MSP University Managed Services Blog

Selling the Cloud as a Managed Service

Join us for MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar
 
Please join us Thursday, November 19th @ 9am PST as I host MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar.

Topic: Selling the Cloud as a Managed Service
 
Solution providers have always been pioneers in taking advantage of the latest technologies and translating their expertise into profits. Small and medium business' demand for computing services has not changed in over a decade: they need reliable, cost effective and full-featured products that help them execute their business strategy. What has changed is the solution portfolio that is now available to everyone on demand.

Gone are the days of expensive internal network design, centralized security and working with dozens of vendors to provide necessary technology for business. Small and medium business customers are spending their money on mobility through their laptops and smartphones, providing the ability to do business anywhere, anytime. The term "cloud computing" has come to encompass computing capability without intense local configuration and software deployments. 

Cloud services present MSPs with an opportunity to extend their business model of delivering predictable service levels at a predictable cost by providing services and solutions without large capital investments for themselves or their clients. Technologies such as Hosted Exchange, SharePoint, Offsite Backups, Web Filtering and more provide enterprise level reliability and features far beyond company firewalls.

Our special guest for this timely Webcast is Vlad Mazek, CEO of Own Web Now Corp www.ownwebnow.com, a global provider of hosted solutions to the IT industry, who will share his special insights into the growing cloud computing movement and how you can take advantage of it.
 
Attend this valuable Webinar and learn to sell the cloud as a Managed Service!

Click here to register! 

 

About MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series
 
MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series is meant to inform.  The more you know about your industry, the products and services available to you and your clients, and how to market and sell those products and services, the greater your opportunities to increase your value to your clients, as well as your business success. 

About Erick Simpson

Vice President and CIO of MSP University, Erick is a recognized industry expert and IT and Managed Services author, speaker and trainer, and contributor to numerous industry publications and events. Author of "The Guide to a Successful Managed Services Practice - What Every SMB IT Service Provider Should Know..." the definitive book on Managed Services, and the follow-ups in MSP University's Managed Services Series "The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!", "The Best I.T. Service Delivery BOOK EVER!" and "The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER!". Erick has also co-authored the HTG Peer Groups publication "Peer Power - Powerful Ideas for Partners from Peers".
 
About Vlad Mazek
 
Vlad Mazek, MCSE, is an author, technology radio show host, Exchange MVP and CEO of Own Web Now Corp, creator of ExchangeDefender and Shockey Monkey, and which hosts thousands of SBS and Exchange Servers. Mr. Mazek is very active in the IT professional community and has over ten years of experience managing and developing secure communication networks and platforms. Through a network of thousands of partners, numerous international data centers, A popular blog site and a radio show, Mr. Mazek has a unique insight to the needs of both businesses and IT solution providers.

Join Me For HTG and ConnectWise Events This Week

This week marks the HTG All Q4 Peer Group Meeting, where all of the Heartland Technology Peer Groups will be descending in Orlando, FL to conduct group meetings, receive training and hear some major announcements  during the HTGALL lunch on Wednesday, per Arlin Sorensen, Founder and CEO of the HTG Peer Groups and Heartland Technology Solutions. I'll be speaking in the Senate Room on Wednesday, November 3rd at 1:45pm, and my session is titled 8 Areas Critical to Maximizing IT and Managed Services Practice Success. If you will be in attendance, stop by to say hello. Attendees are encouraged to Blog, Facebook and Tweet with #HTG during the event, to keep those interested that could not attend apprised vicariously of their thoughts, experiences and feedback. Click here for the Agenda.

Immediately following the HTG event, ConnectWise kicks off Partner Summit 09 and will be streaming Arnie Bellini's Keynote and all Main Stage Speaker Presentations live. Click here to watch. My session at the ConnectWise Partner Summit 09 will be delivered along with Mary McElwee from ConnectWise and Chris Chase from DTI on Thursday, November 5th at 1:45pm and is titled 4 Tips To Jumpstart Social Media For Your IT Business. We will be sharing ways that we use Social Media to improve our marketing results, brand and drive interest in our respective organizations, products and services. Click here for the Agenda. Tweet the Summit with #cwps. Stop by and say hello!

 

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

MSP University's Final Boot Camp Of 2009 Begins Today!

We are about to kick off our 4th I.T. Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing and Service Delivery Boot Camp of 2009!

This year alone we will have trained over 500 Solution Providers in our challenging Boot Camps all across the United States. At today's Boot Camp at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Irving, TX we will host over 140 Solution Providers - our biggest live training event yet!

Helping us make this Boot Camp possible are our strategic sponsors, thank you for your generous support:

Platinum Sponsor

CompTia

Gold Sponsors

Asigra

Autotask

CharTec

eFolder

Panda Security

Silver Sponsors

MANAGEtoWIN

Own Web Now

Service Leadership

Bronze Sponsor

Synergy Global Solutions

Download our October Boot Camp Agenda here

Did you miss our 2009 Boot Camp series? See us in 2010 - we're conducting 9 International Boot Camps!

Click here for our 2010 Boot Camp dates and locations!

 

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

Virtualization: Defined

Virtualization…

Utility Computing…

Cloud Computing…

These are the buzzwords of the new age. It seems almost incredible that only a few short decades ago the world witnessed the birth of the personal computer, and now industry experts and pundits alike argue over its imminent demise in terms of how we have used it in the past. As the promise of cheap, reliable bandwidth gave rise to the explosive growth and popularity of the Internet, the reality of virtualization gives rise to cheap, reliable hosting, storage and application services with the promise of perhaps unlimited computing power, powering terms such as “Utility Computing” and “Cloud Computing”.

 

Luckily for us, we have an industry expert on Virtualization to lead us by the hand and help us navigate what, for most of us are uncharted waters. I have known Dave Sobel for many years now, and he has become not only a member of my close inner circle, but also my personal Virtualization Advisor. Have you ever heard the expression “you know what you know”? Well, Dave’s experience in designing, delivering and supporting numerous Virtualization scenarios, and in working with the top Virtualization vendors and their solutions means that Dave knows. Not only does Dave know what he knows, but he knows more than anyone else I know about the topic of Virtualization – so much so that these very same vendors also look to Dave for his feedback and assistance with their products and solutions.

 

The words above are an excerpt from my foreword for Dave's book Virtualization: Defined - A Primer for the SMB Consultant. Dave Sobel is CEO of Evolve Technologies, an IT consulting firm in Washington, DC. 

 

I'd like to invite you to Dave's Microsoft 5w25 Webinar on Virtualization on Wednesday, November 18th at 9am PDT, where the focus will be on how to build your Virtualization Consulting Practice, learn about server consolidation assessments, Virtual Desktop Infrastructures, and how to deliver high value solutions to your clients.

 

Click here to register

 

Follow  Dave's Virtualization Blog here

 

 

 

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

The CompTIA MSP Partners Acquisition

 +   
 
The ink is already drying on the acquisition of MSP Partners by CompTIA, so some of this information might not be new to some, but additional comment and clarification is warranted given the significance of this event.

The tone from those who weigh in on this is generally positive and I’d like to add my support. I commented on the acquisition which was posted in an online article published on the MSPMentor website by Joe Panettieri. You can read his article here.

Here is my comment as posted on MSPMentor in full:

“This acquisition makes complete sense to me, and highlights CompTIA’s new vision and approach to achieving their business goals. As you note, CompTIA and MSP University continue to work together to provide value to our respective members and the channel at large in the spirit of healthy coopetition. Coopetition only works if the coopetitive parties work together to identify areas of overlap as well as opportunities, and partner to discover the best ways to leverage these opportunities while mitigating potential conflicts. CompTIA, MSP Partners and MSP University are examples of organizations that actively seek out these types of relationships. Congratulations to CompTIA and MSP Partners.”

There are good things that will come from this acquisition.

First is a spirit of ‘coopetition’ as mentioned. Sure, there might be some overlap in focus between MSPAlliance and CompTIA, but for the greater part, they complement one another and benefit by a close, constructive relationship where their goals are aligned. With this acquisition CompTIA adds yet another compelling reason for non-members to join its organization, and provides an excellent Managed Services resource for its existing membership to benefit from.

Next, MSP Partners gains a valuable ally and partner in a much needed area: MSP marketing and assistance therein. The synergy of the merging should not be lost in the shuffle here. Both bring value, experience and core competencies with them which will only strengthen the MSP market segment.

Finally, the hard work has just begun. Now CompTIA can set about to channel efforts towards end user awareness and the benefits of MSP partnering. Members will be encouraged to deepen their roots in the market by providing not just valuable tools for existing client relations, but in creating new opportunities as well.

In a day and age that is filled with organization failures, distrust and rampant fear, we see this event as one that will help, not hurt our industry and those who depend upon the resources that help them become everything that they were created for in the first place.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll note that both CompTIA and MSP Partners are MSP University sponsors, and we work closely with them from a sponsorship, consulting and fulfillment relationship, as well as MSP Partners' founding organizations Cisco, Ingram Micro, Intel, Level Platforms and Microsoft.

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

Congratulations to Bulletproof Infotech - Finalist For Microsoft IMPACT Award

Congratulations to our friends at Bulletproof IT for achieving finalist status in this year's Microsoft IMPACT awards. Here is their official announcement:

Hot off the wire, Bulletproof InfoTech announced as a finalist for this year's Microsoft IMPACT awards.

What does this mean for those in need of a computer repair, IT service or computer consulting firm in Red Deer, Calgary and throughout Alberta? Many small businesses right here in Alberta run computer networks which are built on Microsoft solutions at their core. Businesses use Microsoft Exchange, Windows Server, SharePoint, SQL Server and a wide range of technologies to run their business and to ensure they are productive. Whether it is Windows XP or Vista computers, Office 2007 or an accounting solution built on Microsoft Dynamics, having the right IT partner in your corner is a needed asset for a number of companies. Your business must have a computer support firm you can trust. A firm who puts your business needs first and a firm who understands where you are today and where you need to get to. This is not a "nice to have" it is the cornerstone to business success. Information Technology systems can make your break your business. When you have the right system, your team is productive, staff are happy and revenues increase. When you make the wrong decision you will see an alarming increase in expenses, a revolving door of people and lost opportunities. Bulletproof InfoTech has been recognized by Microsoft Canada this year for our work in the Small Business Community and for creating a great customer experience. Isn't it your time you had a pleasurable customer experience with your technology support firm? To learn more about the Microsoft IMPACT awards click here.

Congratulations, Jeff, Rene and Stuart!

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson 
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

MSP University Webcast - Increasing Profitability Through Financial Benchmarking

Join us for MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar on Friday, September 18th @ 9am PST.

 

Topic: Increasing Profitability Through Financial Benchmarking
 
You monitor your customers' networks and set alert thresholds based on best practices. Learn how to do the same for your own profitability, via MSP University's partnership with the Service Leadership Index™, the broadest, most objective and most precisely relevant Solution Provider benchmark available.
 
Join Paul Dippell, CEO of Service Leadership and Erick Simpson, Vice President of MSP University, for the first in a series of exclusive MSP University web workshops on monitoring, diagnosing and taking action on your financial performance to help you deliver the highest and safest financial performance, month in and month out, regardless of economic conditions.

 

Click here to register!
  
Attend this valuable Webinar and learn to run your business by the numbers!
 
Identify and understand the critical key performance indicators to measure your performance, and how to interpret your financial data to increase net profits!

 

Our special guest for this unique presentation is Paul Dippell, CEO, Service Leadership, who will share the two fundamental formulas for Solution Provider profitability, what is best in class performance for your specific business model, how to most effectively compare yourslef against other Solution Providers with your specific business model and with other business models, how to set up your accounting system to unmask rather than obscure sources of profit and loss in your operation, and how to receive your confidential Fundamental Diagnostic Report© from Service Leadership Index™, normally $129.00 but available at no cost to MSP University members.
 
All attendees will also receive Service Leadership's unique Solution Provider Business Simulator©, an interactive business planning and education tool for Solution Provider owners and managers, also a $129.00 value.
 
About MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series
 
MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series is meant to inform.  The more you know about your industry, the products and services available to you and your clients, and how to market and sell those products and services, the greater your opportunities to increase your value to your clients, as well as your business success. 

 

About Erick Simpson

Vice President and CIO of MSP University, Erick is a recognized industry expert and IT and Managed Services author, speaker and trainer, and contributor to numerous industry publications and events. Author of "The Guide to a Successful Managed Services Practice - What Every SMB IT Service Provider Should Know...", the definitive book on Managed Services, and the follow-ups in MSP University's Managed Services Series "The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!" and "The Best I.T. Service Delivery BOOK EVER!", Erick has also co-authored the HTG publication "Peer Power - Powerful Ideas for Partners from Peers".
 
About Paul Dippell
 
Mr. Dippell is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Service Leadership, Inc., a leading Solution Provider consultancy firm at www.service-leadership.com. 
 
As you whiteboard out your strategy to take your company to the next level, ink in Service Leadership as your trusted partner to help you meet and exceed your business goals. From mergers and acquisitions advisory services, executive education and management consulting to advanced peer groups and the only objective Solution Provider business benchmarking reports, Service Leadership provides the expertise, resources and tools you need to maximize shareholder value."

Click here to register!
 
See you on Friday the 18th!

 

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson 
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
 
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

MSP University Sponsors Ingram Micro MSP Workshop - Accelerate Your Managed Services Business

MSP University is sponsoring and delivering training at the Ingram Micro MSP Workshop on September 16th, 2009 in Santa Ana, California. We hope to see you there!

   

Accelerate Your Managed Services Business Ingram Micro's MSP Workshop Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Doubletree Hotel, Santa Ana, Calif. Your Exclusive, Hands-on Training Opportunity At this dynamic, interactive workshop, industry marketing and managed services experts will provide practical, hands-on training to propel your business forward. At this event: Jennifer Baier Anaya, market strategist, iD8 Marketing and Strategy, will guide you through a process to determine what makes your company different than the rest and share ideas on how best to brand and merchandise your managed services practice. Let us help you get your prospects to grant you that critical face time that usually sets the buying process into motion. Gary Beechum, president and CEO, MSP University, will outline a proven, step-by-step process to help catapult your business to success with actionable steps to give you a competitive edge. Learn how to build the next generation of personalized services for your SMB and mid-market customers with Cisco Smart Care Service. A technical demonstration on our affordable, scalable, private-label service that enables you to provide a comprehensive, high-end Network Operations Center (NOC) will wrap up the afternoon. Click here to learn about Seismic Global NOC. Join us at Ingram Micro's MSP Workshop and develop the expertise necessary to escalate your managed services business to the next level. Agenda 7:30 - 8:15 am Arrivals and Continental Breakfast 8:15 - 8:30 am Welcome - Jason Beal, Director of Services Sales, North America 8:30 - 10:00 am Brand Workshop: Discovering Your Brand Facilitator: Jennifer Baier Anaya 10:00 - 10:15 am Break 10:15 - 11:45 am Pricing, Sales and Marketing Essentials for MSP Profitability Facilitator: Gary Beechum Noon - 1:15 pm Lunch provided. Vendor presentations from APC, Cisco and NetEnrich 1:15 - 1:30 pm Seismic Portfolio - Jason Beal, Director of Services Sales, North America 1:30 - 2:30 pm NetEnrich Technical Demonstration REGISTER NOW registration *Limit two attendees per company. Space is limited. Event Sponsor For more information, contact Michael Moon at (714) 382-2207 or at michael.moon@ingrammicro.com or Cynthia Yamaguchi at (714) 382-2812 or at cynthia.yamaguchi@ingrammicro.com. back to top     BEFORE YOU UNSUBSCRIBE: Please note that when you click on the UNSUBSCRIBE link, you will no longer receive special promotions and new product announcements targeted to your business. GET AN INTERNET ID: When you click on a link to www.ingrammicro.com, you may be prompted to log in with your Internet ID. If you do not have an Internet ID, get one by calling (800) 616-4665. © 2009 Ingram Micro Inc. All rights reserved. Ingram Micro and the Ingram Micro logo are trademarks used under license by Ingram Micro Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Products available while supplies last. Images are for illustration purposes only and may not represent actual products featured in the text. Please verify specific SKU and product when ordering. Prices subject to change without notice. 64918.1350

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE! Erick Simpson  MSP University Subscribe to my blog here Subscribe to our Newsletter here    Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

MSP University's Kate Hunt Recognized By CRN as One of the Top 100 Women in the Channel

 

 

 

Please join all of us in congratulating MSP University's own Kate Hunt on her selection by Everything Channel's CRN Magazine as One of the Top 100 Women in the Channel. MSP University is proud of all of Kate's accomplishments and her positive impact on our partners' and members'  business operations.

Here is the official Press Release:

For Immediate Release

Contacts
MSP University   
(714) 898-8195
info@mspu.us   

MSP University’s Kate Hunt Recognized by Everything Channel’s CRN Magazine as One of the Top 100 Women in the Channel

Garden Grove, CA, August 24th, 2009 – MSP University (www.mspu.us), a global authority on Managed Services business transformation and provider of training, consulting and support services for independent IT service providers and Fortune 50 IT manufacturers, vendors, distributors, franchises and membership organizations and their channels, today announced that Kate Hunt, Partner Support Manager, has been recognized by Everything Channel’s CRN Magazine as one of the Top 100 Women in the Channel.  The Top 100 Women in the Channel was chosen by the editors of the magazine based on their achievements as executives and the amount of influence they wield over the technology channel.  The Top 100 Women in the Channel represent a changing trend in a traditionally all male industry.
 
A graduate of Kent State University, Ms. Hunt holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Industrial Psychology, with a minor in Music Performance. Dedicated to ongoing professional development and business networking, Kate is a member and active participant in many local, regional, and national professional organizations.

Ms. Hunt’s prior experience includes employment at several solution provider organizations where she directed their successful transition from traditional "break/fix" IT service delivery to the Managed Services business model, then managed these business units to increased profitability over time.

In her role as MSP University’s Partner Support Manager, Ms. Hunt leverages her proven experience in marketing, sales and technical operations to help MSP University Members improve their business' efficiencies, effectiveness and profitability while increasing client satisfaction through MSP University’s best-in-class business improvement and transformation methodologies.

“We are very pleased to see women executives reaching the highest levels in a wide range of dynamic companies.  It is with great pleasure that we honor the women that have made a profound impact in the technology marketplace.  We offer our congratulations to Kate Hunt for her significant contributions to our industry,” Robert C. DeMarzo, senior vice president and editorial director, Everything Channel. 

 “We’re excited to have Ms. Hunt recognized by CRN for her accomplishments and influence in the industry through her efforts at MSP University. We are very proud of Kate and the results she has been able to achieve in helping IT solution providers positively transform and improve their business operations”, said Erick Simpson, vice president of MSP University.

A special feature of the Top 100 Women of the Channel is in the August issue of CRN Magazine and expanded coverage will be featured online at www.channelweb.com.

About MSP University (www.mspu.us)
MSP University is the premier authority on the development and growth of a successful IT and Managed Services practice. A comprehensive, vendor-neutral resource whose sole function is to collect and disseminate as much information as possible in best practices for IT business transformation and improvement and mentor its members on building, operating and growing a successful Managed Services Practice, MSP University specializes in providing Managed Services education, training, fulfillment, and consulting services to independent IT service providers, vendors and channel organizations worldwide.

Everything Channel (www.everythingchannel.com, www.channelweb.com)
Everything Channel is the one-stop shop for accessing, enabling, managing and accelerating technology sales.  From branding and recruiting to marketing and sales, Everything Channel offers technology marketers the unmatched breadth and depth of global brands and market intelligence combined with unparalleled audience loyalty and credibility serving all technology sales channels through an extensive database.  Everything Channel provides innovative field sales and marketing solutions to arm the sellers of technology with the resources they need to achieve measurable and significant results.  

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 

Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

What's Your View on IT Services?

Our friends and Sponsors at CompTIA are asking for your help in completing a short survey on your opinions of ever-changing IT services. Please take a moment and provide them with your valuable feedback. Here is CompTIA's request:

The IT business continues to evolve at a startling pace. To help members stay ahead of the curve, CompTIA is collecting opinions from a range of industry experts such as yourself. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts on the key trends affecting IT services, including managed services, and more.

To begin the survey, go here: http://survey.euro.confirmit.com/wix/p259532566.aspx

In appreciation of your valuable feedback, CompTIA will publish results for members. Highlights will also be available at our Breakaway member event in August.

We value your privacy--your responses are anonymous and confidential. Results will only be viewed in the aggregate. Please complete by Tuesday, July 28th.

Thanks in advance,

CompTIA Research Team

CompTIA is the leading not-for-profit trade association for the information technology industry. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy.

...

Join MSP University at CompTIA Breakaway 2009 at the Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV on August 2nd-6th, 2009- use code BKMSPU here to receive FREE registration (save $249!). I'll personally be facilitating several sessions on Tuesday, August 4th - stop in and visit with us!

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson
MSP University
Subscribe to my blog here
Subscribe to our Newsletter here 
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter
Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services

MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.