Managed Services: 7 Blogs MSPmentor Didn't Write, Dec. 14

seven managed services blogs

7. VDI Management: The new SolarWinds Virtualization Manager now offers per-socket pricing to help MSPs and IT professionals manage VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) environments. Separately, I heard a lot of desktop virtualization chatter at the recent Amazon AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas. Seems like quite a few customers are virtualizing their desktops up in Amazon’s cloud.

6. Really?: Intermerdia says mobile devices running Apple iOS dominate the SMB market. But I suspect Google Android will close the gap in 2013. According to Intermedia, Apple has 68.2 percent of smartphone activations in SMB, followed by Android (25.1 percent). For tablets, Apple’s iPad is 92.6 percent, followed by BlackBerry Playbook (5.3 percent) and Windows Surface (2.1 percent). Google Android wasn’t listed in the tablet area. Are SMBs really ignoring Android tablets?

5. Talent and Mobile Update: Tigerpaw Software is seeking a VP of sales and marketing. It sounds like the company is closing in on some high-quality candidates. Separately, Tigerpaw has unveiled a video that highlights the company’s mobile strategy.

4. First Trips of 2013: I’m confirmed to attend a Tech Data TDCloud conference in early January. More trips will be on my calendar soon. You can track our team’s adventures by watching The VAR Guy’s Top 100 Channel Partner Events list for 2013.

3. Career Moves: We’ve been dropping hints that some well-known names in the MSP industry are preparing to make career moves. Four such moves — involving executive updates at Anittel, Datto, Intronis and LogMeIn — are now publicly disclosed. But more are coming. I suspect official announcements will wait until January 2013. But stay tuned and we’ll see if certain folks will confirm their transitions to MSPmentor in the days ahead.

2. Cloud Monitoring vs. RMM  Software Tools: Our blog debating whether cloud monitoring would leapfrog traditional RMM (remote monitoring and management) software triggered a flood of email into my inbox. For the back story, check out this MSPmentor blog entry. And stay tuned, we’ll be back to share more perspectives on this from our readers and vendors.

1. Deadline Approaches: Is your company a top managed services provider (MSP)? Prove it. Participate in our sixth-annual MSPmentor 100 survey. Deadline for participation is Dec. 28, 2012. Results will surface in Feb. 2013.