MSPmentor

When it comes to software as a service’s potential, is the glass half full or half empty? Before you answer consider that MSPmentor’s SaaS 20 Stock Index is now down 50.42 percent from January through Nov. 14, 2008.

Even worse: The poster child for SaaS — Salesforce.com (CRM) — has seen its shares fall nearly 60 percent this year. Plus, five companies in our index have seen their shares plummet more than 70 percent this year. And investment firm Global Equities Research predicts SaaS and open source companies will suffer greatly amid the current economic turmoil.

Why are some people so down on SaaS? And why do I remain upbeat about the long-term promise of SaaS? Here are four quick observations.

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Zenith Infotech has been briefing managed service providers about a range of new services from the company. In an October 1 blog entry, the folks at Everon Technology Services offer some perspectives regarding Zenith’s Data Center as a Service, Box Office and Data Center in a Rack efforts. Read More >

At the ConnectWise Partner Summit in Orlando, Fla., vendors continue to connect the dots between disparate managed services systems. For example:

• I hear Ingram Micro Seismic Help Desk will soon integrate with ConnectWise’s professional services automation (PSA) software.
• MX Logic today will introduce a free tool that will MSPs generate monthly security reports for customers. The tool integrates with ConnectWise.
• Sources say Level Platforms will demonstrate some sort of integration with Zenith Infotech’s business continuity solution.

MSPs that depend on multiple managed services tools will welcome those efforts.

Still, there is a bigger at story here: MSP software providers are cooperating and competing to  determine which company will become the Microsoft Windows of managed services. Skeptical? Here’s my reasoning.

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More than 70 percent of successful managed service providers offer some form of managed storage, according to our MSPmentor 100 survey. Despite that lofty figure, the online storage market continues to enjoy strong growth.

One prime example: Vembu since February has attracted roughly 350 new online storage partners — pushing its worldwide customer base to more than 900 partners, according to Lakshmanan Narayan,  president for Vembu. Read More >

I spent Wednesday at Zenith Infotech in Pittsburgh. After participating in a Zenith videocast, I sat down with Maurice Saluan, VP of channel management, to get a feel for some of the managed services trends at Zenith. Here are three key takeaways from our discussion. Read More >

I’m in Pittsburgh Wednesday, meeting with Zenith Infotech and participating in a managed services videocast the company is hosting. If you have any questions for Zenith Infotech, feel free to send me email (joe [at] ninelivesmediainc.com) and I’ll raise them during my meetings. Or join me on the videocast, where I’ll share thoughts about trends culled from the MSPmentor 100 report.

A quick reminder: MSPmentor Editorial Director Joe Panettieri will be the featured guest speaker on Industry Perspective, a videocast hosted by Zenith Infotech’s MSPTV. To register for the July 16 videocast, which starts at 12:30pm eastern, visit here.

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MSPmentor Editorial Director Joe Panettieri will be the featured guest speaker on Industry Perspective, a videocast hosted by Zenith Infotech’s MSPTV. To register for the July 16 videocast, which starts at 12:30pm eastern, visit here.

Read More >