Cloud

Open Source SaaS Finally Connecting With Managed Services

• September 4, 2008

I’ve been hyping the convergence of open source, software as a service (SaaS) and managed service providers (MSPs) in recent months. But I have to admit, it has been difficult to find MSPs that actually run a large mix of open source SaaS systems. That all changed tonight at the MSP Revolution conference, when I […]

5 Factors Making Ubuntu Server Business Ready

• August 25, 2008

Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, is getting serious about the server. The company is working hard to partner with 3rd party server application providers, and to develop the required core OS services for Ubuntu to make it a highly successful business server platform. There are many factors that make Ubuntu a strong server platform, but the top 5 are:

Software Wants to Be Free, Software Never Dies, And Other MSP Rules to Live By

• August 22, 2008

Five Ways Novell Should Spend Microsoft’s Money

• August 21, 2008

Microsoft is sending another $100 million toward Novell as part of an ongoing Windows-SUSE Linux relationship. Here are five things Novell should do with that dough.

Meet the Most Successful SaaS Companies Wall Street Doesn’t Know

• August 20, 2008

In the past week, I’ve run into four of the most successful software as a service (SaaS) companies that Wall Street investors don’t know — at least not yet. Here’s a quick look at the companies, and their critical importance to the SaaS industry.

The SaaS experts: Autotask. Ingram Micro. Level Platforms. N-able. Confused? Let me explain.

Concursive Launches CRM and Software as a Service Price War

• August 18, 2008

Move over, Salesforce.com and SugarCRM. Concursive Corp., a small open source software company, is offering free software as a service (SaaS) for up to 100 CRM (customer relationship management) users for up to one year.

Is Concursive commoditizing the SaaS market? Or is the company simply trying to disrupt established players like Salesforce.com, RightNow Technologies and Oracle’s Siebel division?

Here are some thoughts.

SaaS Stocks Brace for Salesforce.com (CRM) Earnings

• August 18, 2008

The SaaS 20 Stock Index has climbed for five consecutive weeks, but all eyes are now on Salesforce.com (CRM) — one of our key software as a service index members. Salesforce.com is expected to announce quarterly results on Wednesday, Aug. 20. But Wall Street analysts have divided outlooks on the company.

Red Hat and Managed Services: Keep Your Options Open?

• August 15, 2008

I’m in Cary, N.C., today meeting with a few companies — including Red Hat, which is widely considered the most successful publicly held open source company. Here’s what I hope to learn.

Desktop Virtualization Meets Managed Services

• August 13, 2008

I asked several managed service providers yesterday whether their customers were interested in Macs and Linux as secure, easy-to-manage alternatives to Windows PCs. The answer was a resounding “no.” Instead, the MSPs said, many of their customers are willing to virtualize their desktops, shifting most applications up to a server. The discussion points, which surprised […]

Managed Services: Are PC Companies Clueless?

• August 12, 2008

Based on a series of phone calls and emails in recent weeks, I’ve reached the following conclusion: Most PC companies don’t understand the managed services market, nor do they understand emerging demand for hardware as a service (HaaS). Here’s why.

Red Hat: Disrupting Symantec Veritas?

• August 12, 2008

Symantec already faces a formidable foe in Microsoft Corp. But now, the security and storage company must also defend itself from Red Hat Inc. and the open source market. In fact, Red Hat has launched an aggressive attack against Symantec’s Veritas business. Here’s the scoop.

According to the latest Red Hat claims:

With Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Platform, you don’t need expensive add-on software from Veritas to enjoy the benefits of cloud computing and high availability clustering. Red Hat’s Cluster Suite can save you $2000 / server.

Canonical: Linux Mainframes May Power Software as a Service

• August 11, 2008

If you’re a managed service provider or software as a service (SaaS) specialist, here’s an interesting theory: Instead of purchasing dozens — or hundreds — of x86 servers, you’re sometimes better off virtualizing your applications on a mainframe.

Ingram Micro Seismic Partner Conference: 3 Managed Services Trends

• August 11, 2008

Roughly 175 solutions providers are gathering in Chicago this week for the Ingram Micro Seismic Partner Conference, which runs August 11 through 13.

RightNow’s Earnings: Good News for SaaS?

• July 30, 2008

Hardware as a Service Meets Linux

• July 30, 2008

Should managed service providers start adding Linux-type devices to their hardware as a service (HaaS) strategy? Before you answer, consider a conversation I had with Canonical (developer of Ubuntu Linux) at last week’s OSCON (Open Source Convention). Here’s the scoop.