Level Platforms has launched Managed Workplace Cloud Edition, a hosted remote monitoring and management platform for MSPs. Take a closer look and you’ll notice some evolving partnership strategies in the managed services ecosystem. Indeed, NaviSite is hosting Managed Workplace Cloud Edition for Level Platforms. Plus, a longstanding relationship between Level Platforms and Ingram Micro Services and Ingram Micro Seismic is evolving…

First, the straight news: Level Platforms has long-offered SaaS and on-premise versions of its managed services software. Generally speaking, the latest Managed Workplace 2011 on-premise release has been well-received by MSPs — hundreds of which have attended a Level Platforms roadshow in recent weeks. Now, Level Platforms is looking to build on that momentum with its Managed Workplace Cloud Edition release, hosted by NaviSite.

“NaviSite is excited to expand our relationship with Level Platforms,” said Denis Martin, Executive Vice President and CTO at NaviSite, in a prepared statement.  “We have been providing their hosted version to partners and use Managed Workplace internally to manage our extensive internal IT environment.  This new Managed Workplace Cloud Edition solution offers an innovative set of new cloud management features.”

Now for a few potential twists.

Twist one: Ingram Micro Services is now reselling Managed Workplace Cloud Edition, rather than hosting it directly, Ingram Micro and Level Platforms confirm. According to a spokeswoman for Ingram Micro:

Twist two: Time Warner Cable is set to acquire NaviSite for an SMB cloud computing push. Some of the Time Warner effort will involve direct sales into SMBs. But I also believe NaviSite remains committed to channel partners. And the NaviSite-Level Platforms relationship sounds promising, considering NaviSite’s deep expertise managing applications for partners and end-customers.

Twist three: What ever happened to the potential managed services relationship between Level Platforms and Synnex — an Ingram Micro rival? We’re still poking around for updates. But it sounds like Synnex has hosted training sessions for MSPs in recent weeks. And I believe the training sessions involved education about Level Platforms’ software.

Meanwhile, Level Platforms also sees an opportunity for Managed Workplace Cloud Edition to catch on with Master MSPs. As frequent MSPmentor readers know, Master MSPs host software and provide training to aspiring MSPs and VARs.

Notes Level Platforms CEO Peter Sandiford: “We also provide our Hosted Cloud Edition for those that want to operate as Master MSPs using the platform to create distinct offerings with services, features and pricing appropriate for their target markets.” Sandiford says the hosted cloud edition is highly customizable for those Master MSPs.

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