Earlier this week, GroundWork Inc., the monitoring software developer, released GroundWork Monitor Core — a free version of its GroundWork Monitoring Enterprise version. The release was really two moves in one for GroundWork — which wants to more effectively target the SMB market and managed services providers (MSPs).
GroundWork Launches Free Monitoring Software for Non-Profits
Posted August 17th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
GroundWork Inc. has launched a free monitoring platform that targets network, application and cloud management. But there’s a catch: The free offering, called GroundWork Monitor NPO, is for non-profit organizations and open source projects. There’s also a side story here. GroundWork is striving to help customers use open source and proprietary management tools in tandem. Here’s a closer look at the strategy.
Ask a Mentor: How Can I Compare Managed Services Software?
Posted February 1st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Each Tuesday, MSPmentor’s Ask a Mentor service publishes a reader question and invites you to weigh in with recommendations. This week’s question comes from a reader in Europe who is seeking information about managed services software — options and recommendations. Here’s the question and our reply…
Does Open Source Fit Into a Managed Services Strategy?
Posted November 10th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
During a managed services panel discussion at the recent SMB Nation conference in Las Vegas, ClearCenter CEO Michael Proper stood up and asked attendees if open source was part of their managed services framework. One attendee’s reply: “What does open source have to do with a managed services conversation?” Let me take a second stab at the discussion: To be sure, most MSPs within the SMB market seem to leverage traditional closed-source solutions. But there are pockets of opportunity for open source. Here’s where.
Microsoft Acquires AVICode For Cloud App Management
Posted October 12th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Microsoft has acquired AVICode, Inc., a specialist in .NET application and service monitoring. Is there a managed services hook here? You bet. AVIcode will be rolled into the Microsoft System Center, giving MSPs a unified view into physical, virtualized, and cloud applications. Here’s some more perspective on the deal.
GroundWork Monitor Enterprise 6.3 Arrives for MSPs
Posted October 11th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
GroundWork Open Source, which develops monitoring and network management software, today announced general availability of GroundWork Monitor Enterprise 6.3. The software, designed for IT administrators and managed services providers, allows users to create customized views of their processes and infrastructure. Here are some quick details.
Major European MSP Partners Up with Oracle
Posted September 3rd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
DSP Managed Services, which claims to be the United Kingdom’s top provider of managed services, has joined the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) as a platinum member. But where exactly does Oracle fit in the managed services market? DSP and the OPN Specialized partner program provide some clues.
GroundWork Open Source Launches MSP Site, MSP Pricing
Posted September 1st, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
GroundWork Open Source is the latest IT monitoring and network management software company to reach out to managed services providers (MSPs). Specifically, GroundWork has launched an MSP-centric web site plus software pricing designed for MSPs. The big question: Does the crowded RMM (remote monitoring and management) software market have room for more players? Here are some observations.
Would You Dial An Open Source Help Desk?
Posted August 4th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
From time to time, MSPmentor explores open source trends in the managed services market. There are anecdotal examples of MSPs leveraging open source. But for the most part, I think MSPs serving small business leverage traditional, Microsoft- and Windows-centric tools. Still, OTRS (Open Technology Real Services) caught my attention this week with a 3.0 help desk beta release. As you may have guessed, OTRS focuses on open source solutions. Is the OTRS help desk ready for prime time? Here’s a reality check.
Accelops Launches Co-Branded Managed Services for MSPs
Posted July 21st, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
At first glance, AccelOps has launched a channel partner program for traditional VARs. But take a closer look, and you’ll discover the AccelOps partner program also targets managed services providers that want to offer remote monitoring, managed security and managed infrastructure services. Translation: In some ways, AccelOps is the latest in a growing list of RMM (remote monitoring and management) software suppliers targeting MSPs. Can AccelOps stand out from the RMM crowd? Here are some thoughts.
GroundWork Open Source Launches Certification Sweepstakes
Posted July 13th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
GroundWork Open Source, which develops management and monitoring solutions for the IT channel, has announced a sweepstakes they say is designed to help their partners expand their business. Just buy a GroundWork Enterprise QuickStart package, and you’ll be entered to win $4,500 towards getting certified with organizations like the Linux Foundation or JBoss. Here’s the scoop.
New GroundWork Open Source Release Targets MSPs
Posted July 8th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Network management specialist GroundWork Open Source (GWOS) today launches version 6.2 of GroundWork Monitor Enterprise, bringing role-based views to the table — a feature the company says is aimed squarely at the managed services community. Here’s the scoop.
GroundWork Open Source Quadruples Customer Base
Posted June 25th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
GroundWork Open Source (GWOS), the open source systems and network management specialist, says it has quadrupled its customers base during the past eight months or so. GWOS already has a channel partner program but it’s safe to expect a strong focus on MSPs within the next few months. Here are the details.
Digital Parallels Embraces Zenoss for Managed Services
Posted May 25th, 2010 by John Moore
Zenoss, maker of open source monitoring software, has added another managed services adopter: Digital Parallels, a master MSP in the United Kingdom. Although most MSPmentor 100 companies seem to be using traditional closed-source software, there are niches where open source alternatives are gaining momentum. Here’s a closer look at Zenoss and open source in the MSP ecosystem.
Eucalyptus, GroundWork Partner On Cloud App Monitoring
Posted April 9th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Eucalyptus Systems has inked a partnership with GroundWork Open Source. The deal should make it easier for corporate IT administrators and MSPs to manage applications running in the Eucalyptus open source cloud platform. Here’s the deal.
Novell Prepares to Engage Hosting Partners
Posted March 22nd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
More than 2,500 customers and partners are attending this week’s Novell BrainShare conference, but most of the attending partners are VARs rather than MSPs. Still, anecdotal evidence — involving Novell, Groundwork Open Source, Verizion Business and Zmanda– suggests Novell’s partner ecosystem may increasingly involve hosting providers and managed services providers over the next few months. Plus, a new product called Novell Pulse will have key implications for hosting partners, asserts Novell Senior VP Colleen O’Keefe (pictured). Here’s why.
Does Novell Matter to Managed Services Providers?
Posted March 21st, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
I suspect a good portion of MSPmentor’s readers built and supported Novell NetWare networks back in the 1990s. Fast forward to the present, and Novell BrainShare starts today in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bloggers from our sister site, The VAR Guy, are at the conference, covering Novell’s channel strategy for integrators and VARs. But back here on MSPmentor I have to wonder: How many MSPs really care about Novell these days?
Vyatta: Open Source Networking Meets MSPs
Posted February 23rd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Vyatta, which positions itself as an open source alternative to Cisco Systems, has launched a service provider partner licensing (VSPL) program. The subscription-based model targets ISPs, MSPs, hosting businesses and cloud providers. The big question: Will MSPs trust their infrastructure to open source routing and firewall services? For at least one MSP, the answer is a resounding yes. Here are the details.
HP Services, Software: 2 Weak Spots In Strong Quarter
Posted February 17th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Hewlett-Packard evangelists sound pretty excited by the company’s latest quarterly financial results. The Associated Press noted “revenue was up in most of the technology company’s major divisions and HP raised its 2010 outlook, citing accelerating market momentum.” Great news for HP partners. But there were two weak spots in the earnings report: HP Services and HP Software. Here are the details.
HP Managed Security Services: A Closer Look
Posted January 26th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
When Hewlett-Packard this week launched a security services portfolio, the announcement included a brief mention of managed security services. No doubt, HP promotes managed services to large enterprises. But is the hardware giant starting to take a closer look at channel-centric managed services? Here are some thoughts.
Systems Management: Targeting the Big Four
Posted January 21st, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Nimsoft and Groundwork Open Source are strikingly different companies. And they rarely run into each other in competitive settings. Now here’s the irony: Both companies claim they are displacing BMC, CA, HP Openview and IBM Tivoli in some enterprise accounts. And yes, there’s a managed services hook here. Let me explain.
IBM Making Managed Services Moves?
Posted January 8th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
We spend quite a bit of time on MSPmentor covering small but fast-growing software companies that cater to the managed services market. But occasionally an industry titan will catch our attention. A case in point: IBM made a key move this week, and it involved small and midsized communication service providers (CSPs). Does this mean the Big 4 systems management companies (BMC, CA, HP, IBM) are finally waking up to managed services? Here’s some perspective and speculation.
Seven Managed Services Blog Entries I Didn’t Have Time to Write: Oct. 16
Posted October 16th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
What a week. Our bloggers have been on the road at N-able Partner Summit, Astricon, Oracle OpenWorld and Avaya’s partner conference. Lots of fantastic blogs still to be written. Here are the seven managed services blog entries I didn’t have time to write for the week ending Oct. 16.
