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Cognos CEO Watching Managed Services

The folks at Cognos, one of the leading business intelligence software providers, are in a curious position. Cognos’s rivals are getting acquired by big players like Oracle and SAP AG. And the software industry as a whole is moving toward software as a service (SaaS) — think Salesforce.com and NetSuite.com. So where does that leave Cognos? The BI software provider has to get a better feel for SaaS, managed services and the channel. Fast. Cognos’s CEO is doing exactly that. Here’s how.

N-able Hosts Chicago Event

The folks at N-able Technologies have invited me to their next partner event — scheduled for October 19 in Chicago. But I’ll be preparing for our own MuniWireless conference in Santa Clara. The one-day N-able event focuses on strategies for marketing, selling and deploying “technology as a service” solutions. If you’re an N-able partner interesting in more details, you can find them here.

McDonalds Meets Managed Services

Like a Big Mac and a large fries (Mmmmm…), IT service franchises now go hand-in-hand with managed services. The latest example: Expetec Technology Services — an IT services franchisor in 20 states and Canada — has embraced the ConnectWise managed services platform. The move comes roughly one week after the Fast-Tek franchises announced plans to leverage Kaseya and SecureMyCompany’s managed services. The bottom line: If break-fix franchises are embracing managed services, surely more sophisticated solutions providers need to do the same.

Will MSPs Ever Trust Dell?

I may have underestimated the MSP industry’s disdain for Dell. On the one hand, I’ve personally been a Dell customer for about a decade. But as I speak with managed service providers across the industry, most of them simply don’t trust Dell. Does the PC giant deserve the benefit of the doubt? Or is Dell’s move into the managed service market doomed to fail?

Meet Me At SMB Summit

I finally booked my flight to CompTIA’s SMB Summit, scheduled for October 28-31 in Bonita Springs, Florida. I’ll be moderating a few sessions at the event — several of which focus on managed services. I have time for meetings on Oct. 29 and 30 if you’re at the event and want to catch up.

Up to 50 Vendors Set to Earn MSPAlliance Accreditation

MSPAlliance President Charles Weaver spent some time telling me about the organization’s new accreditation program during a conference last month. Sounds like the program is gaining some traction.

So far, eight vendors have received the accreditation, including Asigra, Dell/SilverBack, Do IT Smarter, Intel, LiveCargo, N-able, Untangle and XRoads Networks, according to Web Host Industry News. Roughly 50 vendors are on track to receive the accreditation by the close of 2007, Weaver told WHIN. So what’s the upside for managed service providers? The accreditation appears to offer four clear benefits to MSPs and their customers.

Xerox, Do IT Smarter Host MSP Road Show

Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Jake and Elwood Blues. Heck, even Xerox and Do IT Smarter love a good road trip. I hear the duo is hosting a Managed Service Provider road show with stops in Charlotte, N.C. (October 11), Houston, Texas (October 17), New Orleans, La. (October 24) and Hollywood, Fla. (October 25). SonicWall and MX Logic also are joining the event series, which offers practical tips for selling managed services. For details, check out the Do IT Smarter event site.

Fast-teks Franchises Embrace Managed Services

Imagine if The Geek Squad embraced managed services. That very scenario is occurring at Fast-teks, a nationwide computer services company that’s working with Kaseya and SecureMyCompany to master managed services. Under terms of a new initiative, Fast-teks is using SecureMyCompany’s hosted offerings to service customers in more than 120 North American markets. The online services include Kaseya Managed Services software, which offers asset management, software inventory and remote management capabilities.

Ingram, Trend Micro Partner on Managed Services

When it comes to managed services, Trend Micro certainly has a sense for timing. The security company has launched a “pay as you go” managed service with Ingram Micro. The offering comes as Trend rival Symantec prepares to launch its own software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, know as the Symatec Protection Network. Let the showdown begin.