MSPmentor

N-able Technologies,  the remote monitoring and management (RMM) software provider for managed service providers (MSPs), has developed the N-able Technician Runbook to help technicians automate their daily tasks. N-able actually previewed the Runbook at the N-able Partner Summit back in October. The company says that automation will ultimately lead to increased productivity and profitability MSPs.

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N-able is tasking its managed services partners with the goal of 100 percent growth in the next year, matching the goal it set at its 2010 N-able Partner Conference but giving MSPs additional tools to help them get there a little easier.

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Several hundred managed services providers (MSPs) are set to attend this week’s N-able Partner Summit (Oct. 12-14, Scottsdale, Ariz.). What surprises will N-able CEO Gavin Garbutt and his executive team have in store for MSPs? Here are seven questions worth asking.

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The MSPmentor team is gearing up to cover three major channel partner conferences this week, which will be hosted by N-able Technologies, Symantec and Dell.But in the meantime, here are seven managed IT services blogs the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Oct. 7, 2011.

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How’s this for ironic: North America will host several of the world’s largest managed services conferences within the next few weeks. But some of the most interesting managed services innovations continue to occur in Australia and New Zealand. Here’s the blow by blow.

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These are challenging economic times. But MSP software companies continue to issue momentum statements — reassuring managed services providers and signaling continued MSP industry growth. The latest example comes from N-able Technologies, which says its MSP partner base now manages more than 47,000 end-users, up nearly 150 percent since January 2010.

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A growing number of MSPs seem to be reaching the following conclusion: Maybe running a successful lifestyle business isn’t so bad after all. Indeed, earlier this decade thousands of VARs jumped into the managed services market with a common goal: Automate operations, drive recurring revenues, and vastly increase the value of their businesses. In some cases the goals are now changing. Some MSPs are deciding it’s time to focus on highly profitable lifestyle businesses rather than hyper-growth, high-valuation dreams. Here’s why.

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As managed services providers (MSPs) consider outsourced help desk options, here’s a new spin on the conversation: There’s a new 24 x 7 help desk for service providers that focuses on Asterisk — the increasingly popular IP PBX platform. Here’s the background for MSPs that are pushing into VoIP and unified communications, but may need some extra support.

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I’m en route from New York to  Silicon Valley. My destination: Oracle’s headquarters, where I’ll be sitting down with Oracle Channel Chief Judson Althoff and Kevin O’Brien, senior director of Oracle’s ISV and SaaS strategy. While prepping for the meeting, I recalled an Oracle-centric discussion I had during the N-able Partner Summit in October 2010. At that gathering, Ntirety CEO Michael Corey — a long-time N-able partner — told me his business was built around managed database services. Is that a hot new niche?

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Where will the managed services industry head next? Ironically, some clues may emerge at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2011), set for January 6-9 in Las Vegas. I concede: My eyes often glaze over when pundits talk about the “consumerization of IT.” But in many cases, I have to admit: Consumer products — and mobile consumer endpoints — will greatly influence the managed services market going forward. Here’s why.

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When a company changes its name and logo, sometimes the moves are simply window dressing — little changes within the actual business. But I sense real change is under way at CA Technologies (formerly CA Inc./Computer Associates). And it’s clear that CA Technologies is very serious about reworking most of its software licensing plans to better serve MSPs and partners that want recurring revenue models. Here’s why.

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Here’s a novel idea: What if there was a central, well-organized list of channel partner conferences and partner summits designed for managed services providers (MSPs), VARs and solutions providers? And what if you could use that list to plan your schedule for 2011? Alas, MSPmentor doesn’t have such a list… Only a lunatic like The VAR Guy would be crazy enough to pull together all that information. And here it is: 75 channel partner events and channel partner conferences designed for MSPs, VARs and everything else channel. Take a look and feel free to post your suggested changes/updates.

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In recent weeks, MSPmentor has heard from numerous managed services providers that are taking a closer look at the VoIP market. Not by coincidence, N-able is partnering up with Mitel to promote customized VoIP monitoring services designed for MSPs. This could be the start of a larger a trend as rumors involving Cisco’s managed VoIP strategy continue to circulate. Here’s the update.

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Anecdotal evidence suggests the managed services market remains healthy. But for the second time in 12 months, I believe MSPs are reaching a major inflection point. There’s no cause for panic. But the rules for managed services seem to be changing — yet again. Here’s why.

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N-able CEO Gavin Garbutt thinks he’s found new ways for MSPs to increase their market penetration. Specifically, Garbutt is turning N-able’s attention to partnerships on the data protection, compliance and capacity management fronts. Each of those partnerships should provide upsell and cross-sell opportunities for MSPs, Garbutt asserts. How? Garbutt shares details in this MSPmentor FastChat Video.

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How much is your managed services business worth? I don’t have an exact answer but MSPmentor gathered some important clues during an MSP Merger and Acquisition panel at the N-able Partner Summit today in Scottsdale, Arizona. Here’s a recap from real MSPs involved in real M&A activity, plus six merger and acquisition tips for MSPs.

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At the N-able Partner Summit, CEO Gavin Garbutt is touting several signs of growth within the managed services market. Among the highlights: N-able’s MSP partners have grown their managed device base by 51 percent since February 2010. Moreover, N-able’s MSP partners are managing 45 percent more customers since February. What’s driving the growth? Garbutt points to simplified sales models and freemium software strategies that are taking hold with MSPs and their end-customers. Here are the details.

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At the N-able Partner Summit in Scottsdale, Ariz., CEO Gavin Garbutt (pictured) is pulling back the curtain on a global growth strategy and solutions roadmap. The effort includes “key vertical markets, alliances and integrated solutions” that will allow MSPs to deliver next-generation managed services and cloud-based offerings over the next 18 months, N-able claims. Here’s the update.

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A few hundred managed services providers (MSPs) are set to attend the N-able Partner Summit later this week (Oct. 20-22, Scottsdale, Ariz.). So, what managed services trends can we expect at the conference, and what messages will N-able CEO Gavin Garbutt deliver to the crowd? Here are five clues and predictions from MSPmentor.

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CharTec and Labtech Software, both backed by ConnectWise Capital, each will hold conferences in Orlando on November 4. The conferences coincide with the ConnectWise IT Nation conference (Nov. 4-6) as well as the HTG 2010 Summit and Q4 Meetings. Here’s a look at each conference, potential synergies for attendees, and coopetition in the managed services software market.

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Amicus ITS, a European-based managed services provider, is building a partner network across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Southampton-based  company expects the international network to generate £10 million in first year revenues. Here’s a closer look at the strategy, which includes a close working relationship with N-able.

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Jon Roskill is Microsoft’s global channel chief. But check the Microsoft organization chart, and you’ll discover a cloud channel chief working closely with Roskill. Her name is Gretchen O’Hara, and she’s set to address a few hundred managed services providers (MSPs) during the N-able Partner Summit in October 2010. What message will O’Hara share with MSPs? Here are some potential clues.

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In an attempt to further raise its visibility and drive collaboration between 28,000 users, Tigerpaw Software says it will launch an interactive Tigerpaw Community at the end of August 2010. It’s a smart move, but I’ll be curious to see how Tigerpaw’s efforts stack up against PSA rivals like ConnectWise (perhaps the most aggressive and successful community organizer) and Autotask (which has built a successful face-to-face conference to echo its online community). Here’s a closer look at the various vendor-led community strategies serving VARs, MSPs and IT service providers.

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