MSPmentor

Question: What’s the fastest, easiest way for MSPs and VARs to find potential financial partners that can assist with leasing, loans, hardware as a service and other funding options? We’re working on the answer to that question right now. It’s called The VAR Guy’s Channel Finance 25. The survey and resulting report will help MSPs and VARs to more easily connect with lenders that work in the IT channel. Here are the details.

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As the economy continues to sputter, companies of all sizes are looking for ways to cut costs, but no one wants to look cheap doing so. When it comes to travel, which can run up fairly sizeable budgets for some companies, one elegant way to curtail expenses is to embrace telepresence. Here’s why.

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Call it some friendly coopetition. Earlier this week, several Florida-based managed services providers — located in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties — sat down at a bar together to share a few beers, smoke a few cigars, and compare business notes. Among those who pulled up a chair for the meeting: Eric Dosal, chief operating officer for Compuquip Technologies, Inc. Here’s a recap.

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At the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, it’s safe to expect IP phones to converge with hardware as a service (HaaS). The reason: Alteva, a hosted unified communications company, has confirmed plans to offer an IP phone rental program to SMBs that require 10 or more handsets. Alteva’s strategy includes a close working relationship with Microsoft in the UC market, plus a channel program for MSPs and VARs. Here are the preliminary details.

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When it comes to hardware as a service (HaaS), many MSPs see revenue opportunities involving servers, desktops, laptops and printers. But the next HaaS opportunity will likely involve IP phones, according to vendors that are set to attend the Channel Partners Conference and Expo (Sept. 20-22, Washington, D.C.). One particular company to watch: Alteva, a hosted unified communications specialist. Here’s why.

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Call me surprised: Managed print services (MPS) seems to be an obvious recurring revenue opportunity for VARs and MSPs. But so far, fewer than 30 percent of top MSPs offer managed print services to their end-customers, according to our MSPmentor 100 report (2010 edition). Will more MSPs embrace the managed print opportunity? Or is there something inherently wrong with the MPS market? We could get some answers during the CompTIA Breakaway conference (San Antonio, Aug. 9-12). Here’s why.

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CharTec specializes in hardware-as-a-service — so it’s no surprise that when they decided to build their own cloud-enabled enterprise-grade backup and disaster recovery (BDR) appliance, they decided to offer it under a monthly subscription model with no money down. CharTec says it’s designed to make BDR more appealing to the midmarket, where this kind of solution can be expensive and complex to deploy. Here’s the skinny.

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Where’s the money to be found by IT solution providers in this Great Recession? I’ll tell you what I’m seeing, it’s a takeover. A takeover of midsize companies’ IT departments by savvy solution providers. Now this isn’t a hostile takeover by any means. And this isn’t a new strategy either. Here are the details.

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As part of N-able Technologies’ lawsuit against MSP on Demand, N-able is seeking financial records from the hardware as a service (HaaS) specialist and its founder Ramsey Dellinger. Court documents in the case also reveal a 2008 bankruptcy filing in which Dellinger allegedly owed Tech Data and other creditors a combined $1.3 million. Here’s the update.

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N-able Technologies Inc. has filed suit against MSP on Demand and its founder, Ramsey Dellinger. The suit alleges financial fraud within one of the managed services industry’s best-known hardware as a service (HaaS) players. Here are the preliminary details, which allegedly involve altered invoices and unpaid bills, and perhaps even embezzlement within the halls of MSP on Demand.

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Dozens of media folks are converging on Manhattan today for Microsoft’s Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 launches. But I have to concede: I’ve got writers block as I try to blog about the Office 2010 launch. No doubt, millions of customers continue to see value in Office. But I wonder: Are MSPs focusing at all on the Office 2010 launch? Or have they turned their attention to Microsoft’s other big launch: SharePoint 2010?

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As Hewlett-Packard’s channel chief, Stephen DiFranco (pictured) has two top priorities — fine-tuning a channel partner program that’s (1) consistent and (2) predictable. So far, most of this week’s HP Americas Partner Conference has focused on taking profitable market share from Cisco Systems and Dell. But if you quiz DiFranco, he’s more than happy to share his thoughts on emerging managed services opportunities for HP’s channel partners. Here are the details.

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When it comes to Hewlett-Packard’s managed print services strategy, I’m finally starting to see the light. HP CEO Mark Hurd discussed managed print a bit today during the HP Americas Partner Conference in Las Vegas. Then, HP VP Scott Dunsire (pictured) gave me a more complete picture — including a list of four key partners that can help VARs and MSPs embrace managed print services. Here are the details.

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As the HP Americas Partner Conference kicks off in Las Vegas, I believe Hewlett-Packard is finally going to get serious about managed services providers in the SMB market. When HP Channel Chief Stephen DiFranco steps to the stage later today, he’ll likely offer a broad, sweeping update on HP’s channel partner program. But somewhere within the message, DiFranco has to address MSPs. Here’s why.

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Telepresence — the next-generation video conferencing technology — is on a collision course with managed services and recurring revenue. The reason: Zenith Infotech, as expected, has launched Vu Telepresence offerings that apparently undercut traditional telepresence prices. Here are the details, which also include some hardware as a service (HaaS) opportunities.

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Apparently, the hardware as a service (HaaS) market continues to treat CharTec well. A case in point: CharTec is seeking to hire 20 to 30 people to help promote HaaS to more VARs and MSPs. Here are some details.

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During recent managed services conferences, James Foxall (pictured) has been the public face and voice of Tigerpaw Software Inc. — the PSA (professional services automation) software provider. Now, Foxall has been promoted from VP into Tigerpaw’s president slot. Here are some details.

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Another week of planes, trains and automobiles is over. We covered lots of ground. But as always, there were managed services stories that MSPmentor didn’t nail down. Here are seven managed services blog entries that MSPmentor didn’t have time to write for the week ending April 2, 2010.

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A friendly (and timely) reminder. Our next MSPmentor Live webcast, focused on Hardware as a Service (HaaS), is scheduled for today, March 24 at 2:00 p.m. eastern. Two fast-growing MSPs — Everon Technology Services and Black’s Support Services — will describe how they promote, sell and profit from HaaS. Executives from Everon, Black’s and CharTec (a HaaS specialist and the event’s sponsor) will answer questions throughout the webcast. Separately, we kick off our Four Steps to SaaS Success webcast series on April 7. I look forward to your questions during both webcasts.

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XnE Inc. has acquired a “majority” position in MSP on Demand, a hardware as a service (HaaS) specialist that had roughly (US)$1 million in revenues and $110,000 in net income for 2009. This is the second HaaS-related investment that has surfaced in recent weeks. Interesting stuff. But  XnE Inc.’s background — and delayed SEC filings — raises some question marks. Here’s why.

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We got a bit distracted this week by CA Inc.’s surprise buyout of Nimsoft for $350 million. Several other stories and deadlines slipped through he cracks. Here are seven managed services blog entries our team didn’t have time to write for the week ending March 12, 2010.

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Earlier this week in Miami, I got locked in a conversation about Hardware as a Service (HaaS) with a few skeptical MSPs. Their key question: Can you really turn a HaaS profit without taking on big financial risk? I’ve heard some successful anecdotes, but I’m deferring the question to two top MSPs and CharTec’s Alex Rogers. If you’d like to hear how they’re tackling HaaS, join our March 24 MSPmentor Live webcast. We’ll take your questions through the webcast discussion.

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Former ConnectWise Chief Operating Officer Santo Cannone (pictured) has joined Open Solutions Inc. as executive VP, group sales. Cannone says he wasn’t looking to leave ConnectWise, but a unique opportunity to move back into the financial services market proved too intriguing to turn down. Here are some details.

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