Instead of trying to pitch and sell mobile device management (MDM), perhaps managed services providers (MSPs) should simply spend more time listening to incoming customer requests and queries. The reason: Fully 70 percent of MSPs say their customers are asking about MDM, but nearly 20 percent of MSPs say they don’t have an MDM solution in place to meet the inbound customer inquiries.
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70% of MSPs Say Customers Ask About Mobile Device Management
Posted January 11th, 2012 by Joe Panettieri
Intel vPro: Critical Mass with Managed Services Providers?
Posted January 10th, 2012 by Nicholas Mukhar
Backed by continued Intel vPro marketing, a growing number of managed services providers (MSPs) are standardizing their customer environments on vPro technology. And MSP software vendors are responding accordingly. The two latest examples involve Kaseya and Bomgar, respectively, introducing new Intel vPro integrations. Here are the details.
Another Way for MSPs to Build Customer Reports: BrightGauge
Posted January 5th, 2012 by Joe Panettieri
BrightGauge believes it has built an easier way for managed services providers (MSPs) to create and deliver performance reports to customers. BrightGauge’s cloud-based application, championed by Eric and Brian Dosal (pictured), involves a five-step process to generate customer reports. Here’s an overview.
ConnectWise Capital: Two Years Later
Posted January 3rd, 2012 by Joe Panettieri
ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini and President David Bellini have spent the past two years preparing for software industry convergence and competitive wars. The result: ConnectWise and its investments — most notably LabTech Software and Quosal — have been in growth mode. But ironically, the anticipated MSP software wars never fully emerged. Here’s the back story.
CA Evolves ARCserve Licensing for MSPs and Cloud Storage
Posted December 7th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
When CA Technologies launched ARCserve MSP 2.0 licensing today, it was only one piece of a three-part story. First, CA is striving to make ARCserve licensing more appealing to managed services providers (MSPs). Second, CA wants to ultimately connect the dots between ARCserve and public cloud storage. And finally, CA wants to eliminate any lingering concerns about its commitment to channel partners.
Managed Services Software Company Funding: Who’s Next?
Posted December 2nd, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
By raising $6 million in new funding, Autotask joins a lengthy list of MSP-centric software companies and cloud services providers that has tapped private equity or venture capital — or made acquisitions in 2011. Here’s the scorecard… and a look at two cloud-centric software companies that will very likely raise money next.
Kaseya CEO Gerald Blackie: We’ve Got New CFO, Same Strategy
Posted December 1st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
When Kaseya named a new CFO and a new executive VP earlier today, I wondered if the moves signaled a shift in the company’s financial and business strategy. CEO Gerald Blackie (pictured) offered up a concise answer: “These personnel moves signal no change in strategy for Kaseya” — and the company continues to march forward with a global growth plan. Here’s a bit more background.
Kaseya Names New CFO and Executive VP
Posted December 1st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Kaseya, which specializes in IT automation software, has made two updates to its executive ranks. The company has named Anne Huemme CFO and Monica Hoppe executive VP, global human resources. In a prepared statement, Kaseya CEO Gerald Blackie said the moves are designed to help Kaseya scale globally.
MSP Backup Software: Red Hat Executive Named Acronis CEO
Posted December 1st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Kaseya CEO Responds to R&D Questions from MSPs
Posted November 30th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
In recent weeks, some MSPs have called on Kaseya to spend more time developing and enhancing its core software platform and existing modules — rather than building out more add-on modules. In an online forum, Kaseya CEO Gerald Blackie has responded to MSPs by saying that the company continues to march forward on its R&D and software quality efforts. Here’s a summary of the dialog.
Managed Services Pricing Models: Am I Just Plain Wrong?
Posted November 29th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
In recent months, MSPmentor has evangelized all-in, per-user managed services pricing. We’ve told readers to follow advice from TruMethods, an MSP coaching firm that promotes a “cake” pricing model, rather than an “ingredients” pricing model. Generally speaking, I think TruMethods’ advice is right on the mark. But some readers keep telling me per-device pricing for managed services is alive and well, particularly in the emerging mobile device management (MDM) market.
Employee Owned Devices: BYOD Trend Accelerates
Posted November 29th, 2011 by Dan Berthiaume
About two-thirds (65%) of IT pros, including some in enterprises with as few as 50 employees, expect an increase in employee-owned mobile devices accessing business data, according to a recent survey from InformationWeek Reports. And nearly 80% of survey respondents say mobile devices will increase in importance in their organizations in the next 24 months, more than double the 36% who said the same as recently as March 2010.
Apple Managed Services: Is CenterBeam Part of a Bigger Trend?
Posted November 28th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
CenterBeam is the latest managed services provider to introduce Apple-centric managed services. The CenterBeam effort focuses on help desk services, endpoint management and security for Mac OS and Apple iOS — the operating system that drives iPhones and iPads. Meanwhile, Apple is striving to recruit 1,000 channel partners to service and support iOS devices multiple sources tell MSPmentor.
Managed Services: 7 Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write, Nov. 25
Posted November 27th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
The MSPmentor team spent the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. recharging and relaxing with friends and family. Now we’re plugging back in and catching up on managed services chatter. Here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news tips the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Nov. 25, 2011.
Mobile Device Management and RMM Software: Set to Converge?
Posted November 21st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Brace yourself. The worlds of mobile device management (MDM) software and RMM (remote monitoring and management) software are on a collision course. The reason: MSPs want a single dashboard to manage servers, desktops, notebooks, tablets and smartphones. Moving beyond Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, top MSPs must now add Apple iOS and Google Android to the management mix. But when will that dream — RMM platforms blended with MDM software — become a reality?
Thrive Networks: Managed Services Growth Continues
Posted November 17th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Thrive Networks, the managed services business owned by Staples, continues to see double-digit growth in the services market. Some of that growth can be traced back to Thrive Networks’ relationships with Axcient and SonicWall, which power the MSP’s backup and disaster recovery (BDR) and managed firewall services.
Kaseya, Safe Systems Jointly Target Financial Vertical
Posted November 17th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Kaseya, the IT systems management provider, is teaming up with Safe Systems, an IT support and hosted services provider for financial institutions, to create an IT management solution for the financial services vertical. The move comes as a growing number of MSPs (managed services providers) specifically target the financial services market.
Managed Services: 7 Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write, Nov. 11
Posted November 13th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
The MSPmentor team is heading off to conferences hosted by Synnex and Intel this week. Plus we’ll closely track CA World in Las Vegas. But before MSPmentor kicks off another round of managed services coverage, here are seven blogs the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending November 11.
Symantec Confirms Managed Services Partner Strategy
Posted November 10th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Symantec confirmed its managed service provider strategy today at ConnectWise’s IT Nation conference in Orlando. The Symantec MSP effort includes security and storage software integrations with RMM (remote monitoring and management) software providers, and growing promotion of service provider licensing. Is the effort radically new or different? Perhaps not. But Symantec’s moves are worth noting. Here’s why.
SolarWinds Confirms Managed Services Provider Push
Posted October 25th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
SolarWinds, which develops IT management software, is set to work more closely with managed services providers (MSPs). SolarWinds will likely make an official announcement for MSPs sometimes this week, the company has confirmed to MSPmentor.
Managed Services: 7 Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write, Oct. 21
Posted October 21st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
The MSPmentor team had another packed week of travel, attending McAfee Focus and Tigerpaw User Conference. We’ve also been pursuing several rumors we’ve yet to confirm as factual (hint, hint: stay tuned). In the meantime here are seven managed services blogs the MSPmentor team didn’t have time to write for the week ending Oct. 21, 2011.
ClikCloud Online Marketing for MSPs Launching in November
Posted October 21st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
ClikCloudDell KACE: Targeting Kaseya in Managed Services, IT Management?
Posted October 18th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Dell KACE, a systems management appliance, is taking aim at Kaseya. But can Dell actually hit the target this time around? The background: Dell is positioning KACE as an “affordable alternative” to Kaseya in an online marketing campaign spotted by MSPmentor. Generally speaking, it sounds like Dell KACE is targeting Kaseya’s midmarket and enterprise accounts. But MSPmentor is watching to see if Dell begins to position KACE against Kaseya for managed services providers.
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