Rackspace, the hosting and cloud services provider, is preparing to launch a remote monitoring service — which will apparently monitor customers’ on-premises servers. Andrew Schroepfer, VP of enterprise strategy at Rackspace, mentioned the potential managed services move during the CA Technologies MSP Symposium today in Miami, Fla.
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Rackspace Preps Remote Monitoring, Managed Services Business
Posted January 30th, 2012 by Joe Panettieri
MSPWorld Tackles Cloud Computing, Cloud Services, SLAs
Posted January 30th, 2012 by Joe Panettieri
When the MSPWorld conference kicks off this week (Feb. 1-3, Miami, Fla.), a healthy portion of the event content will focus on cloud computing and cloud services. That’s hardly surprising, considering nearly 60 percent of top MSPs now offer cloud and SaaS services to their customers, according to our fifth-annual MSPmentor 100 report. But what cloud trends will be on display at MSPWorld? Here are some guesses.
Cepra Chooses Nimsoft RMM, Service Desk for Managed Services
Posted January 20th, 2012 by Nicholas Mukhar
Cepra, a managed service provider for desktop, network and datacenter infrastructure, has chosen Nimsoft’s remote monitoring & management (RMM) and service desk solutions to support its Mexican customer base. The news is interesting because it involves two Nimsoft product lines coming together as a single support dashboard for Cepra.
Former Nimsoft CEO Gary Read Joins Boundary Cloud Monitoring
Posted January 18th, 2012 by Nicholas Mukhar
Boundary, a month-old SAAS monitoring service provider, has hired Gary Read as its CEO. Read is the former CEO of Nimsoft, a cloud-based networking monitoring provider that CA Technologies acquired in 2010. Here’s the scoop.
Managed Services: 7 Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write, Jan. 13
Posted January 13th, 2012 by Joe Panettieri
The MSPmentor team is just about ready to unplug for the weekend. Of course, we’ll be around if any big news — or rumors — hit our inbox. But in the meantime here are seven managed services blogs and MSP news stories that MSPmentor’s editorial team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Friday, January 13, 2012.
10 Most Read Managed Services Stories Q4 2011
Posted December 30th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
I’m nearly ready to go disappear for the New Year weekend. But I had promised MSPmentor’s readers a look at the most read managed services stories of 2011. We’ve already disclosed the 10 most read MSP news stories from Q1, Q2 and Q3 2011. Now let’s look at the most read MSP stories from Q4 2011 and the reasons managed services providers read along.
10 Most Read Managed Services Stories Q3 2011
Posted December 29th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
We’ve nearly reached 2012. But before we all ring in the New Year, MSPmentor is looking back at the most read managed services stories of 2011. We’ve already recapped the 10 most read MSP news stories from Q1 and Q2 2011. Now let’s look at the most read MSP stories from Q3 2011 and the reasons managed services readers tuned in.
10 Most Read Managed Services Stories Q2 2011
Posted December 28th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
As the New Year approaches, we’re looking back at the most read managed services stories of 2011. Yesterday, we recapped the 10 most read MSP news stories from Q1, 2011. Now, let’s look at the most read MSP stories from Q2, 2011 and their implications for managed services providers.
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.
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.
IT Help Desk and Service Desk: CA & xMatters Partner Up
Posted September 27th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
CA Technologies continues to take multiple paths into the IT service desk and IT help desk markets. On the one hand, CA owns Nimsoft — which promotes its own service desk solution. On the other hand, CA this week partnered with xMatters to integrate CA Service Desk Manager and the xMatters IT Support Engine. Here are the details.
MSPWorld: 6 Potential Trends for Managed Services Providers
Posted September 12th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
MSPWorld, part of IT Expo West, runs Sept. 13-15 in Austin, Texas, this week. So what exactly should managed services providers expect to see and hear at the conference? Here are six potential clues from MSPmentor.
Managed Services Sales: Top 10 Questions Customers Ask
Posted September 2nd, 2011 by Nimsoft Guest Blog
Compared to a lot of businesses, Nimsoft (my employer) is in a unique position in that we sell to two core markets, with hundreds of enterprise customers and hundreds of MSP customers. Over the course of my eight years with the company, I’ve worked quite a bit with executives in both markets, and that vantage point has helped me gain some insights into what makes a successful MSP/client relationship.
Cloud Service Level Agreements: Will CA and WatchMouse Save the Day?
Posted July 29th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Consider this riddle: How can VARs and MSPs monitor — and enforce — their service level agreements (SLAs) with cloud service providers? CA Technologies may have solved that riddle by acquiring WatchMouse today. The CA-WatchMouse deal also shows how CA is targeting acquisitions that bolster multiple CA divisions and products — including Nimsoft and CA Application Performance Management (APM).
MSPmentor 250: Eight Former Members — Where Are They Now?
Posted July 28th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
The times they are a changing. Our fourth-annual MSPmentor 250 list is set to debut the week of August 1. The MSPmentor 250 will help you to rapidly build a Rolodex containing managed services experts, entrepreneurs and executive names. But there are big changes to this year’s MSPmentor 250. In fact, here are eight well-known industry names who didn’t make this year’s edition…
Another Reason Your Service Desk Needs ITIL: Vendor Certification
Posted July 28th, 2011 by Nimsoft Guest Blog
If there weren’t already enough reasons to embrace ITIL (the Information Technology Infrastructure Library), here’s one more to add to the list: Over the past few years, I’ve heard about all kinds of benefits MSPs gain by aligning their service desk operations with ITIL. That includes improved operational efficiency, optimized service levels that fuel better market traction, and the list does go on.
ScienceLogic Pursues Managed Virtualization, Cloud Opportunities
Posted July 28th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
ScienceLogic, which develops IT management software for enterprises and service providers, is aggressively pursuing virtualization and cloud opportunities. What’s the strategy? I caught up with CEO Dave Link and other ScienceLogic executive team members. Here’s some perspective.
Nimsoft: Same Strategy, New Leadership, 80 Percent Growth
Posted July 21st, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
When CA Technologies acquired Nimsoft about 15 months ago, I openly wondered if CA would suffocate Nimsoft’s corporate culture and business strategy — which involves selling managed services software into the midmarket. Instead of killing Nimsoft, CA maintained a hands-off approach and Nimsoft flourished. But more recently, a new challenge has popped up: Some of Nimsoft’s top talent — including former CEO Gary Read and former VP Phil LaForge — have left in recent months. So how has Nimsoft responded?
VaultLogix Updates Storage Partner Portal for MSPs
Posted July 21st, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
VaultLogix, the online backup and recovery specialist, has updated the VaultLogix Information Portal (VIP) to help MSPs and VARs more easily manage client accounts. The VIP portal lets partners manage their online backup businesses while automating many tasks.
Managed Services Acquisition: TDS Acquires OneNeck IT Services
Posted July 15th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Telephone and Data Systems Inc., a subsidiary of TDS Hosted and Managed Services (TDS HMS), has acquired OneNeck IT Services from WestView Capital Partners. The move surfaces roughly one month after TDS HMS hired Nimsoft veteran Phil LaForge to help drive the company’s merger and acquisition strategy, though we don’t know if LaForge was involved in this particular deal.
Service Desks: Self-Service Is Win-Win for MSPs, Customers
Posted July 7th, 2011 by Nimsoft Guest Blog
When it comes to profitably scaling a service provider business, there are two key requirements: First, delivering effective customer service that leads to more and more happy customers. Second, establishing the operational processes that enable this level of service, while boosting the efficiency and productivity of staff.
TDS Pursues Managed Services Acquisitions
Posted June 16th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
TDS Telecommunications Corp., the eighth largest telecom provider in the United States, has hired former Nimsoft VP Phil LaForge as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of TDS Hosted & Managed Services LLC. LaForge will play a key role in the organization’s merger and acquisition strategy, which apparently includes some deals that could be announced soon. Here’s the update.
