Time for MSPs to Manage VoIP Networks

VoIP Managed Services

First the hard news: N-able Technologies today unveiled an alliance with Mitel. Under terms of the relationship, N-able’s N-central software will integrate with Mitel Communications Director (MCD). MSPs, in theory, will gain the ability to more closely monitor customers’ VoIP system performance. Also of note: Mitel’s software supports VMware, which means MSPs can consolidate their monitoring efforts onto fewer servers.

No doubt, VoIP has been earning MSP attention in recent weeks. During the N-able Partner Summit in October 2010, numerous MSPs described how they were deploying IP-based desktop handsets tied to hosted PBX solutions. Similarly, Tigerpaw Software User Conference attendees described converged opportunities involving IP and phones.  At SMB Nation Fall, quite a few attendees described how they were leveraging Asterisk, the open source IP PBX promoted by Digium. And at ConnectWise IT Nation, CEO Arnie Bellini pointed to VoIP as one of 19 opportunities awaiting MSPs amid the cloud computing storm.

Plenty of IT giants are taking notice. A case in point: Several sources say Cisco Systems is beta testing a remote monitoring and management platform designed. Apparently, the platform will help MSPs to remotely monitor, manage and troubleshoot unified communications systems running within small and midsize business (SMB) settings.

Of course, plenty of RMM (remote monitoring and management) software companies are partnering up with Cisco and other networking companies. We’ll keep watching the market for additional relationships to surface.

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