Before I start, the answer is NO. You can’t afford to ignore that elephant in the room. You’re risking everything that you have established up until now. A fundamental shift is taking place and it can’t be ignored. It’s not a matter as to IF it’s happening, only when it will fully take hold. Tim Shea, CEO of Alpha Netsolutions Inc. recently wrote: “Pretty soon, clients won’t care where a server sits or what brand it is. They will just care that they have the computer services they need—and how much it will cost to have them.” Here are the implications for MSPs.
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Can MSPs Afford to Sit on the Cloud Computing Sidelines?
Posted March 9th, 2010 by Maurice Saluan
ConnectWise Capital Invests In LabTech
Posted February 18th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
The deal finally happened. ConnectWise Capital has invested in LabTech Software, a remote monitoring and management (RMM) software provider located in Toledo, Ohio. Official news is expected to surface in the next 24 hours or so. At first glance, it’s a relatively small deal. But I think the ConnectWise-LabTech relationship has key implications for the overall MSP software industry. Here’s why.
Master MSPs: 2010 Reality Check
Posted February 11th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
When we compiled our latest MSPmentor 100 survey results, I was surprised to see 18.2 percent of survey participants consider their companies Master MSPs. I must concede: I’m skeptical of that figure. It sounds somewhat inflated to me… like a stretch goal that many MSPs have yet to fulfill. Here’s an update on the Master MSP market, including a FastChat video conversation with Do IT Smarter President Lane Smith.
The Time is Now to Launch a Services Firm
Posted January 28th, 2010 by Maurice Saluan
While it may seem counter-intuitive to launch a business during a down economy, for IT professionals the worst of times may in fact prove to be the best of times. If you are an IT professional out of work, your chances of finding full-time employment with a vendor or IT services firm are quite narrow. That’s no reflection on your abilities necessarily, but rather an acknowledgment of the realities of the market. What should you do?
ConnectWise Capital: Software Partners Weigh In
Posted January 26th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
I’ve spent the past 24 hours reaching out to software companies that partner with ConnectWise. My question: What’s your initial reaction to ConnectWise Capital, the company’s $20 million effort to incubate channel-centric technology companies. The responses ranged from skepticism to applause. Here’s a recap.
Zenith Infotech Launches CPR Partner Program
Posted January 18th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Zenith Infotech has introduced a Certified Partner Reseller (CPR) program to help managed services providers and VARs recruit new business customers. Here’s a quick overview of the effort — which also provides some clues about Zenith Infotech’s private cloud strategy.
Online Backup: Six Questions MSPs Need to Ask
Posted January 14th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Whether you call it online backup or managed storage, the market for SaaS-oriented storage solutions is intensifying. The latest news involves N-able Technologies partnering with Intronis. But each time I check my inbox there seems to be a new pitch about MSPs and managed storage. Here are six questions MSPs should ask before making an online backup decision.
Zenith Infotech: Moving Into Telepresence?
Posted January 13th, 2010 by The VAR Guy
Hmmm… The VAR Guy has noticed an apparent link between Zenith Infotech and a telepresence upstart called Vu Technologies. Is Zenith Infotech getting into the next-generation video conferencing market? Too soon to say. But here’s some chatter involving Zenith Infotech, Vu Technologies and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Seven Managed Services Blog Entries We Didn’t Write: Dec. 31
Posted December 31st, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Site upgrades. Software debugging. Santa. It’s been an intense week of fun and play at MSPmentor. Here’s a look at the seven managed services blog entries we didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Dec. 31, 2009:
Zenith Infotech Plans 124 MSP Events
Posted December 30th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Zenith Infotech plans to host 124 U.S. Open Houses in the first quarter of 2010 — part of a push to promote managed services infrastructure and business continuity services to solutions providers targeting small and mid-size companies. Take a closer look and you’ll notice this is part of a larger trend that’s accelerating across the managed services market: Software companies hitting the road and holding face-to-face engagements, open houses and user group gatherings.
ConnectWise, CharTec: Something’s Cooking
Posted December 3rd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Sources say something is cooking between ConnectWise and CharTec — which specializes in Hardware as a Service. What could be brewing? At first glance, I don’t know much. At all. (Surprised?) But take a closer look and you might start to see the bigger picture. It involves PSA (professional services automation) and RMM (remote monitoring and management) software companies eventually cooperating and competing in the cloud. Here’s why.
Kutenda Offers Free Web Sites to MSPs
Posted October 27th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Kutenda, which specializes in online marketing services for managed service providers and their end customers, is launching a special offer for MSPs. According to a press release that should surface this week, the Broomfield, Colo.-based company says Kutenda now offers MSPs a free, ready-to-go web site built for lead generation. But there’s a bigger story here. And it involves simplified, automated online marketing for MSPs and their customers. Here are the details.
Seven Managed Services Blog Entries I Didn’t Have Time to Write: Oct. 16
Posted October 16th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
What a week. Our bloggers have been on the road at N-able Partner Summit, Astricon, Oracle OpenWorld and Avaya’s partner conference. Lots of fantastic blogs still to be written. Here are the seven managed services blog entries I didn’t have time to write for the week ending Oct. 16.
Are Your Client’s Business Records Protected from Catastrophe?
Posted September 24th, 2009 by Maurice Saluan
As people who live along the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard know, hurricane season is in full swing. For residents there, checking flashlight batteries and having sheets of plywood ready to cover windows are annual rites. But when a major storm system does loom on the horizon, there’s still an inevitable swirl of commotion as people near the sea head for safer habitats. Perhaps forgotten in concern for personal safety are thoughts of company financial records and business data. While skies and minds are clear, it may be a good time to start a conversation with your customers about their business continuity plans.
Zenith Infotech Says “We’re Hiring”
Posted August 26th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Several new managed services career opportunities — including positions at Zenith Infotech — have surfaced on MSPmentor’s free job board. If you’re looking to make a hire — or looking for a new career — check out the board. It’s designed to promote careers in managed services, software as a service (SaaS) and channel-oriented positions.
Preview: Ingram Micro Seismic Partner Conference, Part I
Posted April 28th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
More than 275 managed service providers are expected to attend the Ingram Micro Seismic partner conference, May 4 to 6 in Dallas. And at least four pieces of news will surface at the event, including two new Seismic partnerships plus two new business management tools. Here’s the early word on Ingram’s latest Seismic moves, and their implications for the managed services market.
Vembu: StoreGrid Online Backup Meets Amazon Cloud
Posted April 21st, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
I must admit: I can’t keep pace with the number of software companies pushing their applications into Amazon’s cloud. The latest example comes from Vembu Technologies, which has launched their StoreGrid Online Backup virtual appliance for Amazon Web Services. Here is some info from Vembu plus the bigger picture for managed service providers.
Zenith Infotech, Everon’s CEO Partner On Managed Services
Posted April 9th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Something is brewing between Everon Technology Services CEO Mike Cooch and Zenith Infotech. Everon is an MSPmentor 100 and Inc. 5000 company, and Cooch has been working on a range of business development projects in the managed services market. But what are Cooch and Zenith Infotech doing together? Here’s some preliminary information.
SaaS Won’t Kill On-Premise Software
Posted March 24th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Software as a service. Cloud services. If you believed the hype, you’d think all managed service providers (MSPs) need to completely shift their customers from on-premise solutions to online solutions. But many of the strongest SaaS proponents still launch on-premise solutions for MSPs. Why? Because 80 percent of the software market will involve on-premise IT for years to come.
Managed Services: The Cure for IT Pain
Posted March 20th, 2009 by Maurice Saluan
Successful managed service providers understand the basic truisms of technology: Clients just want it to work, so don’t bother them with how it works. Second, technology is the means to an end, which is to support business operations and goals. MSPs who understand these realities also understand the importance of addressing clients’ common IT pain points. Here’s how to get started.
The SaaS Bubble Already Burst (But Don’t Panic)
Posted March 17th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Examiner.com openly wonders if software as a service (SaaS) is the next tech bubble that will burst. The piece was written March 13 — a day after I asked if the MSP bubble would pop. But I think the Examiner’s views are painfully out of date. In fact, our own SaaS 20 Stock Index shows the SaaS market bubble burst in early 2008. Now, I think the SaaS industry is on the road to recovery and doing just fine, thank you. Here’s why.
Managed Services In Healthcare: Just What the Doctor Ordered
Posted March 6th, 2009 by Maurice Saluan
Last month, I offered you four keys to ongoing managed services success — regardless of the economy. With those previous thoughts in mind, let’s look at new client acquisition in healthcare — which is a ripe opportunity for managed service providers. I’ll even show you how to find leads for healthcare companies that are 10-99 employees in a 50-100 mile radius around your office.
Four Keys to MSP Success (Regardless of the Economy)
Posted February 9th, 2009 by Maurice Saluan
Many managed service providers talk about good business strategies for the bad economy. I prefer to look at what you can do to increase your chance of success in good times as well as bad. In this blog entry, I offer four tips for ongoing business success — regardless of the economic climate. And in my next blog entry, I’ll take a closer look at a specific vertical market opportunity that’s ideal for managed service providers.
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