Sales & Marketing

How to Make Better, Faster Business Decisions

• March 19, 2008

Many small business professionals toss and turn in the middle of the night, losing valuable hours of much needed sleep worrying about making a key decision. So, what can the average small business IT pro do to make better decisions at a faster pace? Here are some recommendations. Decide to make a decision: This is […]

Help Wanted: Managed Services Industry Seeks Talent

• March 18, 2008

As consumers and Wall Street continue to worry about the broader U.S. economy, many managed services platform providers remain upbeat about their business prospects heading into the second quarter of 2008. The latest example: Autotask CEO Bob Godgart says his company is seeking to fill at least 17 positions, and new customer acquisitions in Q1 […]

Six Lessons From Bear Stearns Debacle

• March 17, 2008

The VAR Guy is sickened by Bear Stearns’ fall from grace. But even worse, look at this video of Jim Cramer from March 11.Pathetic. Now, let’s look at six key lessons from the Bear Stearns Debacle. Here we go. 1. Don’t (Always) Trust the Experts: Cramer sounds a lot like those Wall Street analysts during […]

Managed Printer Services Guide: Available Now for Download

• March 17, 2008

The VAR Guy, a blogger from our sister Web site, has written a four-page guide to managed printer services. It shows VARs how they can potentially generate recurring revenue through multi-function printers (MFPs), assessment tools, workflow services and entry-level document management. In case you’re not familiar with The VAR Guy, his writing style is anything […]

Autotask Prepping Partnering System

• March 17, 2008

Imagine if you’re a managed service provider in New York, and you want to find an MSP to help you with a project in California. With that challenge in mind, Autotask is prepping a ticket-sharing system that will help MSPs partner with one another. At first glance, the system sounds somewhat similar to the OnForce […]

What Is A Master Managed Service Provider?

• March 17, 2008

For those who are new to managed services, the term “master managed service provider” may sound like some industry jargon or a new certification. But in reality, working with so-called Master MSPs — companies like Do IT Smarter or Ingram Micro’s Seismic organization — is one of the fastest ways to become a managed service […]

Update: Cisco’s Managed Services Strategy

• March 14, 2008

Keeping pace with Cisco Systems’ business strategies can be a full-time job. I’m seeking some clarity, and plan to get an update on March 25, during a Web seminar featuring Sameer Jayakar, senior manager, SMB Network Management for Cisco Systems. During the Web seminar, hosted by MSP University, Jayakar will take attendees on a tour […]

Your Managed Services Questions Answered

• March 13, 2008

Nimsoft’s CEO Masters the Art of Hype

• March 13, 2008

Gary Read, CEO of Nimsoft, has our attention. His personal blog, dated March 12, mentions that the managed service platform provider…

N-able: No Economic Bumps So Far

• March 13, 2008

Gavin Garbutt, CEO of N-able Technologies, is a glass-half-full type of guy. Despite the tricky U.S. economy, Garbutt sees continued momentum for the managed services industry, and offers some anecdotal proof points that business is humming along — globally.

Circle The Dates: West Coast Managed Services Events

• March 12, 2008

If you’re located on the west coast of the United States, a series of managed services events hosted by N-able are heading your way March 18-21. We’ve plotted these events — and many others — on the MSPmentor event map (see below). You can also spot upcoming events by visiting MSPmentor’s Event page. View Larger […]

How to Promote Your Managed Services Milestones

• March 12, 2008

Alas, many managed service providers are tech-centric companies that don’t understand marketing and PR. But instead of rehashing this age-old weakness, let’s focus on the positive: There are some easy ways for managed service providers to generate positive press and media coverage about their companies. Here’s the simplest tip of all.

Seven Unified Communications Trends At VoiceCon

• March 11, 2008

VoiceCon kicks off March 17 in Orlando. But tech vendors are getting a jump on the event with unified communications announcements this week. Here are seven unified communication trends that will emerge at the show, The VAR Guy predicts. 7. Green Themes: Cisco has lined up Al Gore — yes, that Al Gore — to […]

Sizing Up the U.S. Managed Services Market

• March 11, 2008

Demand for managed services in the United States will grow 7 percent annually through 2012, according to a new report from Research and Markets. Frankly, the report sounds very conservative, considering top managed service providers are generating double- and even trip-digit revenue growth rates, according to our own MSPmentor 100 report.

Circle the Date: SMB Nation Event, Featuring Managed Services Panel

• March 11, 2008

SMB Nation is gearing up for its east coast conference, scheduled for March 29-30 at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. The event will feature a managed services panel discussion led by Matt Makowicz, author of “Selling Managed Services.”