If the rumors are to be believed, Google’s Gmail is getting a Twitter-like status update feed as early as this week. Here’s the scoop.
Google Apps: Now Managing (More) Smart Phones
Posted February 4th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Google is pushing ever so slightly into the remote management market. Specifically, enterprise administrators can now use Google Apps to remotely manage a growing number of smart phones — like the Apple iPhone, Nokia E series, and Windows Mobile devices. Here’s how.
Google Apps: Saving Schools Big Money?
Posted January 29th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Yes, you likely know the City of Los Angeles is making a big move to Google Apps. But week after week, Google also seems to be promoting school district wins, too. For MSPs serving the education vertical, studying up on Google Apps is now a requirement. Here’s why.
Coming Soon: Google Wave Service Providers?
Posted January 27th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Thousands of MSPs and VARs flock to traditional technology events each year — from the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) to the Cisco Partner Summit. I still find those events valuable. But I’ve also penciled in a new event on my calendar: The Google I/O conference. The reason: Google will start to describe how partners can become Google Wave Service Providers (GWSPs). Here are the details.
VMware-Zimbra: What Becomes of 450 SaaS Partners?
Posted January 12th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
The rumors and speculation were all correct. VMware today acquired an open source email specialist — Zimbra — from Yahoo. If you’re a managed service provider that’s still sorting out your virtualization and SaaS email strategies then VMware’s move is worth following. Here’s why.
SaaS: Microsoft Bolsters BPOS Partner Sales Support
Posted January 11th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Microsoft’s BPOS (Business Productivity Online Suite) team is bolstering its SaaS training options for channel partners. The effort includes learning tools, delivery support and technical support options for VARs and managed services providers. Here’s a look.
New Mind Group: Why We Chose Google Apps
Posted December 28th, 2009 by Matthew Weinberger
It started in 2007: New Mind Group, purveyors of managed services to SMBs in the greater Kalamazoo, Mich. area, began to run into severe scalability issues with traditional Microsoft Exchange installations. As businesses grew, so did their computing needs, but they didn’t have the money or facilities to grow proportionately. That’s when New Mind Group decided to help blaze a trail now being followed by the city of Los Angeles and go to Google Apps.
Google Apps and College Kids: True Love?
Posted December 22nd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Where is SaaS (software as a service) heading next? Go visit a local college campus — where more and more universities and education centers are embracing Google Apps. The latest example involves the University of Southern Mississippi. For MSPs that are still studying the SaaS game, Google’s moves in the education market are worth noting. Here’s why.
Google Apps in Los Angeles: A Closer Look
Posted December 15th, 2009 by Matthew Weinberger
The City of Los Angeles has finalized its decision to migrate its 30,000 city employees from their existing GroupWise e-mail system to Google Apps, according to the official Google Enterprise blog. Yes, we’ve previously covered the deal, But there’s still plenty for MSPs to learn from this deployment. One example: City of Los Angeles CTO Randi Levin says the project will cut the municipality’s electricity bills by nearly $750,000 over five years. Here’s an update.
Ingram, Intermedia Promote Hosted Exchange 2010 to MSPs
Posted December 4th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Intermedia and Ingram Micro Seismic are marching forward with their plans to offer Hosted Exchange 2010 to managed service providers. The move comes as many VARs and MSPs continue to sort out their SaaS (software as a service) strategies for Microsoft applications.
MSPs Embracing Google Apps
Posted November 18th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Anecdotal evidence suggests Google Apps is starting to catch on with managed service providers. A case in point: Roughly 16 percent of MSPs completing our third-annual MSPmentor 100 survey say they are offering Google Apps to their customers. How has Google built a following among MSPs? The answer is pretty simple.
Google: Managed Services Shifting to Applications
Posted November 5th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
When Google takes the stage at the ConnectWise Partner Summit, channel manager Jeff Ragusa will deliver a key message: The managed services market is poised to expand beyond infrastructure management to application management. Regardless of your stance on Google Apps, Ragusa’s message is dead-on: It’s time for MSPs to figure out their application management strategies.
Confirmed: Microsoft Cuts SaaS Prices 33 Percent
Posted November 2nd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Microsoft is slashing some SaaS prices by 33 percent, confirming a scoop from TheVARGuy.com earlier today. Sources close to Microsoft say this is the start of a SaaS price war with Google Apps, with VARs and MSPs potentially getting squeezed. But Microsoft is reminding reporters that more than 7,000 partners are building SaaS practices around Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, among other offerings. Here’s the updated report from The VAR Guy.
Microsoft Preparing SaaS Price Cuts?
Posted November 2nd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Two sources tell our sister site, The VAR Guy, that Microsoft plans to make SaaS (software as a service) price cuts amid a cloud war with Google Apps. Check out The VAR Guy’s blog for a look at potential implications for VARs and managed service providers.
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.
Nimsoft Launches Unified Dashboard for On-Premise, Cloud Monitoring
Posted October 20th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Nimsoft has launched a Unified Monitoring dashboard (shown above) that allows managed service providers to track the health of on-premise systems and cloud applications — from Google Apps to Salesforce.com. In recent months, several vendors have told me they’re working on similar dashboards but I saw a demo of the Nimsoft offering last week and it seemed to work as advertised. Here are some quick thoughts on the effort.
ZOHO: Blending SaaS And Managed Services
Posted July 23rd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Consider two of the biggest questions facing MSPs: First, how will managed services and SaaS (software as a service) converge with one another? Second, what role will MSPs play in that convergence? Take a look at ZOHO Corp. and you might begin to find some key trends and answers. Here’s why.
Microsoft Office, SaaS and Managed Services: Can You Combine All Three?
Posted April 29th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
If you could provide Microsoft Office as a managed subscription service, would you do it? Before you answer, check out a new development from AllenPort Co. Apparently, the New Jersey-based company is working closely with Microsoft to connect the dots between Microsoft Office, Software as a Service (SaaS) and managed services.
Microsoft’s Hosted Applications Going Global
Posted March 2nd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite — which features Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Microsoft Office Live Meeting — will push into 18 new countries on April 1, according to CNet. The move comes as many of North America’s managed services giants — from Ingram Micro Seismic to The Planet — formulate their global hosting and software as a service (SaaS) strategies. Here’s what to expect.
Why Do Managed Service Providers Keep Looking Back?
Posted October 27th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Why do so many managed service provides spend so much time looking in the rear view mirror? That question popped into my head while moderating a session at the N-able Partner Summit last week.
Google Chrome: The New Front End to Managed Services?
Posted September 3rd, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
When I got off a flight Tuesday evening, an email from Nicholas Vossburg, CEO of TechAssist, a managed service provider, awaited me. Vossburg wanted to chat a bit about Google Chrome — the search engine giant’s new Web browser.
Understanding Google Apps for Managed Service Providers
Posted June 16th, 2008 by The VAR Guy
So, you’re a managed service provider or VAR who’s striving to understand Google Apps — the search giant’s on-demand software development platform.
Microsoft SaaS vs. Google Apps on College Campuses
Posted May 27th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
If you want to see how Microsoft and Google are competing in the software as a service (SaaS) market, head back to college. As I’ve written here a few times, Hofstra University, the University of Phoenix and several other large colleges have embraced Google Apps to manage student email, alumni email and collaboration. Now, Microsoft is taking steps to more actively promote its rival offering: Live@edu hosted applications.
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