The Doyle Report: What Partners Are Saying on The Last Good Day of The Year

The market is closed, the work is done and it’s time to put 2015 to bed—almost. There’s still some celebrating and merry making to be done, and some observations to be made.

So Happy New Year everyone and thanks for reading MSPmentor. We’re thrilled to have you here.

Before we sign off for the night, we thought it might be interesting to see how some MSPmentor 501 companies said goodbye to 2015. Some reminded customers to be extra careful and watch out for security threats. Others summarized their good fortunes. Still more offered advice for working more productively in 2016.

In no particular order, here’s a sampling from the MSP501 blogspehere on the last good day of the year.

OneNeck IT Solutions, No. 6 on the MSP501 2015 list, reminded readers that “breaches in IT security cause havoc for U.S. companies:

“Data breaches are especially dangerous because they can remain undetected for a significant amount of time. In addition, most companies don’t realize the breach has occurred until the damage is already done. While the technology to prevent unauthorized access continues to improve, the criminals continue to improve their methods as well. The lesson here: data security should be a top concern in any organization. A data breach affects not only your company’s bottom line, but your customers’ security as well. You simply can’t afford to take chances when it comes to your company’s data security.”

Abacus Group LLC (MSP501 No. 27) wrapped the year with good news about office expansion and sales growth:

“Abacus Group LLC, a leading provider of hosted IT solutions for hedge funds and private equity funds, today announced that it has increased its U.S. presence and capabilities by opening a new office in Boston, which will provide support for its growing client base and the industry’s ever increasing demand for the AbacusFlexTM private cloud solution… Abacus has shown significant growth in 2015, with over 50% year over year annual growth and 63 client wins in 2015, opening new offices across the U.S. to meet customer demand including Los Angeles, Dallas, and most recently Charlotte, North Carolina. The company is also set to extend their current office facilities in Greenwich, Connecticut as part of the current expansion.

Xantrion also capped the year with a message about cyber threats, suggesting that customers would be better off Tackling the IT Security Skills Shortage with Outsourcing:

“The threats to cyber security seem to mount daily, but even though companies are allocating more money to fight them, they’re having trouble finding the experienced staffers they need. If your organization is stuck in this double bind, security experts recommend three steps to start untangling it:

Outsource some of the burden via managed security services, security as a service, and integrated appliances. 

Share the load with other companies by getting involved with peer networks and third-party data platforms that let organizations pool their real-time threat data, research, and intelligence.

Get involved in growing the next generation of IT security by helping academic institutions develop a strong cyber security curriculum that combines business and technical components.”

Trivalent Group (MSP501 No. 66), meanwhile, shared good news this December: The company, one of Michigan’s largest MSPs, attained a Microsoft Gold MidMarket Solution Provider competency and a Silver Hosting competency:

“[We’re] demonstrating a ‘best-in-class’ ability and commitment to meet its Microsoft customers’ evolving needs in today’s dynamic business environment and distinguishing itself within the top 1 percent of Microsoft’s partner ecosystem. A portfolio of competencies showcases that Trivalent Group is committed to focusing on in-demand, business solution areas, along with ensuring it can meet the evolving needs of customers because of market changes.”

GreenPages-LogicsOne (MSP501 No. 82), closed out 2015 with Part Two of it’s three-part video series on the Pitfalls of Microsoft O365 Migrations. In this chapter, David Barter, GreenPage’s Practice Director of Microsoft Technologies, examines “3rd party utilities, DNS, and other management tools.”

Huber & Associates (MSP501 No. 172), shared “5 Apps To Optimize Your Productivity In 2016”:

Finally, there’s Sagiss (MSP501 No. 226). It’s end of year message: “5 Ways a Virtual CIO Boosts Business.” It comes complete with a way cool visual:

Now on to 2016!