MSPmentor

When Microsoft Channel Chief Jon Roskill (pictured) first spoke about Windows Azure appliances for private clouds in mid-2010, the software giant planned to target really big hardware deployments and large enterprises. But during a phone conversation today, Roskill said Microsoft plans to ensure Windows Azure appliances also appeal to smaller managed services providers (MSPs). Here’s how.

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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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The buzz is growing. More and more people are sending me news releases, pitches and story ideas related to The Hybrid Cloud. In theory, hybrid cloud solutions blend on-premises hardware and software with cloud- and SaaS-centric offerings. But is the hybrid cloud real — or is it something created by on-premise legacy vendors that don’t want to look like yesterday’s news? Here are some perspectives.

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Each time MSPmentor blogs about Amazon Web Services (AWS), I hear from readers who want practical, real-world examples of AWS in action. The big question: How can MSPs potentially leverage Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)? The answer: Check out what Travis Austin is working on over at MSPintegrations.

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Microsoft continues its All In cloud computing push at HostingCon this week in Austin, Texas. During HostingCon, Michael Joffe (senior product manager, Windows Server) and Trina Horner (pictured, US SaaS/cloud channel development strategist) are expected to describe Microsoft’s cloud strategy to scores of Web hosts, managed hosting providers and service providers. Still, Microsoft will need to maintain a careful balancing act as it pitches cloud computing to large hosting partners and small MSPs. Here’s why.

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Another dispatch from the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC10): Microsoft is striving to help transform hosting providers and telecommunications providers into full-on IT service providers. The secret sauce, predictably, involves the cloud. But what are the implications for smaller MSPs and VARs? Here’s some perspective.

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It was a brief but revealing comment. During a press briefing at Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2010 (WPC10) today, new Microsoft Channel Chief Jon Roskill (pictured) described his views on VARs, distributors, integrators and other members on the channel partner ecosystem. Then, in an unsolicited comment, he added: “MSP… it’s a piece [of the channel] I need to learn more about.” Rather than being depressed by Roskill’s comment, I came away impressed. Here’s why.

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A few minutes ago, I asked Microsoft Channel Chief Jon Roskill the following question: Can small VARs and MSPs really profit from basic BPOS (Business Productivity Online Suite) applications like SharePoint Online and Exchange Online? Or should those small partners begin to focus more on writing their own targeted cloud applications for Windows Azure? Roskill provided these perspectives.

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Microsoft COO Kevin Turner this morning took aggressive shots at Apple, Oracle, Linux, VMware and Google — even painting Google as a Big Brother-type company that tries to say they’re not evil in their mission statement. Turner’s goal: Describe Microsoft as a company gaining market share — not losing market share. And Turner largely succeeded at that goal. MSPmentor’s sister site, The VAR Guy, has a recap and market share stats shared by Turner during Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2010 (WPC10).

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Within the remote monitoring and management (RMM) market, Level Platforms tends to be a quiet player with a loyal managed services partner base. But the company is making some serious noise this week. Specifically, Level Platforms has scored relationships with Intel, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard on emerging hardware, software and cloud computing projects. Each of those relationships is on display this week at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2010 (WPC10). Here are perspectives.

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There’s been considerable buzz about the Intel Hybrid Cloud in recent days. The project involves an on-premises, pay-as-you-go server that links to various cloud services. During a gathering this evening in Washington, D.C., Intel confirmed at least five of its initial Intel Hybrid Cloud integrated partners. Intel’s efforts arrive as Microsoft confirms its own cloud-enabled version of Windows Small Business Server (SBS), code-named Aurora. Here are the details.

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Microsoft is in transition. And so is the Microsoft channel partner community. At Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC10), there’s noticeably more managed services chatter this year compared to the 2009 conference. But are MSPs really here in full force? And is Microsoft fulfilling their needs? Here are some perspectives from Day 2 at the conference.

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Microsoft is preparing a Windows Azure Appliance for large service providers and big hardware partners that want to offer customers private clouds. But the appliance is not designed for small MSPs to run within their own data centers. Instead, it sounds like small MSPs will need to partner up with big service providers and large integrators to potentially leverage the Windows Azure Appliance. Here’s why.

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At Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC10), Microsoft unveiled Windows Intune Beta 2, the latest test release of the company’s remote management platform. With Beta 2, MSPs can now more easily jump from one managed customer account to the next, Microsoft says, But will Microsoft make an aggressive managed services push with Windows Intune? Here are some perspectives.

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Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is set to take the stage in a few minutes at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC10) in Washington, D.C. Roughly 14,000 attendees — including 9,500 channel partners — are at the event. Ballmer is expected to rally those partners around Microsoft’s All In cloud computing strategy, which includes Windows Azure, BPOS (Business Productivity Online Suite) and new offerings like Windows Intune. Update: MSPmentor’s sister site, The VAR Guy, has a recap of Ballmer’s keynote here. You’ll find complete Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference coverage at www.thevarguy.com/tag/wpc10 and www.mspmentor.net/tag/wpc10 throughout the week.

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Is Japanese tech giant Fujitsu going to offer Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud platform within its data centers? A Dow Jones Newswires report came out suggesting just that. And yes, Microsoft and Fujitsu confirmed pieces of the story today during the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC10). Here are the details.

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As the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC10) kicks off today in Washington, D.C., there’s growing buzz about Windows Small Business Server gaining new cloud computing capabilities. But is there really a place for Windows Small Business Server in the age of cloud computing? And will managed services providers (MSPs) link SBS to the cloud? Here are some perspectives.

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Vacation is over… time to get back on the road for Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC10), HostingCon and the Avnet Partner Summit. But before I head to the airport, here are seven managed services blog entries MSPmentor didn’t have time to write for the week ending July 9, 2010.

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Microsoft has launched the “Deploying Business Productivity Online Suite” page, designed to be a self-described one-stop shop for resellers old and new of their SaaS (software as a service) applications like Exchange Online and SharePoint Online. It’s a small but significant move in Microsoft’s fight with Google Apps to ensure the loyalty of the IT channel. Here’s the scoop.

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It’s time for me to “let go” of MSPmentor for just a little bit. As the July 4th holiday weekend gets set to kick off, I’m preparing for a real vacation. Really. But before I unplug, here are seven managed services blog entries that the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending July 2, 2010.

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As Microsoft transitions its channel chief title from Allison Watson to Jon Roskill, the shift provides an inflection point for both Microsoft and the broader IT channel. No doubt, Watson has made cloud computing and SaaS a channel priority during 2010. But Roskill has the opportunity to both clarify and accelerate Microsoft’s SaaS channel strategy — especially as it relates to small VARs and emerging managed services providers. Here are five steps Roskill should take.

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Microsoft Channel Chief Allison Watson is taking on a new role at the software giant, opening the door for Jon Roskill (pictured) to assume Watson’s former role as corporate VP for the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group. The Microsoft Channel Chief move comes less than three weeks before the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2010. The VAR Guy has all the details over here.

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At least one major software company — a big one — is set to make managed services moves during the week of June 14. But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself: Here are seven managed services blog entries that MSPmentor didn’t find time to write for the week ending June 11, 2010.

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