Memo to MSPs: 5 ways to ask more from technology partners

How MSPs can claim with much more from their technology partners-service desk and NOC (network operations center)? Here are five steps forward from Continuum Managed Services.

Msp have spent the last decade key pieces of their back-office operations to outsourcing technology partners.  From the desk of service for services of NOC (network operations center), MSPs can choose a range of options for third-party service. But this is much more of a conversation of outsourcing.

Somewhere along the way, MSPs forgot to ask five questions critically important – each of which can significantly affect the bottom line. If you're considering your current technology partners or market research for new partner, be sure to collect these five questions:

1. How can I make my Business more profitable? Too often MSPs get bogged down in technical conversations with potential technological partners. Instead, moving the conversation in dollars and cents. Discuss financial models that drive profitable growth for your business – and determine exactly how potential back-office partner can help you raise your gross margin above traditional levels.

2. How are you innovating – now and in the long run?Make sure you understand the current capabilities of the software and technology partners in the longer term, support and services roadmap. Ask about two years of promising innovations:

Were they delivered on time efficiently, without interruption of MSPs?As did MSPs benefit?What is now the innovation road map?What guarantees are in place to ensure that new innovations continue?

3. How do you blend MSP-centric Software, service and support in a total solution? Some MSPs chase software tools – lots of them. Then jump to a conversation of separate services. Next, explore support options for their customers. Before jumping through three separate circles take a step back and look at things holistically.

What you really need is a partner of end-to-end offering unified management, ubiquitous.

Ubiquitous: your partner back-office needs to give MSPs the ability to remotely monitor, manage, protect and backup any server, desktop or endpoint – using a web-based portal that is accessible from any smart device.Unified: your back-office partner cannot have more tools for multiple platforms. Requires a platform that supports PC, Mac, Windows, Linux and mobile devices. More remote monitoring and management of these systems, be sure to partner solution can back up and restore these systems to business continuity.Management: your partner back-office needs to push beyond the traditional RMM software. Ensure that it is integrated with world renowned NOC (network operations center) and customer support 24/7.

4. What is your vision for the Marketing and sales support?

Suppose the back-office partner can meet your needs for software, service and support. Do not stop here. Request additional services – in areas such as marketing support, lead generation, sales and new business development.

Also, make sure your partner can fulfill their promises of marketing support.

They have hired the right talent to help MSPs with lead generation?What systems and processes have brought to these efforts?There is a long-term commitment to marketing and support sold MSP?

5. How do I avoid complacency – together?

If you have exhausted every available service from your technology partner, so maybe the partner does not innovate quickly enough. You need to fight complacency-market as more and demanding more from your technology partner. Take advantage of every last advantage that the technological partner able to give. Ask at least once per quarter, as 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 changes you and your customers need--then maybe it's time to shop around for a new technology partner.

Ask me more

If you have any further questions about five tips above, please do not hesitate to contact me. More than 3,300 MSPs exploit our innovation every day, and is holding us responsible for long-range innovations.

Steve Ricketts is VP marketing at Continuum. We provide a platform for SaaS-based managed services that use MSPs to efficiently backup, monitor, troubleshoot and maintain servers, desktops and other endpoint for SMB customers.

LabTech, Integrated Advanced Persistent Threat ThreatTrack Protection

ThreatTrack integrates its Vipre Premium IT Business security antivirus protection Software LabTech remote monitoring and management platform, to provide opportunities for more recurring monthly revenue MSPs trying to sell customers the advanced persistent threat protection.

Julian waits, CEO of security ThreatTrack

ThreatTrack Security, which spun by GFI Software this year, has integrated the Vipre antivirus Premium Business solution with LabTech Software remote monitoring and management platform. The agreement provides MSPs with another way to provide premium services to customers and increase their potential earnings, the company said.  Here are the details.

Most of the integration features of Vipre will put on the management console LabTech's main.  VIPRE Premium solution Business focuses on how organizations to identify and stop threats of advanced global threat landscape. ThreatTrack Security provides advanced persistent threat protection, targeted attacks and other sophisticated malware that can often evade traditional defenses using organizations. The solutions to analyze, detect and repair the latest threats, through his ThreatAnalyzer sandbox malware behavioral analysis, business VIPRE antivirus software and consumer and ThreatIQ real-time threat awareness service.

LabTech CEO Matthew Nachtrab had this to say in a prepared statement on integration: "we are always looking for the best options for our technology partners. Our integration with Vipre creates new opportunities for MSPs to grow their businesses and enhance the value and the service they provide to their customers. "

CEO Julian Waits for security, ThreatTrack prepared statement, noted that the integration will make the solution easier to use for MSPs. but it has also offered potential RMM.

"Fully Integrating Vipre LabTech platform MSPs can more easily deploy and manage the most powerful weapon in their arsenal. With Vipre antivirus as their run defense line, gain an accelerator LabTech MSPs profit significantly, adding a new recurring revenue stream to their portfolio of services and strengthen network security. "

The company announced in conjunction with the automation nation 2013 Conference this week in Orlando.

IBM SmartCloud, PureFlex: MSP double-crossed?

IBM SmartCloud PureFlex systems and will move into the spotlight of the MSP IBM Summit.

IBM GMs Andy Monshaw (left) and Deepak Advani (right) will probably offer PureFlex and SmartCloud updates during a Summit of MSP.

IBM SmartCloud PureFlex systems and will take center stage at the Summit of MSP IBM this week in Las Vegas. The big question: can IBM convince more MSPs to standardize its hardware infrastructure and converging cloud platforms (especially in the midst of acquiring SoftLayer)?

Among the leaders to address these and other problems this week at IBM's Summit:

Andy Monshaw, General Manager, SystemsDeepak Advani PureFlex, general manager, Cloud and intelligent infrastructure

IBM's effort to engage MSPs began in 2011. Original effort involved in data center hardware sales. But IBM has been expanding its focus to include MSP and managed services that can connect MSPs cloud.

Not coincidentally, IBM MSP definition has expanded to include a wide range of companies offering on-and off-premise that IT services. It is clear that IBM is trying to engage everyone from telecommunications systems integrators with its portfolio of hardware, software and managed cloud offerings.

Hardware Giants home servers (Dell, HP, IBM and Sun Oracle) I think IBM has a sharp focus on MSPs. But those are MSPs generating big business for IBM? It's a safe bet Monshaw and Advani will provide updates when they take the stage at the Summit of the 11 June IBM.

How MSPs can monetize effectively managing mobile devices

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

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.

Tiến adds security capabilities PowerBroker for Windows 6.0

Security solutions provider Ti?n was announced for Windows 6.0, adding new session and monitoring capacity of its intelligence and security access control providing Microsoft Windows infrastructure for the integrity of the file.

Product strategy and operations ti?n EVP Brad Hibbert said in his prepared speech that the updating of the product allows administrators to make decisions "more effective."

Security solutions provider Ti?n was announced for Windows 6.0, adding session-file-integrity monitoring and analytics deployments and drive greater policy context-aware security intelligence for Windows infrastructure environments of Microsoft (MSFT). This solution uses Retina CS Threat Management Console of society to help assess the overall risk of a system to help administrators decide what privileges must be assigned to a user or system. What's included in this version of PowerBroker? We will reveal the details.

The new version of PowerBroker relies on Ti?n's vision for addressing the security challenges reviews by providing security and compliance solutions.

With this in mind, the following features have been added to the latest version of PowerBroker:

Monitoring session-Ti?n customers can record user activity depending on the application. This ability is essential in the work of troubleshooting and forensics;

File integrity monitoring-this feature adds an additional level of security, allowing or denying access to modify the files in the directory. Access can be targeted to applications or users.

Deploying policies of retina CS-CS Retina can now be used to store and distribute the PowerBroker policy for Windows 6.0. Group policies are no longer necessary (but can still be used), which provides a single pane of glass to create reports and politics through the Retina CS; and

Redesigned user interface "Metro" with a new Windows 8 "Metro" UI theme, guests enjoy a modern look, with more intuitive dashboards and easy to navigate. Product strategy and operations ti?n EVP Brad Hibbert said in his prepared speech that the updating of the product allows administrators to make decisions "more effective."

"Security Teams more often critical business decisions based on threats after the fact, regardless of context, addressing these threats," he said.

For Windows 6.0 is available as a free update for existing customers.

This week's announcement from Microsoft TechEd conference follows on the latest version of the company. Ti?n released its remained for Windows 5.5 back in January 2013.

The Power of Social Media for Sales People

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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 quota 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 A 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 quota 23 percent more often than non-social media users. Non-social media users also missed quota 15 percent more often than sales persons who were utilizing social media.

People are utilizing social media for networking, prospecting, research, referral building, and closing. What are you utilizing social media for in your sales team? Forbes Magazine gives you 5 steps for making a sale through social media:

Step 1: Join a community and create a persona- 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.

Tango and integra Telecom management and MDM, adds deeper features

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Communications lifecycle management (CLM) software and services provider Tango and, Inc. (TNGO) recently announced new integrated versions of its mobile device management (MDM Tango and) and real-time telecome expense management (Tango and currently managing) solutions, enabling customers to leverage new features, including a single mobile client application called Tango and Mobile for combined and currently managing MDM functionality.

Tango and founder, President, and CEO At Subbloie said many of the company's customers are focused on mobility growth in 2013.

Communications lifecycle management (CLM) software and services provider Tango and, Inc. (TNGO) has announced new integrated versions of its mobile device management (MDM Tango and) and real-time telecom expense management (Tango and currently managing) solutions, enabling customers to leverage new features, including a single mobile client application called Tango and Mobile for combined and currently managing MDM functionality. Which other features are available through this integration? We'll provide the scoop.

Tango and Mobile offers both of the company's solutions in a single, on-device application, allowing end users to track carrier plan usage and receive usage notifications from IT. In addition, the solution also enables geo-fence policies on each device. These policies are tied to location-based usage rules, which allow automatic policy enforcement based on real-time location tracking device. Such rules could save users and companies big time when it comes to those astronomical data roaming charges for international travelers.

Tango and founder, President, and CEO At Subbloie said in his prepared remarks that many of the company's customers are focused on mobility growth in 2013.

"The combined functionality of our market-leading MDM and currently managing solutions address these issues and provides our enterprise customers with increased control over mobile devices entering the enterprise as well as real-time visibility into employee usage," he said.

Additionally, tango and has enhanced the latest versions of tango and MDM and currently managing with the following capabilities:

Carrier plan optimizer for currently managing --Based on historical usage for voice, SMS, and data, currently managing Tango and recommends to the administrator the best carrier plan for each user. This is especially beneficial for enterprises in locations where there are no pooled plans, such as Europe, as well as for organizations in the United States that are not participating in pooled plans;Application-specific data tracking for currently managing --Provides visibility into the specific data usage of each application on a device. This data enables more informed decisions regarding application usage and devices ' corresponding costs of operation;Integration with Samsung SAFE for Tango and MDM --Provides enterprise-grade device management and security on Samsung devices;Enhanced Windows Phone 8 support for Tango and MDM --Tango and MDM supports a better Windows Phone 8 user experience with Windows Phone 8 optimized user interface, support for new display resolutions, and a streamlined device activation process; andSupport for BlackBerry 10 for Tango and MDM --Tango and MDM now supports BlackBerry 10 devices, device services, and PlayBook, including integrated and secure BDS synch for policy enforcement.

The unified interface will be available for download via the app store for Apple (AAPL) iOS and Google (GOOG) Play for Android in early July 2013.

Tango and also recently inked a deal with SAP AG (ADR) to integrate Mobile's Tango and TEM (telecom expense management) software suite with the SAP Mobile Secure portfolio.

SolarWinds, N-able Face Dog Fight vs RMM 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, Level Platforms LabTech Software and 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 consensus 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 in the midst of the SolarWinds deal.

Rival Views

Some N-able rivals like Kaseya and Level Platforms declined to comment about the SolarWinds/N-able business combination. LabTech Software But 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--to claim that SolarWinds and N-able have dismissed.

Traditional Warfare vs. Guerilla Warfare

So what do think about the potential MSPs 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. N-able But familiar faces at the Autotask conference helped to address those fears, according to MSPs who spoke to me on the 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 is seasoned itself at the guerilla warfare tactics used in the MSP community-centric 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 MSP will remain 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.

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 budget on IT personnel. 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 2H 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.

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. "

Next Move Backup MSP: Microsoft Exchange Server

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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.

Next generation MSPs: what it will look like?

MSP IBM Summit will feature Actifio, symmetry, TW Ventures and Rackforce on a managed services provider. Where you can benefit from MSPs generation cloud services? Here's a preview.

Former MSP Tommy Wald is now an angel investor and Advisor to technology.

Next-generation MSPs (managed service provider) as you? The MSP Summit of IBM, this week in Las Vegas, is set to explore this question. I'll be on hand to moderate a panel with four vastly different MSPs. And each of those MSPs will share some clues about where the industry is going next.

They include:

Take a closer look at that list and you will come to some clear conclusions:

MSP definitions are constantly changing and expanding. The classic MSP focused on SMB remote monitoring is now a commodity story.Cloud services are no longer an opportunity "futura". They are now a reality. Sophisticated MSPs with deep application expertise can do more than "resell" Enterprise cloud applications. Symmetry is revealed.IBM wants to collaborate with MSPs in multiple ways-convergent offer hardware for MSP data centers allowing MSPs connect IBM SmartCloud services. If you're launching an MSP in 2013 or 2014, the business plan will have a noticeably different look vs. a plan MSP of 2005 or even 2010.

These are some of my opinions pre-event. The MSP is Summit Panel Tuesday, June 11. I will be sure to offer a thorough recap of panel discussion once the wraps.

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.

Microsoft, Continuum Offer Cloud, Managed Services Updates

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Microsoft and Continuum are updating their respective cloud and managed services strategies at Autotask Community Live. Office 365 is now free to attendees for one year. Here's a live blog recap from MSPmentor.

Continuum VP Steve Ricketts describes how MSPs can centralize tasks, streamline operations and expand into new markets.

Microsoft (MSFT) and Continuum are updating their respective cloud and managed services strategies at Autotask Community Live. The Microsoft session came off as a bit of an apology to partners;  the company stated it needs to be easier to work with in the cloud market. The olive branch: Microsoft is giving Autotask conference attendees a one-year Office 365 cloud subscription for free. Separately, Continuum is describing how MSPs can drive toward 50 percent operating profits. Read through this live blog for minute-by-minute updates.

Recap: Microsoft

Bryan Von Axelson (SMB Cloud Strategist), Bob Neal (SMB Cloud Sales) and Corey Nagel (SMB Cloud Marketing) are part of a newly created team -- the Cloud Channel team -- at Microsoft.Microsoft is conceding challenges in the market -- not being able to work with and find the right Microsoft sources.Only about 20 percent of MSPs in the room indicated that they have received Office 365 incentive rebates -- a figure that disappointed Microsoft. Von Axelson gave out his email address (BVA [at] Microsoft.com) to make sure attendees had an easy way to work more closely with the company."We're dedicated to driving our strategy through the channel," Microsoft executives insisted. The company is reiterating that it is "at the beginning of the journey" with Office 365 Open. Read between the lines and it sounds like Microsoft may expand the Open program, which is extremely limited but allows MSPs to manage end-customer cloud billing.Yes, Windows 8.1 was mentioned in passing.Overall, the Microsoft presentation sounded like a "we're sorry, we're listening, we're improving our partner program" pitch.My spin: It's good for Microsoft to be humble. But the hints suggesting Office 365 Open itself may evolve shows the basic challenge: Even when Microsoft becomes more channel friendly, it isn't channel friendly enough -- at least not initially. Office 365 is two years old. There is progress. But Open should be fully open -- available as part of all Office 365 SKUs.Microsoft closed by offering all Autotask attendees a free one-year subscription to Office 365.

Recap: Steve Ricketts, VP of Marketing, Continuum

Roughly 500 MSPs run Continuum (RMM and NOC) and Autotask in tandem.Ricketts is telling MSPs how to scale without adding costs to their businesses.The company now has 670 employees, and Continuum partners manage about 500,000 end-customer devices. "We've got a number of partners that are growing at 30, 60 and 90 percent."One partner grew at 90 percent without adding staff -- leveraging an outsourced NOC and help desk to scale without adding headcount. The partner grew from 150 managed devices per tech and is now approaching 300 devices managed per tech.MSP Financials Before and After: A lot of MSPs starting out have a 65% COGS (costs of goods sold); 10% SGA and 25% operating profits. He says the desired state is 40% COGS, 10% SG&A and 50% operating profit.Big cost challenges for MSPs: Senior techs doing routine maintenance; techs who do research to resolve issues; low tech utilization; high cost of training; turnover; rising benefit costs, and more.Fixing the cost challenges: The best MSPs are centralizing, streamlining operations and expanding their businesses within the existing customer base.Where Continuum fits in the conversation: For centralizing, Ricketts mentioned the Continuum centralized management console for centralizing; negotiated pricing deals with LogMeIn and others for incremental sales. To streamline operations, Ricketts called on MSPs to outsource their NOC to Continuum for maintenance and troubleshooting. Plus, he said, leverage on-demand Continuum staff for projects like Exchange migrations and more. And he mentioned marketing services for MSPs. And to expand into new markets, he pointed to Continuum's opportunities to offer backup, mobile device management, and more. 

Check back for updates every five minutes or so. That's all for now.