I have a neighbor who really gets into Christmas. His house is covered with lights and ornaments. The combination of bright lights and shiny objects captures lots of attention, even prompting a local TV crew to broadcast in front of his house.
Three Tips: Managed Services Sales and Compensation
Ottawa, Canada: Managed Services Central?
I’m in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada today visiting a few companies that specialize in managed services software. As you may know, Ottawa is a hotbed of managed services activity. Level Platforms, MSP Partners, N-able and The Utility Company are all headquartered here. (If you’re based in Ottawa and have an MSP focus, let me know and I’ll add you to our radar.)
Tough Times? MSPs Say “Bring Them On”
Here are some media headlines I’ve come across recently:
- “Markets Plummet”
- “Enough Already!”
- and my personal favorite, “Ouch!”
Given all the bad economic news, you would think that managed service providers are cowering in a corner these days. While there is certainly lots of economic pain to go around, I’ve had discussions over the last few weeks with MSPs who are paradoxically optimistic about the future of their business in this difficult economic climate. So what’s behind all this optimism? Here are a few of my gleaned insights from those in the trenches:
Putting A Price On Eternal IT and MSP Happiness
The evil-hearted Mr. Burns of Simpson’s fame once quipped “One dollar for eternal happiness? I’d be happier with the dollar.”
Everon Launches MSP Coach
Everon Technology Services LLC, one of our MSPmentor 100 companies, has launched MSP Coach. According to a teaser for the site, Everon has “taken everything we’ve learned and begun creating courses, content, and tools that you can use to help build your MSP business.”
MSP University: Behind the Curtains
I spent some time with Erick Simpson, VP and CIO of MSP University, during the Kaseya User Conference in Las Vegas last month. Even before we met, I knew Erick had written some best-selling books on managed services. But I wanted to learn a bit more about where MSP University had been … and where it’s going.
MSP Partners: What You Need to Know
Solution providers have a lot to gain from adopting managed services. Less appreciated is the fact that vendors have a lot at stake, too. Increasingly they realize that adoption of managed services by their channel partners is not only a winning strategy, but an essential strategy for long term success in the SMB market.
Autotask CEO Next to Join MSP Alliance Vendor Board
The MSP Alliance continues to build out its Vendor Advisory Board. Next to join is Autotask CEO Bob Godgart (pictured), we hear. The Godgart announcement should come in a few days or so. So, how will MSP Alliance differ from the MSP Partner organization? We received some thoughts from MSP Alliance CEO Charles Weaver. Here’s a look.
N-able CEO Connects With MSP Alliance
Gavin Garbutt, CEO of N-able Technologies, is on a role. Last week, he strolled around N-able’s Ottawa offices displaying an award from Deloitte, ranking N-able among the 500 fastest growing companies in North America. Now, he’s been named the first executive member of the MSP Alliance’s (MSPA) new Vendor Advisory Board. But what does the working relationship between N-able and MSP Alliance mean to other platform providers?



