Even as the world shifts from Windows to the Web, Microsoft partners remain highly coveted. The latest example: Autotask has announced a special offer for Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community (SBSC) partners. It reminds me (somewhat) of a free offer N-able made to Microsoft partners in April.
Here’s some more info on Autotask’s move, and the continued influence Microsoft has over the IT channel.
If you’re a Microsoft partner that’s skeptical about software as a service (SaaS), consider this: Half of all Exchange email inboxes will involve hosted systems within five years, notes Mary Jo Foley’s All About Microsoft blog. I’ve been alerting readers in recent weeks about Microsoft’s SaaS strategy for Exchange, Dynamics CRM and SharePoint. Ultimately, Microsoft will need to compete and cooperate with managed service providers (MSPs) that host those applications. Here’s how some Microsoft partners intend to cope with the software giant’s SaaS moves.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that managed service providers are pushing deeper into the Microsoft applications market. Most of the Microsoft-centric initiatives seem to involve hosted Exchange Server, Dynamics CRM and /or SharePoint applications.
The latest example involves Azaleos Corp. — a well-known MSP focused on Exchange Server — launching a managed SharePoint Server 2007 service called OneStop ViewPoint. The Azaleos strategy also involves a hybrid on-premise/off-premise MSP model, where some equipment is deployed at customer sites and other software runs remotely.
Here’s what aspiring MSPs can learn from the Azaleos strategy.
Mergers and acquisitions continue at a rapid pace in the managed services industry. The latest deal involves Alentus — a managed service provider with software as a service expertise — acquiring two Linux-centric hosting firms.
Based in Laguna Niguel, Calif., Alentus snapped up Austin, Texas-based Website Source, Inc. and SpeedFox, Inc., which specialize in Linux website hosting. The acquisitions reinforce the growing popularity of hosting both open source and closed source applications under one roof.
Alentus’s acquisitions are the latest in a growing list of MSP buyouts followed by our MSPmentor M&A Tracker.
Microsoft is preparing an “application streaming” initiative, in an effort to more effectively position Microsoft Office against Google Apps, according to ComputerWorld. Anyone who thinks this is nothing more than a commodity software war needs to think again.
While Google has lined up major colleges to standardize on Google Apps, Microsoft is quietly pushing cable companies to embrace its software as a service (SaaS) product portfolio. Here’s the scoop. Read More >
Microsoft is aggressively pursuing business relationships with cable companies as it strives to strengthen its software as a service (SaaS) strategy, MSPmentor has learned. If it secures partnerships with cable companies, Microsoft could wind up competing with some managed service providers that offer hosted Exchange Server systems to small businesses.
The writing has been on the wall for several weeks. MSPmentor told Microsoft partners in March that managed service providers needed to master — or at least explore — hosted versions of Microsoft Exchange Server, Dynamics CRM and SharePoint. Now, Ingram Micro’s Seismic team is hoping to accelerate MSP moves to those hosted applications. Here’s the scoop. Read More >
At a time when some managed service providers are worried about Dell, Microsoft and Google moving onto their turf, Cisco Systems is taking a stand and offering assurances to MSPs.
During a phone chat with MSPmentor, Al Safarikas (pictured), Cisco’s senior director of service provider managed services, said Cisco remains true to its word and has no plans to become a service provider.
