Seven Managed Services Blogs MSPmentor Didn't Write, Aug. 10

seven managed services blogs

7. Expanding Global Footprint: Autotask is considering a distribution relationship with Soft Solutions in New Zealand, according to a local trade publication. During two separate discussions with MSPmentor earlier this year, Autotask CEO Mark Cattini has indicated that the company’s global expansion strategy is ahead of plan — gaining clear momentum in the U.K. and in Germany, among other areas. Kaseya, meanwhile, has been expanding its sales team in Australia and New Zealand. Of the major MSP software providers, I think Kaseya was the first company to establish a major footprint in Australia, but most RMM software providers have since embraced that market as well.

6. Windows 8 on Tablets: I don’t think MSPs are going to see much Windows Phone 8 activity this fall. But I do think Windows 8 tablets will require MSP attention. The reason: Smart phones are locked into service provider contracts, so customers are “locked in” to their platforms — Apple iOS, Android — and don’t necessarily want to leave their comfort zone. Tablets are a different beast. And it’s clear Windows 8 tablets will be tightly integrated with Exchange, SharePoint, Lync and Office 365. The first evidence: Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 with Windows 8. MSPs can’t ignore that end-to-end opportunity…

5. Data Leakage Prevention: GFI Software has launched GFI MailArchiver 2012. It guards against data leakage, ensuring credit car numbers, social security numbers and other sensitive data doesn’t exit a business network. It also helps businesses to track employees who are using email for job searches…

4. Managed Ultrabooks: The first wave of Ultrabooks — those super-thin, highly-efficient notebooks — were designed for consumers. But Lenovo this week unveiled some business-oriented Ultrabooks with Intel vPro and other core capabilities that MSPs demand. As your customers refresh their mobile fleets, steer them away from the consumer devices, which are more difficult for MSPs to manage from afar.

3. New Symantec CEO Appearance?: Symantec Partner Engage, a channel event, is set for September. Will new CEO Steve Bennett surface at the event? Stay tuned… Symantec’s board ousted former CEO Enrique Salem in July, betting that Bennett could accelerate the company’s growth and sharpen its market focus.

2. Cloud Monitoring: Let’s assume your customer’s applications are running on a PaaS (platform as a service) cloud — something like EngineYard. Could you proactively monitor that cloud application, helping to optimize it for customers? That’s not an issue for most MSPs. But I bet it will be by late 2013 or early 2014. So start charting your strategy now. And stay tuned for more chatter about PaaS application monitoring pretty soon…

1. MSP Merger and Acquisition Advisor: Two words: Bank Street. Stay tuned.

Side note: It has been nearly a year since Penton Media acquired Nine Lives Media, parent of MSPmentor. It’s been an awesome ride so far. More thoughts on that a bit later. But in the meantime thanks for taking the ride with us.