Blog post is one of the first to highlight the benefits of Google Apps for Government. In this instance, it’s Panama City talking about how going Google helped them open up their government to the people. Here’s some perspective.

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Google Apps continues to iteratively update its cloud productivity suite with multiple minor feature enhancements rather than huge releases. Well, never let it be said the same isn’t true of their business model, as Google Apps adds previously consumer-focused offerings like Google Voice and Blogger to the enterprise dashboards and renames their paid editions. Here’s the scoop.

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In the 1990s, one of my editors made the following statement to me: “Software wants to be free.” At first I didn’t quite understand the statement. Gradually, I caught on. Fast forward to the present and I think WiFi also wants to be free. But there’s still opportunity ahead of VARs and MSPs. Here’s why.

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Despite forays into cloud productivity, telephony, and even self-driving cars, search remains Google’s bread and butter. And for many enterprises, the go-to search solution is Google Site Search, which leverages the company’s search algorithm to search their own sites. And now Google has simplified the pricing of Google Site Search, with plans starting at just $100 a year. Here’s the scoop.

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Another day, another Google Apps update. This time, the cloud suite has added the ability to see how and when users are accessing specific Google services. It could be a valuable tool for showing how well a Google Apps deployment is working for an enterprise. Here’s some insight.

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If that headline made you do a double-take, you’re not alone. I was surprised when I read a Seattle Times’ blog indicating Google was suing the US Department of the Interior for only taking bids from Microsoft partners reselling BPOS/Office 365 cloud solution. The Google lawsuit definitely has cloud channel partner implications. Here’s the update.

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Roughly 1,100 MSPs and VARs will gather later this week at ConnectWise IT Nation (formerly ConnectWise Partner Summit). The conference (Nov. 4-6, Orlando) also serves as a magnet for several related events hosted by CharTec, HTG Peer Groups, LabTech Software, Level Platforms and TruMethods. No doubt, attendees will hear a lot of themes related to cloud computing, the last mile of IT and managing the modern office for SMBs. Here are 35 key questions MSPmentor plans to raise during the conference.

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It’s good to make the front page of industry blogs. It’s better to get that attention for a reason other than a cloud application security breach that exposes company secrets or personal information. Aprigo, which specializes in permissions management products, is now offering a solution for avoiding that kind of situation by tweaking Google Docs settings. Here’s the scoop.

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Google Apps and Google Android are two key areas of the search titan’s enterprise initiative. And now the two meet as Google announces the addition of Android smartphone management to the Google Apps cloud suite. Here’s the scoop.

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Two major customer wins for Google in one day: The state of Wyoming and airline Virgin America say they’re migrating to the Google Apps cloud productivity suite. Better yet: Both migrations appear to have been managed by Google partners. Here’s the scoop.

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Google Sites, the public and internal web site and wiki creation aspect of the Google Apps cloud productivity suite, now has  support for scripts to support multi-step workflows. It doesn’t sound like much, but it has at least one Google partner excited. Here’s why.

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Four years ago this October Google launched the Google Apps for Education suite of student, faculty, and staff-focused cloud productivity and collaboration applications. Fast forward to the present, and Google says the company has landed its 10 millionth education space user on Google Apps. Here are some highlights of Google’s report card.

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Google loves to highlight enterprises big and small that have made the leap to the Google Apps suite. But now the search giant is looking for up to five companies from each of the major geographic regions to star in a new billboard campaign. Maybe they should try Googling for them.

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Patch Tuesday is one of those Microsoft traditions that I suspect many administrators wish would quietly vanish into the ether, but until we’re all running cloud-based operating systems, it looks like it’s here to stay. Microsoft shows no signs of slowing down, either, with yesterday’s security updates containing a whopping 16 patches for 49 problems – numbers that analysts say set a new record. Here’s the scoop.

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A little bit of hometown news for MSPmentor today as Google announces that 697 K-12 public school districts in New York State will be going to their Google Apps cloud productivity suite. That’s over 3.1 million students and hundreds of thousands of teachers all potentially going to Google Apps. Here’s the scoop.

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