MSPmentor 250 Survey: Nominations wanted

The survey of 250 sixth-annual MSPmentor-identifying the world's 250 top managed services provider (MSP) experts, entrepreneurs and managers-open Monday, June 10 and runs through Aug. 2. Results in August 2013.

The survey of 250 sixth-annual MSPmentor-identification of world top managed services provider (MSP) executives, entrepreneurs and experts-launched today (Monday, 10 June). Visit/top250 for a link to the survey. By the way: we made a big change to the survey this year ...

Members of the MSPmentor 250 list last year are not eligible for this year's list (sorry about that, folks). Our goal is to introduce a new generation of experts MSP to our readers, helping to build a Rolodex of contacts worldwide.

Please note: MSPmentor 250 is not a popularity contest. There is no need to stuff the ballot box. A nomination is all it takes to be considered for the MSPmentor 250. And Yes, you can nominate yourself.

Thanks in advance to those who participated in the poll, which opens on June 10 and closes August 2.

In addition, a quick FYI: The MSPmentor 250 honors individuals. Our MSPmentor 501 survey (formerly the MSPmentor 100), which runs in the 4th quarter, honors top MSP business/companies in the world.

MSPmentor 250 Survey: Nominations wanted

BDR is more expensive than traditional Backup? MSP says No

Managed service providers (MSP) sale of backup solutions and disaster recovery (BDR) may run in a common concern regarding the price with customers. Many might say that BDR is too expensive compared to traditional backup, but is it really the case?

Watson said MSPmentor that MSPs should allow customers to "look at the true cost of the solution and leverage its numbers".
Managed service providers (MSP) sale of backup and disaster recovery solutions (BDR) can Run in a common concern about prices with customers. Many might say that BDR is too expensive compared to traditional backup, but is it really the case? BlackPoint it services CEO James Watson spoke with us on this particular topic to delete any entries in this price BDR exclusively by MSPmentor.
Watson said MSPmentor that MSPs should allow customers to "look at the true cost of the solution and leverage its numbers".
This approach enables customers to choose the option that makes the most sense for them and allows them to overcome their objections and concerns.
He said that just because the traditional backup software and maintenance can be performed much less of a BDR solution does not mean that the BDR solution is more expensive.
Tape and traditional software generally has a higher failure rate
"What are the costs of maintenance and control of both systems?" he asked. "What is the cost in case of an interruption to bring the system back online, and what are the costs of downtime when systems don't work?"
For example, tape, and traditional software often have a much higher failure rate than BDR, Watson said. These old systems must be checked regularly. Only two hours per week can add up to 104 hours per year.
"At a cost of $ 30 per hour burdened, this comes to just over $ 3,000," he said. "That doesn't even add in the quarterly test that recovery could take up to 10 hours for each server if you have never done."
The true cost of the disaster is lost business. Period.
Data recovery takes much longer when customers are using tape or traditional backup, Watson explained.
"Although the probability is low, the cost of a disaster and recovery can be high and amounted to over 40 hours for a small size when using tape or a traditional backup," he said. "This respect always on reliability of a BDR can save 38 of those 40 hours in a lesser disaster."
Watson added that the loss of business is the real cost of the disaster. A customer can be up and running within hours with a BDR solution, instead of days with traditional backup.

Autotask Community Live: 7 MSP Rumors in the Hall

Managed and rumors involving Microsoft Office 365, N-able SolarWinds, Intronis, independenceIT and AVG emerged to Autotask community Live cloud service. Here are 7 entries.

Autotask community live today wraps up in Scottsdale, Ariz. in addition to our interviews with CEO Mark Cattini and Senior VP Len Castanzo, MSPmentor lots of cloud and managed services chatter heard Intronis, independenceIT, N-able/SolarWinds (SWI) and more. Here are seven voices in the corridors ...
7. Sweet Spot: independenceIT claims to be the only Supplier of hosted desktop/cloud app platform that (A) is pure channel and (B) controls its technology. The company also targets the triple trend perfect-storm-cloud, mobile and data. Executive VP Seth Bostock mentioned that the company has hosted desktop fire started during the first wave ASP (application service provider) in the 1990s. Executive VP Jim Lippie, MSP and Staples/networks Thrive veteran, seemed satisfied with his career move to channel-centric company. The two leaders want to do independenceIT the alternative of de-facto channel for Office 365 – while also virtualization more non-Microsoft applications for partners to serve customers ...
6. Upside of N-able Cloud for SolarWinds: SolarWinds when acquired in degree N for $ 120 million last week, some critics openly wondered why SolarWinds called the deal a game of SMB cloud. Here's one potential answer: automation technology managing N-able allows MSPs to manage on-premises and cloud services-hybrid from VMware and Hyper-V in IaaS. Watch for N-able to say more about how to manage Office 365 services and Windows Azure in the weeks and months to come. Marco LaVecchia and Derik Belair MSPs key message: you have to stay relevant with your customers as cloud services catch on.
Side note: N-able GM JP Jauvin was an early champion of technology Automation Manager when he arrived at the company as an advisor to then President. Now, he is running the business at arity N to SolarWinds.
5. Coming Soon: backup and archiving enhancements continue to Cloud Intronis. An informed source who knows how to summarize information really well said MSPmentor: Intronis in The Spring Release includes 13 QuickSpin, offering advanced data recovery support for virtualized machines; an advanced Partner Portal Intronis lined with greater customization, usability and managed access controls; and Branding Wizard, a new marketing and enablement tool that allows you to quickly create a partner Intronis customer portal with your logo, colors and specific information. Voice: Intronis Watch a hypervisor Boost beyond VMware include Microsoft Hyper-V.
4. security providers are where?: AVG Anti-virus company, had a major presence at the Conference. McAfee has had a presence in Intel (INTC) stand. But rivals such as Kaspersky Lab, Sophos and Symantec (SYMC) seemingly sitting out the event. Somehow I think that is a mistake: next to storage, security has got to be one of the first things that MSPs to offer their customers.
3. opening soon: after the opening of offices throughout Europe, Australia and Beijing, Autotask is preparing to increase its footprint in the United States located. Watch for a potential office opening soon in Chicago.
2. for sale in small and medium-sized enterprises Corporate IT: in case you haven't seen MSPmentor coverage earlier this week, Autotask apparently sees an opportunity to promote the SaaS platform for enterprise IT departments that want to become providers of business units.
1. Expanded Office 365 open?: If you listened carefully the Microsoft keynote at the Conference, the company seemed to be stating that you are taking a close look at Open Office 365 – a cloud partner program that allows VARs and MSPs to manage billing customers. Open is a promising, but it is only a small piece of the larger portfolio Office 365. I think he left frustrated-partners and Microsoft knows it. If I had to guess: changes/updates will be announced Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in July.
That's all for now ...

SolarWinds, N-able Face Dog Fight RMM vs Rivals

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SolarWinds' (SWI) CEO suggested the N-able acquisition has RMM (remote monitoring and management) software rivals running scared. But MSPs running Continuum, Kaseya, LabTech Software and Level Platforms claim otherwise.

SolarWinds (SWI) CEO Kevin Thompson has high hopes for the N-able acquisition. But rivals like Continuum CEO Michael George, Kaseya CEO Gerald Blackie, LabTech CEO Matt Nachtrab and Level Platforms CEO Peter Sandiford have built strong MSP communities of their own.
SolarWinds (SWI) and its newly acquired N-able business face a "dog fight" against "scrappy, determined rivals" in the remote monitoring and management (RMM) software market. That's the concensus opinion from numerous MSPs attending this week's Autotask Community Live and LabTech Automation Nation conferences in Phoenix and Orlando, respectively.
When SolarWinds acquired N-able for $120 million last week, SolarWinds CEO Kevin Thompson said the deal would allow his company to gain market leadership in the MSP software market, with a particular emphasis on cloud computing and SMB customers. In an exclusive interview with MSPmentor, Thompson suggested N-able's rivals were running scared amid the SolarWinds deal.
Rival Views 
Some N-able rivals like Kaseya and Level Platforms declined to comment about the SolarWinds/N-able business combination. But LabTech Software came out swinging, offering N-able partners special migration incentives toward LabTech's MSP platform. Now CentraStage, a cloud-based RMM provider in Europe that has US reach, has launched a switch campaign that also reaches out to N-able partners, according to CEO Christian Nagele. And Continuum CEO Michael George suggested SolarWinds may take N-able direct -- a claim that SolarWinds and N-able have dismissed.
Traditional Warfare vs. Guerilla Warfare
So what do MSPs think about the potential RMM market share wars? During random discussions at Autotask Community Live and LabTech Automation Nation, MSPs told me:
SolarWinds may potentially underestimate the "guerilla warfare" tactics used by RMM companies to protect their MSP communities. Some N-able MSPs are nervous about SolarWinds' ownership plans for the company. But familiar N-able faces at the Autotask conference helped to address those fears, according to MSPs who spoke to me on background. Also, none of the N-able MSPs with whom I spoke have any plans to abandon the platform.
Meanwhile, Back at SolarWinds...
Also of note: Some Wall Street pundits are warning investors not to underestimate SolarWinds CEO Kevin Thompson. Financial Pundit Alan Brochstein says SolarWinds "excels at the "buy vs. build" game and has completed many acquisitions. It has a tendency to acquire good products by buying immature companies, typically owned by the founder, and then fixing the go-to-market approach."
Plus, N-able itself is seasoned at the guerilla warfare tactics used in the community-centric MSP channel. And N-able will likely gain new SolarWinds tools and technologies to sell to its MSP base -- including help desk software.
Bottom line? MSPmentor thinks N-able will remain MSP-friendly, but General Manager JP Jauvin will need to balance (A) SolarWinds' expectations for N-able and (B) N-able's need to keep the company's current MSP base loyal.
The big winners are MSPs, which will surely find RMM software and cloud companies especially attentive to MSP business needs amid the market share war.

Come MSPs può monetizzare efficacemente la gestione dei dispositivi mobili

Mobile device management is growing among the companies with policies to bring-your-own-device in place. But the benefits of BYOD also come with headaches. Here's how MSPs can help customers ensure devices and data while at the same time by adding your own profitability.
The service sector is all about understanding the customer's needs and offering the best possible solution in a given situation. It is absolutely essential to understand the trends and changing needs of the marketplace for customers of the service. One such trend is the management of mobile devices.  Although MSPs have actively provided and solutions for infrastructure management, growth in the use of employee-owned devices such as Smartphones or tablets in the workplace, more commonly called BYOD, has created new challenges for organizations to manage.
Gartner predicts that by 2017, half of the employers in the world requires employees to bring their devices to work. According to the report, "BYOD is occurring in companies and Governments of all sizes, is more prevalent in organizations of medium and large ($ 500 million to $ 5 billion in revenue, with 2,500 to 5,000 employees).
BYOD also allows smaller companies to go mobile without a huge device and service investment. Adoption varies widely throughout the world. Companies in the United States are twice as likely to allow BYOD like those in Europe, where the adoption BYOD lowest of all regions. In contrast, employees in India, China and Brazil are more likely to be using a personal device, typically a normal mobile phone, at work. (Here's a link to the Gartner information).
This is the right opportunity for MSPs?
Compared to desktop computers, mobile devices have shown a strong growing market worldwide, which made the workforce more mobile today than ever before. The concept of a BYOD created challenges for organizations in terms of data security, application management and network security. Msp can play an important role in providing MDM as a service, and removing the load from the enterprise.
It is important for MSPs to analyze and interpret customer needs to ensure that the opportunity for MDM is ripe. Some of the questions may ask before pitching MDM might include:
Customers any mobile management challenges?Are there any mobile based on requests from customers? If the answer is Yes, then what is the reason.It will be a sound business opportunity?
If MSPs can find satisfactory answers to these questions, you could easily cash in on the opportunity. As evident from the forecasts of market analysts, organizations began to look for MSP that can offer end-to-end services for systems and mobile device management.
Create awareness:MSPs must play an active role in educating users about security issues that are involved in managing the device and how the MSPs can meet these demands.
As a consultant, MSPs must understand the challenges and propose solutions that can meet these challenges. For example, some of the pain points for customers who may have data security, access to information and provision of BYOD. Find the area of interest and start a conversation to clear their doubts and questions and propose the right solution.
Pricing and packaging strategy:        
More medium-sized MSPs limit their range of desktop management services/anti-virus management and patch management services. There are several other services such as mobile device management and content management that may not yet have been explored.
The biggest problem for most organizations is data security in Device Manager. Create a package with different levels of functionality. Introduce a package of integrated management that can help in the management of desktop and mobile devices. A basic package may contain maximum desktop management features and device management functionality needed as security management including pass-code policy, remote data deletion and blocking, etc.
Flexible packaging: The Service Pack must be designed with the 80 per cent of the core features such as security management and the 20 percent by adding features such as application management. Msp can provide further layers as the mobile application management, configuration profile or report generation and their package as an Advanced Edition.
The advantage lies in broadening the range of services and this expansion enables MSPs looking for new opportunities to increase revenue, while using know-how gained from the operation of specific vertical markets.
Prices: Create a value based on the pricing strategy and then let customers perceive the importance of the services that offer MSPs. For example, create different editions of price points, each variation with its offerings/hallmarks along with desktop management features that should be available in every Variant.
For example, a form might have the necessary security management, and another variant could you add on modules such as application management. These packages of different sizes can increase your chances of MSPs to serve customers of different sizes.
In order to grasp the opportunities in the market today, MSPs should study and analyse future trends to understand how the growth in the mobile industry is going to affect them, how to deal with the change in the nature of customer needs, such as going to the workload by companies and organisations to concern them.This knowledge will help MSPs address the growing challenges on the client side.
Vijay Saradhi, is offering a Marketing Analyst at ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corp., where he manages the product marketing for its Desktop & Managementsolution Mobile Device. Has expertise on it, services and products with 4 years experience. You can contact him on LinkedIn or follow his tweets at: @vijaysarathi12

Tangoe integra gestione Telecom e MDM, aggiunge caratteristiche più profonde

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Comunicazioni del ciclo di vita (CLM) software e servizi di provider di gestione Tangoe, Inc (TNGO) ha recentemente annunciato nuove versioni integrate di suo mobile device management (MDM Tangoe) e in tempo reale telecome spese gestione (Tangoe rTEM) soluzioni, consentendo ai clienti di sfruttare le nuove funzionalità, tra cui un'applicazione client mobile singolo chiamata Tangoe Mobile per le funzioni combinate di MDM e rTEM.

Tangoe fondatore, Presidente e CEO Al Subbloie detto che molti dei clienti dell'azienda sono focalizzati sulla crescita della mobilità nel 2013.
Comunicazioni del ciclo di vita (CLM) software e servizi di provider di gestione Tangoe, Inc (TNGO) ha annunciato nuove versioni integrate di suo mobile device management (MDM Tangoe) e in tempo reale telecom expense management (Tangoe rTEM) solutions, consentendo ai clienti di sfruttare le nuove funzionalità, tra cui un'applicazione client mobile singolo chiamata Tangoe Mobile per le funzioni combinate di MDM e rTEM. Quali altre caratteristiche sono disponibili attraverso questa integrazione? Forniremo lo scoop.
Tangoe Mobile offre entrambe soluzioni dell'azienda in una singola applicazione sul dispositivo, consentendo agli utenti di tenere traccia dell'utilizzo del piano portante e ricevere notifiche di utilizzo da esso. Inoltre, la soluzione consente anche criteri di geo-fence su ogni dispositivo. Queste politiche sono legate a regole di utilizzo di location-based che consentono l'applicazione di criteri automatici basato sul rilevamento della posizione in tempo reale del dispositivo. Tali regole potrebbero salvare gli utenti e le aziende big time, quando si tratta di quei costi di roaming dati astronomici per i viaggiatori internazionali.
Tangoe fondatore, Presidente e CEO Al Subbloie, ha detto nel suo discorso preparato che molti dei clienti dell'azienda sono focalizzati sulla crescita della mobilità nel 2013.
"Le funzioni combinate del nostro leader MDM e soluzioni rTEM affrontare queste problematiche e offre ai nostri clienti aziendali con maggiore controllo su dispositivi mobili entrando l'impresa cos? come la visibilità in tempo reale in uso dipendente", ha detto.
Inoltre, Tangoe ha migliorato le versioni più recenti di Tangoe MDM e rTEM con le seguenti funzionalità:
Ottimizzatore piano portante per rTEM - basato sull'uso storico per voce, SMS e dati, Tangoe rTEM consiglia all'amministratore il miglior piano di vettore per ogni utente. Questo è particolarmente utile per le imprese in luoghi dove ci sono piani in pool, come l'Europa, cos? come per le organizzazioni negli Stati Uniti che non partecipano in pool piani;Dati specifici dell'applicazione di monitoraggio per rTEM - fornisce visibilità nell'uso dei dati specifici di ogni applicazione su un dispositivo. Questo dati consentono decisioni più informate per quanto riguarda l'utilizzo dell'applicazione e i costi corrispondenti dispositivi dell'operazione;Integrazione con Samsung sicuro per Tangoe MDM - fornisce enterprise-grade device management e sicurezza su dispositivi Samsung;Enhanced Windows Phone 8 supporto per Tangoe MDM - Tangoe MDM supporta una migliore esperienza utente Windows Phone 8 con un'interfaccia utente ottimizzata Windows Phone 8, il supporto per risoluzioni di nuovo e un processo di attivazione del dispositivo aerodinamico; esupporto per BlackBerry 10 per Tangoe MDM --ora supporta BlackBerry 10 dispositivi Tangoe MDM, dispositivo servizi e PlayBook, compresi synch BDS integrato e sicuro per l'applicazione di criteri.
L'interfaccia unificata sarà disponibile per il download tramite app store per iOS di Apple (AAPL) e Google (GOOG) gioco per Android a inizio luglio 2013.
Tangoe anche recentemente un accordo inchiostrate con SAP AG (ADR) per integrare la suite di software di Tangoe TEM Mobile (telecom expense management) con il portafoglio SAP Secure Mobile.

Google: Will MSPs be wearable Tech fleet management?

Cloud-based Enterprise mobility management (EMM) company Fiberlink last week announced that the MaaS360 platform can be reached by IT administrators using glass of Google (GOOG). MSPmentor I was wondering if there was a big demand for Google monitoring Glass so we caught up with Frank Scloendorn, Director of the Android ecosystem to Fiberlink and one of the few members of the exclusive group of owners of Google Glass today. Here is his perspective.

Cloud-based Enterprise mobility management (EMM) company Fiberlink last week announced that the MaaS360 platform can be reached by IT administrators using glass of Google (GOOG). MSPmentor I was wondering if there was a big demand for Google monitoring Glass so we caught up with Frank Scloendorn, Director of the Android ecosystem based on Philadelphia Fiberlink and one of the few members of the exclusive group of owners of Google Glass today. He has provided us with some real use cases for Google Glass business and perspectives on the future of wearable technology, as well as the future plans of Fiberlink for the platform.
Scloendorn told me that Fiberlink has already gotten inquiries from customers about whether the MaaS360 will be able to monitor the Google Glass devices, so there is certainly an interest and the device is really something that is on the radar of some customers. And for those who think this technology is ' out there ' Scloendorn pointed out that the iPad that you carry around everywhere was considered a foolish consumer device a few years ago. We don't know that Google Glass or other non-wearable computing devices will see the same kind of success that iPad has over the next three to four years, he said.
So Fiberlink experimented as its business customers may want to use Google Glass. The first way is to add practicality. Writing a Google API mirror glass, Fiberlink was able to add features to its Google Glass platform monitoring, leaving work on Scloendorn back in the Office remotely without using your cell phone or laptop. Tried this while sitting in the audience at the Developer Conference, Google i/o in San Francisco recently.  (Like TSA Airport security reacted to Google Glass when Scloendorn traveled from Philadelphia to SFO?  Have not paid any attention to the device that Scloendorn put in your particular case and in the bin for x-ray machine.)
Currently, applications on Google only Glass can be hosted in the cloud, so they are limited. There is no way to download the applications on the device itself. Google plans to add that feature soon, however, Scloendorn said, using an SDK. Currently the applications that work with Google Glass include Gmail, Evernote and some applications of news from publishers, CNN and the Wall Street Journal.  Oh and the MaaS360 monitoring interface.
But this is only the beginning. Fiberlink offers the following potential business use cases:
Utility workers. When these workers are climbing telephone polls or in situations where there is high voltage, hands-free access to their applications both could increase efficiency and safety.
Hospital workers, including doctors and nurses. Google Glass could potentially be used to read QR codes on medical bracelets for health workers to assist with quick access to medical files on their Google Glass heads up display.
The next step will be when enterprises start getting more Google Glass devices and the need to manage them. Google Glass runs on Android, that most platforms EMM and MDM support already. But IT and the developers will be looking at how to protect devices like Google Glass. Apple (AAPL) reportedly is also working on wearable tech in the form of a wristwatch.
The Google Glass price may be another factor. The device debuted in its first distribution limited to $ 1,500, but when Google releases a retail version next year you'd expect for a price significantly lower than that.
And we'd be remiss if we note the mixed reaction that Google Glass may be among those who are not quite as enamored of technology and new gadgets. But perhaps these people are just jealous.  I know that being. Sort of.

Complex Hosting without the complexity: use Cloud Tech to expand services, markets

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Custom infrastructure environments built to a customer's specifications, are among the more profitable services MSPs can offer. However, the complexity and customization make these services hard to scale. Cloud-based services are changing this game.
Complex hosting, offering custom infrastructure environments built to a customer's specifications, is among the more profitable services for many MSPs. Customers expect to pay extra for the consultative work with your architects and the custom deployment and management of your systems administrators. In addition, because of the custom work, customers usually sign minimum term contracts and changes require new quotation. However, those very characteristics are also why it is so difficult to scale your complex hosting service.
The labor intensive sales effort requires skilled staff to engage with customers in often several rounds of specification and proposal. System administrators spend time validating the design and implementation and then must provide appropriate monitoring and management. Sourcing, configuring, and implementing custom hardware and software stacks takes additional time and effort.  To offset the cost of hiring and developing people with these skills, your deals have to be sizeable, and this requires multiple quotes and pushes the decision up to the executive level at your customer. So, while the deals are profitable, they take time and effort to develop, and your market is limited. The result is that scaling your business remains difficult.
Costly infrastructure is the very problem cloud computing was developed to address, and when it debuted many proclaimed the end of MSPs. It's understandable then, that many MSPs have tended to see cloud as competitive. After all, if anyone can deploy a virtual machine at a large cloud service provider with an API call, there shouldn't be a need for MSPs, right? Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.  Building scalable, reliable services in the cloud still requires significant skill, Most businesses, though, lack knowledgeable and experienced systems administrators. The differential in skill is your sales opportunity. Thus MSPs ' core competencies in design and operation are still valuable in the cloud era.
However, there's more opportunity for MSPs, because cloud isn't just a business model. Rather, there is new technology being developed. The objective of that technology is to make data center resources consumable without access to the data center. The infrastructure itself; servers, switches, storage, and more were never developed with that in mind. Remotely using data center resources, though, isn't limited to end user organization. If properly adopted this new technology can allow MSPs to remove the complexity inherent in complex hosting, expand their services, and enter new markets.
For instance, MSPs can use cloud to accelerate the sales cycle. Our MSP partners have successfully leveraged cloud to work faster. Infrastructure can be set up, torn down, and changed so quickly in the cloud they can actually engage customers collaboratively in real time. More specifically, our own CA AppLogic cloud platform provides visual drag-and-drop infrastructure. Solution architects and system administrators often use the visualization to create and manage infrastructure with the customer. Customers can more easily understand what's being proposed because of the visual display. As a result, the typical specification and quote cycle can be reduced or even eliminated.
In fact, some MSPs are now building expert centers and providing the service via online meeting to further accelerate the process. While some customers aren't ready to accept an online session, many are because cloud infrastructure can be changed readily and therefore doesn't have the lock-in risk associated with traditional deployment. Using visual infrastructure allows building and refining infrastructure iteratively with little or no cost for changes.
How your system administrators manage customer infrastructure will change as well. Rather than work in the data center, they can work from anywhere they have internet access. Such mobility produces new opportunities for your business. Your team can manage infrastructure from the customer facility, again collaboratively. In addition, if your customers need resources overseas, your team can run those resources from your office. Thus, the overall cost of management of the infrastructure is reduced. You can capture this as margin or use it to lower the bid to the customer to capture more customers.
Accelerating the sales cycle and managing online when using cloud infrastructure reduces the overall cost of sale significantly. Reducing your cost, though, is yet another enabler. In the opening paragraph I mentioned that the cost of complex hosting limited the market. By reducing the cost, cloud computing, open up new markets for you.
The disruption happening in hosting and managed services isn't without its risks though. Cloud enables services to be portable, reducing or eliminating customer lock-in. MSPs must work more closely with clients to ensure ongoing success and satisfaction. In an earlier MSP Mentor blogs I also noted how metering data can be used to identify customers whose usage is being reduced and may need additional attention.
Cloud computing is disrupting the hosting and managed services market. However, this disruption will bring new customers and new opportunities to aggressive and innovative MSPs.
If they haven't already, MSPs should investigate adding or expanding their complex hosting services using cloud technology.
Bert Armijo is VP of product marketing for CA AppLogic. He is an industry expert and frequent speaker on cloud computing and has a 30-plus year track record of bringing new technologies to market.

Axceler Offers Migration Support for Microsoft SharePoint 2013

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Collaboration governance, administration and migration provider Axceler offering a Migration Axceleration Promotion for Microsoft (MSFT) SharePoint 2013.

Axceler said its migration support for SharePoint 2013 includes features to cleanup, migrate, and manage environments.
Collaboration governance, administration and migration provider Axceler offering a Migration Axceleration Promotion for Microsoft (MSFT) SharePoint 2013. How is the company providing ways to cleanup, migrate, and manage environments through its support? We'll reveal the answer.
Migrations of any kind can be long and challenging. The new offering from Axceler is aiming to ease the process by assisting businesses with migration from start to finish and by helping businesses prepare for the migration process, too.
Axceler CMO Claudine Bianchi said in her prepared remarks that businesses want to make the move to the latest version of SharePoint, but they're not finding the right tools to help them with the migration.
According to the company, Axceler's Migration Axceleration Promotion will offer the following features to support migration to Microsoft SharePoint 2013:
Real-time collection of important configuration data -- lets users view and access the most up-to-date information in their SharePoint sites;Detailed pre-migration analysis -- provides users with an analysis of their SharePoint environments before migration so they can identify issues and make smart decisions;Content migration -- implements optimized architecture for large content databases, complex enterprise configurations and consolidation of multiple platforms;Insight into the migration -- unleashes a migration engine, built for both speed and control;Migrate data in waves – gives the ability for user companies to create their own timetables, priorities and severity of issues found; andGet granular control -- provides the ability to filter, configure and refine migration sets, which allows for detailed staging and planning.
"With the support of our migration solutions, businesses can evaluate their SharePoint environments and seamlessly make the transition," Bianchi said. "The best time to enhance collaboration controls is when new software is introduced to the businesses collaboration strategy, such as SharePoint 2013."
Axceler's Migration Acceleration Promotion is available now until June 30 and can be obtained through the company's website.
Separately, Axceler recently introduced ViewPoint Enterprise, a single unified dashboard designed to provide organizations with views into their enterprise social networks, such as Yammer, Jive (JIVE), Microsoft SharePoint, Box, and Chatter.

Tiến Adds Security Features to PowerBroker for Windows 6.0

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Security solutions vendor Ti?n has announced PowerBroker for Windows 6.0, adding new session and file integrity monitoring capabilities to its security intelligence and access control offering for Microsoft Windows Infrastructures.

Ti?n Product Strategy and Operations EVP Brad Hibbert said in his prepared remarks that the product update enables administrators to make "more effective security decisions."
Security solutions vendor Ti?n has announced PowerBroker for Windows 6.0, adding session-and file-integrity monitoring capabilities, and analytics and policy deployments to drive greater context-aware security intelligence for Microsoft (MSFT) Windows infrastructure environments. This solution leverages the company's Retina CS Threat Management Console to help evaluate a system's overall risk to help administrators decide on what privileges should be assigned to a user or system. What else is included in this release PowerBroker? We'll reveal the details.
The new version builds on Ti?n PowerBroker's vision to tackle customer security challenges by providing security and compliance solutions.
With that in mind, the following features have been added to the latest release of PowerBroker:
Session monitoring--Ti?n customers can record user activity on a per application basis. This capability is essential to troubleshooting and forensic work;
File integrity monitoring-This feature adds an additional security layer, allowing or denying access to modify files in the directory. Access can be targeted to applications or users.
Retina CS policy deployment--Retina CS can now be used to store and distribute PowerBroker for Windows 6.0 policies. Group policy is no longer required (but may still be used), which provides a single pane of glass "for reporting and policy creation via the Retina CS; and
Redesigned user interface "Metro"--With a new "Metro" Windows 8 theme user interface, customers enjoy a modern look and feel, with more intuitive and easier-to-navigate dashboard. Ti?n Product Strategy and Operations EVP Brad Hibbert said in his prepared remarks that the product update enables administrators to make "more effective security decisions."
"Security teams more often make critical business decisions based on threats after the fact, regardless of the context of addressing those threats," he said.
PowerBroker for Windows 6.0 is available as a free upgrade for existing customers.
This week's announcement from Microsoft's TechEd conference follows on the company's last version. Ti?n released its PowerBroker for Windows 5.5 back in January of 2013.

Memo per MSPs: 5 modi per chiedere di più da partner tecnologici

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How can MSPs demand far more from their technology partners--including service desk and NOC (network operations center) providers? Here are five steps forward from Continuum Managed Services.
MSPs have spent the past decade outsourcing key pieces of their back office operations to technology partners.  From service desks to NOC (network operations center) services, MSPs can pick and choose a range of third-party service options. But this is much more than an outsourcing conversation.
Somewhere along the way, MSPs forgot to ask five critically important questions – each of which can greatly impact your bottom line. If you're evaluating your current technology partners or researching the market for new partners, be sure to raise these five questions:
1. How Can You Make My Business More Profitable? Too often get bogged down in MSPs technical conversations with potential technology partners. Instead, shift the conversation to dollars and cents. Discuss financial models that drive profitable growth to your business – and determine exactly how the potential back-office partner can help to lift your gross margins above traditional MSP levels.
2. How Are You Innovating – Now and Long Term?Make sure you understand the technology partner's current capabilities and longer-term software, services and support roadmap. Ask about the past two years of promised innovations:
Were they delivered on time in an efficient, non-disruptive manner to MSPs?How did MSPs benefit?What's on the innovation road map now?What assurances are in place to make sure new innovations continue?
3. How Do You Blend MSP-centric Software, Service and Support into a Total Solution? Some MSPs chase software tools – lots of them. Then they jump to a separate services conversation. Next, they explore support options for their customers. Before you jump through three separate hoops take a step back and look at things holistically.
What you really need is an end-to-end partner that delivers ubiquitous, unified management.
Ubiquitous: Your partner back-office needs to give MSPs the ability to remotely monitor, manage, protect and back up any server, desktop or endpoint – using a web-based portal that's accessible from any smart computing devices.Unifiedback-office: Your partner can't have multiple tools for multiple platforms. Demand one platform that supports PCs, Macs, Windows, Linux and mobile devices. More than remotely monitoring and managing those systems, make sure the partner's solution can backup and restore those systems for complete business continuity.Management: Your back-office needs partners to push beyond traditional RMM software. Make sure it's integrated with world-class NOC (network operations center) and 24/7 Service Desk.
4. What's Your Vision for Marketing and Sales Support?
Let's assume the back-office partner can meet your MSP software, service and support needs. Don't stop there. Demand additional services – in areas such as marketing support, lead generation, sales engagement and new business development.
Also, make sure the partners can fulfill their promises marketing support.
Have they hired the right talent to assists MSPs with lead generation?What systems and processes they have in place for those efforts?Is there a long-term commitment to MSP marketing and sales support?
5. How Will We Avoid Complacency – Together?
If you've exhausted every service available from your technology partners, then perhaps the partners aren't innovating quickly enough. You need to fight market complacency--while getting more and demanding more from your technology partners. Leverage every last advantage the technology partner can give you. Ask at least once per quarter, how you can take the relationship to the next level.
If you don't get the answers you want –-and if you're not seeing the innovations you and your customers need-then perhaps it's time to shop around for a new technology partner.
Ask Me More
If you have additional questions about the five tips above, please don't hesitate to contact me. More than 3.300 MSPs leverage our innovations every day, and they're holding us accountable for continued innovations over the long haul.
Steve Ricketts is VP of marketing at Continuum. We provide a leading SaaS-based managed services platform that MSPs use to efficiently backup, monitor, troubleshoot, and maintain desktops, servers and other endpoints for SMB customers.

OpenDNS Web Security umbrella adds multi-tenant Dashboard, monthly invoicing

OpenDNS is doing its cloud-based security umbrella even more MSP-friendly with a multi-tenant management, a shared license pool, monthly invoicing and pricing service volume. Here are the details.

Dave Bell, President of Cyber solutions, a St. Paul, Minn. MSP, said that his company has already deployed 200 seats of the OpenDNS service umbrella.
Web security Provider cloud-delivered OpenDNS is doing its umbrella of protection most MSP-friendly service with a new multi-tenant dashboard, monthly invoicing and volume prices. Other new features include a faster provisioning process, which means greater profitability. Here are the details.
First, some background on umbrella. This service goes beyond virus protection by preventing users from accessing malicious sites from both on and network devices, according to OpenDNS. That means the MSP leaves protect both mobile and desk-based-workers with a single solution.
Dave Bell, President of solutions based on St. Paul, Minn. MSP Cyber has implemented the solution for about 200 seats in its customer base. Previously he raced in 4 to 5 infections per month, said MSPmentor, but since he started using his umbrella customers have had zero problems. It takes about five minutes to implement umbrella for each client and not on the premise equipment is required.
"In recent years that it seems that we have seen an increase in the number of infections," Bell told me. "Hackers have become more creative in working around different antivirus software.  You need to have multiple layers of protection. "
On the one hand, Bell has eliminated some of the repair work of the company performed to cleanse infected machines. On the other hand, staffing levels and volumes of work have become more predictable.
OpenDNS that says every day that umbrella blocks 80 million requests for sites of malware, phishing and botnets. Meanwhile, the research team of the Umbrella Security Labs discovers every day hundreds of thousands of new malicious sites and added to the block list.
In terms of making the best solution for MSPs, OpenDNS has provided the following features through the management console:
A shared license pool umbrella that can be deployed in elastically to protect customer networks from malware and enforce proper use policiesProvision new customers with a clickDeprovision customers with one Click and catch licensesAccess a centralized view of customers and monthly licensesAssign credit card billingUpdate/self-service information for applicants billingUse ready-made scripts for deploying RMM for laptops
OpenDNS said in his announcement of improvements that the market for managed services providers is a key area of growth for the company. So far, 1,400 MSPs have chosen umbrella than traditional Secure Web Gateway solutions to protect more than 20,000 customers networks, the company added.
"Small and medium-sized enterprises, which typically lack in-house IT skills, are increasingly being targeted by attackers. For MSPs, web security as a service is a very large market opportunity, zero-friction, "said Dima Kumets, MSP product manager for OpenDNS based in San Francisco, in a prepared statement. "Invested OpenDNS and built on an infrastructure that helps MSPs quickly provisioning of Web security services for large user populations. These features dramatically reduce the time you would otherwise spend cleaning up infections, thus increasing the margins. "

LabTech, ThreatTrack Integrate Advanced Persistent Threat Protection

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ThreatTrack has integrated its Vipre Premium Business IT security antivirus protection into LabTech Software's remote monitoring and management platform, providing more monthly recurring revenue opportunities to MSPs looking to sell customers protection from advanced persistent threats.

Julian Waits, CEO of ThreatTrack Security
ThreatTrack Security, which spun out from GFI Software earlier this year, has integrated its Vipre antivirus Premium Business solution with LabTech Software's remote monitoring and management platform. The deal provides MSPs with another way to provide premium services to customers and increase their earnings potential, the companies said.  Here are the details.
The integration will put more of Vipre's features onto LabTech's main management console.  Vipre's Business Premium solution focuses on how organizations identify and stop threats the advanced global threat landscape. ThreatTrack Security provides protection from Advanced Persistent Threats, targeted attacks and other sophisticated malware that can often evade the traditional defenses that organizations use. Its solutions analyze, detect and remediate the newest malicious threats, via its ThreatAnalyzer behavioral malware analysis sandbox, VIPRE antivirus business and consumer software, and real-time ThreatIQ threat awareness service.
LabTech CEO Matthew Nachtrab had this to say in a prepared statement about the integration: "We are always looking for the best technology options for our partners. Our integration with Vipre creates new opportunities for MSPs to grow their businesses and strengthen the value and service they deliver to their customers. "
ThreatTrack Security's CEO Julian Waits, in a prepared statement, noted that the integration will make the solution easier to use for MSPs. But it also offered RMM potential.
"By fully integrating into the LabTech Vipre platform, MSPs can more easily deploy and manage the most powerful weapon in their security arsenal. With Vipre antivirus as their managed line of defense, LabTech MSPs gain a significant profit accelerator, adding a new recurring revenue stream to their services portfolio and strengthening the security of their customers ' networks. "
The companies made the announcement in conjunction with this week's Automation Nation 2013 conference in Orlando.

Il potere dei Social Media per addetti alle vendite

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Sales people who use social media exceed their quota 23 percent more often than sales people who don't use it. Indeed, non-social media users missed their share 15 percent more often than sales reps who used social media.
Sales is something every organization needs. Here at CharTec, we strive to make sure sales people are extremely well trained. Sales is a profession--one that requires reading, training, and constant learning. "This isn't something you're born with; you have to train to become a great salesperson, just like any other profession, "says Alex Rogers, CEO of CharTec.
He is right. A sales professional should always be learning and evolving his/her sales tactics to make the sale in a changing economy. So, what does that mean to your sales staff in the digital age of selling? With software from ConnectWise to SalesForce, sales people are using technology to make their lives easier. So, where does social media fall into place "with all of this? The correct answer may surprise you.
According to the Social Media and Sales Quota report from the Sales Guy Consulting and Social Centered Selling, 50 percent of sales people surveyed spend between 5 percent to 10 percent of their time utilizing social media for sales. These sales people exceed 23 percent share more often than non-social media users. Non-social media users also missed 15 percent share more often than sales persons who were utilizing social media.
People are utilizing social media for networking, prospecting, research, referrals, and closing. "What are you utilizing social media for your sales team? Forbes Magazine gives you 5 steps for making a sale through social media:
Step 1: Join a community and create a person-Utilize blogs, forums, and LinkedIn groups. You can always make a group and encourage people to join it! Make sure to have variety. You're not going to get leads and prospects by only joining groups that focus on IT. Show your tech savvy knowledge in local and community groups. Dominate and be the expert people seek.
Step 2: Determine the best way to connect with prospects-If everyone your prospecting is on Twitter, guess what, you'd better be on Twitter! Make sure you're connecting with prospects on the platforms that make sense.
Step 3: Connect-Be sure to individually connect with others around your community. Look through that pile of business cards from your last event and see who is on LinkedIn and other social networks and connect with them.
Step 4: Build a relationship-Now that you have connected, work on building that relationship. Give value, share information, invite to lunch ... you know, the primary reason you have company credit cards and expense reports.
Step 5: Engage in a conversation-Work your network. If you have someone who knows another connection, ask for an introduction or utilize your network for referrals. Build the conversation (not generic, but meaningful), use Google stalking to its finest.
Use these 5 steps to spark your social media success! For more tips on sales and social media, we invite you to become a CharTec partner and attend one of our CharTec Academies.

Gabe Ulloa is interactive media and marketing event coordinator at CharTec, which offers HaaS, BDR and training services to MSPs. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor's annual platinum sponsorship.

BDR 101 maintenance apparatus for Datto partners

With summer around the corner, MSPmentor wanted to discover how MSPs could easily monitor the backup and disaster recovery (BDR) without making it seem like an additional burden, so we reached for disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (IBC) vendor solutions Given for some answers.

Maintenance of backup and disaster recovery (BDR) of the apparatus is a task that dovetails nicely with the main mission of the managed service provider (MSP) of monitoring and managing the customer's infrastructure. But with summer around the corner, MSPmentor wanted to discover how MSPs could simplify the process. So we reached for disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (IBC) vendor solutions Given for some answers. How can you keep MSPs using appliances efficiently Given? We reveal the answer.
Datto Sales Engineer Dan Ciccone spoke briefly via e-mail with you to provide some MSPmentor tips and tricks within, pointing out the obvious of MSPs.
"The best way to keep your appliance is Given to keep an eye on what is happening with every device in your fleet," he said.
He, however, offer the following advantages for MSPs offering customers equipment Given, revealing how the centralized management console the company in partner portal can be an effective way to maintain the appliances:
Make sure that the last backup for each device was successful;
Verify that backups are recorded and can run in virtual machines. This can be done through a verification function of screenshots is visible in the management console;
Access to any device in your remote fleet to alleviate any problems on the end user's location; and
Ping with warning device. If there is a problem with the hardware, you will receive a text message or an email regarding the error.
Instead of waiting for something to happen, be proactive monitoring and maintenance of your appliances Given. Access the centralized management console to take advantage of the company's tool for maintenance of equipment. What features consume more?

Live Blog: 5 keys to success by LabTech MSP, TruMethods

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Live Blog: LabTech Automation Nation Keynote | Managed Services content from MSPmentor Connect With Us TwitterFacebookYouTubeLinkedInRSS SubscribeAdvertiseContact Skip to Navigation Skip to Content MSPmentor Search: Register Log In Username or e-mail: * Password: * Remember meForgot Your Password?close AboutMission and StaffGuest BloggersAsk a MentorOur Sponsors 2013AdvertiseInfoCentersBackup and Disaster RecoveryPrivate and Public Cloud InfoCenterToolsMobile Device ManagementRemote Monitoring & Management SoftwareProfessional Services Automation (PSA)Help Desk and NOC ServicesOn PremiseCloud ComputingYour BusinessFinanceHRMarketingSalesMSP Mergers and AcquisitionsConnectionsNewslettersFacebookTwitterNews VideosSponsored VideosResourcesOur WebcastsOur Sponsors 2013MSP Guides and Managed Services Case StudiesResource CenterResearchTop 100 Cloud Services ProvidersTop 100 Channel Partner ConferencesMSPmentor 100 (Companies)MSPmentor 250 (People)MSP FAQ Advertisement Home > Managed Services > Live Blog: 5 Keys to MSP Success from TruMethods, LabTech Live Blog: 5 Keys to MSP Success from TruMethods, LabTech Jun. 5, 2013 Joe Panettieri | MSPmentor EMAILTweet Comments 0 LabTech Automation Nation continues with TruMethods CEO Gary Pica sharing 5 keys to MSP success, and Intel (INTC) educating MSPs about mobility and remote management.
TruMethods CEO Gary Pica shares 5 tips for MSP success during LabTech Automation Nation 2013 conference.
Advertisement LabTech Automation Nation has attracted roughly 350 managed services providers (MSPs) in Orlando, Fla. TruMethods CEO Gary Pica is describing five keys to MSP (managed services provider) success. Then, Intel's (INTC) Scott Schafer tackled the latest mobile, ultrabook and vPro trends for MSPs. Here's a minute-by-minute live blog keynote recap.
Recap: TruMethods CEO Gary Pica Pica is about to share his five steps to MSP success. A key day in his life -- December 12, 1996: Pica decides to quit his job and invest in/build an IT services company. At first, Pica worked 12 hours a day, seven days per week. But the company was losing money and having trouble paying staff. But he went on to build an MSP that managed 7,000 endpoints and got acquired by mindSHIFT (now owned by Best Buy). Best in class MSPs add some MRR (monthly recurring revenue) per month; drive $100 to $110 per seat per month fees; and generate 14% to 16% net profits. World class MSPs, by contrast, add new MRR at the right price EVERY month, charge $120 to $160 per seat, with 25% to 35% net profits. Pica's 5 Secrets to MSP Success/5 Characteristics of World Class MSPs Business Planning Process: Transform from a brick layer and build cathedrals. Start with a shared vision for the future of the company. Have clear direction for the company and employees. Provide a sense of purpose and build culture. For your processes, focus on vision (10 years), target (3 years), plan (1 year) and action (1 quarter). Know What You Sell: Has what clients want to buy changed over the past five years? Pica says no. Everyone needs three things from technology -- plumbing, support and strategy. Focus on the end result; make sure you have the right people and processes; utilize technology (don't sell it); limit choices and options; and bundle services. If you don't know what you sell -- your support offering -- then change. Become Sales Focused: This has to be a company philosophy. You can't be world-class if you're not bringing in new customers at a predictable rate. Know your math (how much MRR you want, average deal size, close ratio, etc.). You need to have a process to generate and manage leads. Become accountable by having regular sales meetings. And have dedicated resources. Be realistic about your starting point on sales and marketing. Focus on warm lead sources (referrals) if your marketing list is weak. Be Process Driven: LabTech CEO Matt Nachtrab said yesterday that great MSPs aren't born, they are engineered. Similarly, Pica believes you can focus on 5 delivery areas: Support, Centralized Services, Proactive Network Administration, Technology Consulting and Non-Recurring Service. For LabTech MSPs, Pica recommended that you review tickets, alerts and project plans at least once per month; build R&D alliances with peer MSPs that want to drive automation with you -- do a call with them monthly to share best practices; leverage LabTech's training resources. Gain Command: Over your business, delivery areas and roles in your business. Until you have command you can't put a plan in place to get to your target destination. Know how to read a financial statement. Know the numbers that ConnectWise and LabTech deliver, which ultimately show you the health of your business. Know the gauges. To truly succeed: Make sure everyone has clear roles and responsibilities; attach metrics to each role; track results. Recap: Intel's Scott Schafer, vPro Programs Manger Intel vPro is now six years old, and the LabTech relationship is now in its third year. Schafer stated tongue in cheek that the PC is dead. Again. In reality, the PC is the ultimate Darwinian Device, Schafer asserted, quoting Andy Grove. The true trend is all about mobile computing and end point devices blurring. Ultrabook convertable and detachable devices prove that. In the business world, he asserted, current adopters say their ultrabook touch devices will replace tablets.  There are 200 million business PCs running that are more than 4 years old, and 30 percent of SMBs are still running Windows XP. Those realities spell opportunity for MSPs. He defined vPro as a great technology for hardware-assisted remote manageability. vPro typically allows MSPs to repair PC hardware issues 88 percent faster. Plus, vPro cuts on-premise PC visits for repair by about 50 percent. Check back for continued updates.
PrintreprintsFavorite EMAILTweet Discuss this Article 0 Post new comment Name: Sign In or register to use your MSPmentor ID Email: (optional) Your comment: * Related ArticlesLabTech Automation Nation: 10 MSP QuestionsLabTech, ThreatTrack Integrate Advanced Persistent Threat ProtectionManaged Services Reality Check At TruMethods Schnizzfest 2TruMethods Prepares to Rally MSPs in PhiladelphiaLabTech CEO Matt Nachtrab: Live Blog Upcoming Webcasts June 13: Out-of-the-Box Sales Presentations to Turn Prospects into Customers
June 20: Maximizing MSP Gross Margins: Ask the All Stars
June 27: Harness the speed and security of the cloud!

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Zenith Infotech Promotes Sales Leader, Nears 1,000 Cloud Installs

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Zenith Infotech promosso John McCallum per condurre vendite e installa TigerCloud si avvicina 1000 partner e clienti, dice CEO Akash Saraf.
Zenith Infotech CEO Akash Saraf (a sinistra) dice che John McCallum (medio) riesce Maurice Saluan (a destra) come capo di vendite dell'azienda cloud.
Zenith Infotech ha promosso John McCallum a VP of sales - riuscendo Senior VP Maurice Saluan, dimessosi il 1 giugno per perseguire opportunità altrove nel canale IT. Inoltre, TigerCloud di Zenith Infotech - che autorizza MSPs con cloud e servizi IaaS - si avvicina a 1.000 clienti e partner installa, una pietra miliare come l'azienda cerca di spingere oltre i tradizionali servizi BDR (backup e disaster recovery).
Zenith Infotech CEO Akash Saraf ha confermato la promozione di McCallum e il TigerCloud installare statistiche via email a MSPmentor. "John ha lavorato sotto Maurice per un certo numero di anni e siamo fiduciosi che egli sarà in grado di fare un buon lavoro come VP of sales," ha scritto Saraf.
Separatamente, Zenith Infotech entro settimane prevede di colpire 1.000 installazioni di TigerCloud, "che è un bel risultato dato che abbiamo lanciato questo prodotto nel maggio 2012," ha scritto Saraf. "Fino a data suo stato utilizzato per le installazioni on-premise cloud privato con il driver primario essendo VDI e un'infrastruttura IT piena soffiata."
"Con la versione più recente," ha continuato, "abbiamo aggiunto multi-tenancy, per cui partner pu? costruire il proprio mini cloud pubblico. Ci aspettiamo che nei prossimi sei mesi per avere oltre 250 IT service provider propri cloud computing pubblico utilizzando TigerCloud."
Domanda su predefinito di debito di Zenith Infotech 2011, Saraf ha detto che non aveva nessuna informazione nuova per condividere sul caso di Corte in corso della società.

Microsoft, Continuum offerta Cloud, servizi gestiti gli aggiornamenti

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Continuum e Microsoft sta aggiornando loro rispettivi cloud e strategie di servizi gestiti a Autotask comunità Live. Office 365 è ora libero di partecipanti per un anno. Ecco un riepilogo blog live da MSPmentor.

Continuum VP Steve Ricketts descrive come MSPs pu? centralizzare attività, snellire le operazioni ed espandersi in nuovi mercati.
Microsoft (MSFT) e Continuum sta aggiornando loro rispettivi cloud e strategie di servizi gestiti a Autotask comunità Live. La sessione di Microsoft è venuto come un po ' di scuse ai partner;  la società ha dichiarato che ha bisogno di essere più facile lavorare con il mercato cloud. Il ramo d'ulivo: Microsoft sta dando partecipanti alla conferenza Autotask un abbonamento di cloud Office 365 di un anno gratis. Separatamente, Continuum è descrivere come MSPs pu? guidare verso i profitti operativi il 50 per cento. Leggere questo blog live per aggiornamenti minuto per minuto.
Ricapitoliamo: Microsoft
Bryan Von Axelson (SMB Cloud stratega), Bob Neal (SMB Cloud vendite) e Corey Nagel (SMB Cloud Marketing) sono parte di una squadra appena creata-- il team canale Cloud - Microsoft.Microsoft è subendone le sfide del mercato - non essendo in grado di lavorare e trovare le giuste fonti di Microsoft.Solo circa il 20 per cento di MSPs nella stanza indicata che hanno ricevuto incentivi sconti Office 365 - una figura che deluso di Microsoft. Von Axelson diede il suo indirizzo email (BVA [at] Microsoft.com) per assicurarsi che i partecipanti avevano un modo semplice per collaborare più strettamente con la società."Siamo dedicati alla nostra strategia attraverso il canale di guida,"dirigenti Microsoft ha insistito. L'azienda è ribadire che è "all'inizio del viaggio" con l'Open Office 365. Leggere tra le righe e suona come Microsoft pu? espandere il programma aperto, che è estremamente limitato, ma permette di MSPs gestire il cliente finale nube fatturazione.S?, Windows 8.1 è stato menzionato nel passaggio.In generale, la presentazione di Microsoft sembrava un passo "Siamo spiacenti, noi stiamo ascoltando, noi stiamo migliorando il nostro programma partner".Il mio giro: è bene per Microsoft di essere umili. Ma i suggerimenti suggerendo Open Office 365 si pu? evolvere dimostra la sfida fondamentale: anche quando Microsoft diventa canale più amichevole, non canale è abbastanza amichevole - almeno non inizialmente. Office 365 è di due anni. Non c'è progresso. Ma aperto dovrebbe essere completamente aperta - disponibile come parte del tutto Office 365 SKUs.Microsoft chiuso offrendo a tutti i partecipanti Autotask un abbonamento di un anno gratuito di Office 365.
Ricapitolando: Steve Ricketts, VP marketing di Continuum
All'incirca 500 MSPs eseguire Continuum (RMM e NOC) e Autotask in tandem.Ricketts sta dicendo MSPs come scalare senza aggiunta di costi per le imprese.L'azienda ora ha 670 dipendenti e partner di Continuum gestire circa 500.000 dispositivi del cliente finale. We've got un numero di partner che stanno crescendo a 30, 60 e 90 per cento."Uno dei partner è cresciuto al 90 per cento, senza l'aggiunta di personale - sfruttando un desk in outsourcing NOC e aiuto per scalare senza l'aggiunta di nuovi dipendenti. Il partner è cresciuto da 150 dispositivi gestiti al tech ed è ora avvicinando 300 dispositivi gestiti per TechMSP Financials prima e dopo: un sacco di MSPs partendo hanno un 65% COGS (costi delle merci vendute); 10% SGA e 25% i profitti di funzionamento. Egli dice che lo stato desiderato è COGS 40%, 10% SG & A e 50% margine operativo.Sfide di grande costo per MSPs: techs Senior facendo manutenzione ordinaria; Techs che ricerca per risolvere i problemi; utilizzo di low tech; alto costo della formazione; fatturato; aumento dei costi benefici e più.Le sfide di costo di fissaggio: il miglior MSPs stanno centralizzando, snellire le operazioni ed espandendo la loro attività all'interno della base di clienti esistenti.Continuum dove si inserisce nella conversazione: per la centralizzazione, Ricketts menzionato la console di gestione centralizzata del Continuum per centralizzazione; prezzo negoziato si occupa di LogMeIn e altri per vendite incrementali. Per semplificare le operazioni, Ricketts chiamato MSPs a esternalizzare loro NOC continuum per manutenzione e risoluzione dei problemi. In più, ha detto, sfruttare personale Continuum on-demand per progetti come le migrazioni Exchange e molto altro ancora. E ha citato i servizi di marketing per MSPs. E indic? a espandersi in nuovi mercati, opportunità di Continuum di offerta backup e gestione dei dispositivi portatili.
Controllare indietro per gli aggiornamenti ogni cinque minuti o cos?. Questo è tutto per ora.

Small Business Boosts IT Spending, Budgets

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Expect small business to spend more on IT and increase IT budgets this year. A new Spiceworks report on the state of SMB IT spending points to higher budgets, more focus on buying end-user hardware and IT services, but not more spending on hiring internal IT personnel. Sounds like a prime opportunity for managed services providers and cloud services providers.

Small and midsized businesses (SMBs) are boosting their IT budgets this year, and much of their spending is going to cloud services. That's according to the most recent State of the SMB report from IT monitoring and management platform Spiceworks. The report covers the first half of 2013 and points to some key trends for the rest of the year, too. Here are the details.
Spiceworks pulled out several major findings from its look at the SMB data in the first half of the year. For instance, the average annual IT budget is now $192,000, up by $ 30,000 from the second half of 2012.
The biggest budget increases are coming on the S part of SMB – companies with fewer than 250 employees. Companies with 250 to 999 employees actually showed a decline in IT spending.
But SMBs are not spending that money on IT. Rather, they are using it for new end-user hardware purchases and new cloud-based and hosted IT services, pointing to greater opportunities for managed services providers and cloud services providers.
Spiceworks reports that spending on cloud services has remained steady over the past six months with 60 percent of SMBs using them, but the company expects that to rise to 66 percent in the second half of 2013.
Meanwhile, server virtualization remains a strong trend in this market with 72 percent of respondents saying they use it, up from 65 percent in Spiceworks 2:0 2012 survey.  The larger the SMB, the more likely it is to be using server virtualization, Spiceworks reports.
Tablets remain a growing part of the SMB IT picture. Fifty-nine percent of survey respondents said they have tablets on their networks, up 6 percentage points from six months ago. Spiceworks said that 70 percent of respondents plan to have tablets on their networks in the second half of 2013. And while smartphone adoption has leveled off, Spiceworks said, survey results suggest that those devices are headed for a new peak in 2013 as well.

Next MSP Backup Move: Microsoft Exchange Server

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
As MSPs expand beyond file-level backup, the big opportunity ahead is Microsoft Exchange Backup. CloudBerry Lab explains how to get started.
My previous guest blog described why MSPs need to push beyond file-level backup to offer database backup. A natural first step, I noted, involves backup services for Microsoft SQL Server -- which continues to enjoy double-digit sales growth. But don’t end your journey there. Expand your scope to include Exchange Server backup.
My reasoning is simple: In 2012, Exchange controlled 53 percent of the corporate email market. That figure will grow to 68 percent by 2016, predicts The Radicati Group, as businesses increasingly standardize on Microsoft's email and collaboration platform.
That spells opportunities for MSPs. Email remains the lifeblood of most businesses. Lost messages often mean lost productivity. Even worse: Businesses that fail to properly safeguard their email databases may wind up violating government regulations and corporate compliance mandates.
With those harsh realities in mind, CloudBerry Lab's MSP partner base asked us for help in the email backup market. Our new CloudBerry Backup for Microsoft Exchange Server answers that call for help, and automates database backup to more than 15 supported cloud storage platforms.
Indeed, the solution allows MSPs to back up on-premises Exchange systems to public clouds like Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Glacier, Windows Azure, HP Cloud, Rackspace and OpenStack-compatible clouds.
Alexander Negrash is director of marketing at CloudBerry Lab, a leading cloud storage service provider that works closely with MSPs. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor's annual platinum sponsorship.

Cloud Security Specialist GLS acquires managed security practice StillSecure

Security Solutions Provider cloud GLS (a brand created this year from perimeter E-Security and USA.NET) acquired the Division of security managed services, StillSecure a MSP Colorado-based managed security services and certificate of conformity. The deal will expand business managed services of GLS.

Security Solutions Provider cloud GLS (a brand created this year from perimeter E-Security and USA.NET) acquired the Division of security managed services, StillSecure a MSP Colorado-based managed security services and certificate of conformity. The deal will expand business managed services of GLS.
The new purchase is just the latest for the predecessor GLS E-Security perimeter, which has used acquisitions to further develop its software platforms, cloud-based security. Meanwhile, StillSecure has a rich history in the managed services space in recent years as a top service provider's mobile device management and cloud services.
GLS said it will incorporate StillSecure log archiving web service and application firewall solution for the GLS. In addition, it will continue to support StillSecure customers and channel partners and provide them with full access to its portfolio of software and managed services.
"StillSecure's world-class team, innovative technologies and services perfectly in portfolio and existing customers of both companies stand to benefit greatly by GLS through this acquisition," said Tim Harvey, CEO, GLS, in a prepared statement. "This agreement allows us to further achieve our strategic objectives to broaden our product portfolio and expand our domain expertise to further assist our customers and partners."
GLS has 6,000 customers of financial services organization, retail, healthcare, energy, critical infrastructure and manufacturing sectors.

Cenzic launches managed services offering for Enterprise application security

Application security intelligence solutions provider Cenzic Cenzic has expanded its Managed Services for Enterprise Application Security to offer four levels of service, including an assessment of compliance-ready available for all types of organizations.

Cenzic CMO Bala Venkat: the lines between web, mobile and cloud are blurring. "
Application security intelligence solutions provider Cenzic Cenzic has expanded its Managed Services for Enterprise Application Security to offer four levels of service, including an assessment of compliance-ready available for all types of organizations. What is included in this new offering? You reveal the characteristics.
This offer allows you to remote vulnerability tests on the cloud, mobile and web applications. After that the risks have been identified, recommendations are provided to assist with data protection. The offer is powered by the company's HailStorm technology.
According to the company, the new offer includes the following features:
Secure code and analysis -monitors and analyzes the software code during development and finds errors and potential vulnerability without executing code;Development and pre scan -test their applications under development and staging environment as part of the software development lifecycle (SDLC);Manual penetration testing – Cenzic's professional security team will conduct extensive testing and customized to specific applications;Secure application Production test – test all web applications, web services and legacy applications safely without impact on the production environment;Production application of real time monitoring and integration of web application firewall (WAF) -provides real-time monitoring of web applications in production, providing real time results for the WAF and automates security policies to protect applications from vulnerability detected; andMobile application testing -test vulnerabilities in applications that have mobile connections.
Cenzic Cenzic CMO Bala Venkat, said in his prepared speech that "the lines between web, mobile and cloud are blur, resulting in new vectors, sophisticated and continually evolving online threats.
"This offer helps lower managed capital expenditure and operating costs, allowing companies the confidence that they are up to date with the latest security threats to their business," said Bruno.
For more information on Cenzic's partner program, please visit the company's Web site.

Autotask comunità Live: MSP completo News Recap

Complete news coverage Autotask community Live 2013 for managed service provider (MSP).

The core message of AutoTask CEO Mark Cattini was on catching waves of growth as a cloud, mobile, social and data.
Autotask community Live 2013 as wraps, there was a lot of news business and cloud management for managed service providers (MSP). Attended the MSP and customer or event detected and remotely, here's a complete list, related links and analysis of MSPmentor.
Our cover features:
1. Autotask community Live: the seven voices In the Hall--including one rather interesting about Microsoft Office 365 cloud partner program Open.
2. Microsoft, Continuum Cloud update, managed services strategies-including more Office 365 insights most useful guide services managed by Continuum VP Steve Ricketts.
3. Autotask CEO: IPO potential Cloud services? -CEO Mark Cattini describes why the company has met with financial experts and bankers. No IPO is expected at this point. But Autotask now has much more knowledge about its assessment, I suspect that ...
4. Autotask CEO: there are large amounts of data, Smart is the platform – take a look more closely at this blog entry because it includes extensive views from many of the top executives of Autotask. This is the blog that you want to read for all Autotask MSP key Conference Messaging.
5. Autotask community Live: 20 questions-this was our Conference Preview, raising the key questions that should explore MSPs.
That's all for now.

Apple iOS 7: Can You Manage New iPhone, iPad OS?

When Apple's iOS 7 arrives for iPad and iPhone in the fall of 2013, MSPs and mobile device management (MDM) software companies better be ready.

Apple says iOS 7 for iPhone and iPad will arrive in the fall of 2013. MSPs will be ready?
Apple (AAPL) today announced iOS 7, an update of the mobile OS for iPhone and iPad. iOS 7 is now in beta and will be available for smartphone and Apple Tablet in the fall of 2013. For MSPs, RMM, software vendors and management companies (MDM) on your mobile device, the race is on for 7 iOS is easily managed by remote systems.
Of course, a long list of software companies RMM (remote monitoring and Administration) already support Google Android and iOS 6. We will be checking in with Continuum, GFI Software, LabTech Software, Kaseya, level platforms, N-able (now owned by SolarWInds) and others in the industry to see how long support the new iOS release 7.
What consumers and business users expect from iOS 7? According To Apple:
"7 iOS is completely redesigned with subtle movement, a stylish color palette distinct functional layers that make it feel more alive. The typography was refined for a cleaner, simpler, and use of translucency and motion makes even simple tasks more engaging. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, notifications, enhanced Multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced images, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes.
The list of iOS features 7 deeper in detail include:
Control Center. A simple shot allows users to access a centralized control center for airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or do not disturb and more, Apple said.Notification Center is now available from the lock screen, so you can see all your notifications with a single blow, Apple said.Improved Multitasking allows developers to enable any multitasking app in the background with a new API. In addition, Apple says, users have the ability to switch between their applications more intuitive and visual.AirDrop is a completely new way to share content with people close, Apple reported.iCloud Keychain can store passwords and credit card information across all your devices, Apple said.
Apple says iOS 7 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iOS 7 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4 and iPad 2 later and later, mini iPad and iPod touch (5th generation) this fall, the company indicated.