Managed Services: 7 blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write March 21

I’ve been heads-down on a few Penton Technology Group projects in recent weeks. When I ran into former Intronis CEO Sam Gutmann this past Wednesday, he asked if I would please get back to writing the “seven blogs you didn’t write” each Friday. Well Sam, here’s the response to your request: Seven managed services provider (MSP) blogs and news stories that MSPmentor didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending March 21, 2014.

7. Heading to MSPWorld Orlando?: Actually, I’m not. I’ll be tied up at Cisco Partner Summit and HP Global Partner Conference in Las Vegas. Plus, I’m moderating cloud service provider (CSP) sessions at Penton’s International Wireless Communications Expo in Las Vegas.

6. Next Cisco, HP CEOs: Speaking of the Cisco and HP summits, here’s something worth watching… Cisco CEO John Chambers is expected to retire in the next couple of years. And HP CEO Meg Whitman has previously told me that her eventual successor should come from inside HP. Bottom line: The future CEOs of HP and Cisco will likely be on hand at both partner conferences…

5. Symantec’s Problems Started Long Ago: In a surprise move, Symantec fired its latest CEO after less than two years on the job. Storage and security were the first two services to shift to cloud computing; Symantec was late on both. Mobile has disrupted the PC market; Symantec was late there. But I don’t blame ousted CEO Steve Bennett. Symantec was off course back in 2009, when then-CEO Enrique Salem offered a conservative view of long-term cloud revenues.

4. Speaking of Sam Gutmann: Why do I keep running into the former Intronis CEO? It’s a bit too soon for me to say. But let’s just say the angel investor market is listening closely to Sam’s guidance. As am I.

3. Keep an Eye on Samsung: Sure, you know about Galaxy tablets and smart phones. But Samsung is making much bigger moves into the vertical market software market. Early details surfaced on The VAR Guy. Watch for Samsung to take a closer look at recurring revenue opportunities for MSPs.

2. Next on my travel list: I’m also heading to CompTIA Annual Member Meeting (April 1-3, San Diego). If you’re attending and want to potentially meet feel free to drop me a line.

1. Familiar Name, New Company?: What is former Kaseya CEO Gerald Blackie up to these days? A few folks say he’s working on a new company. I’ve got a company name… but have yet to confirm it.

That’s all from here. Thanks for your readership.