MSP 501

05/24/2019

3 Reasons to Use ConnectWise Manage — And 3 Reasons to Stay Away

Every #PSA platform has its pros and cons. Here the #MSP501 tribe weighs in on @ConnectWise 's uber-popular, industry-leading solution http://ow.ly/ebV450uofEM

ConnectWise's professional services automation (PSA) platform was one of the first in the industry and remains the most widely used. Back in 2015, the company announced an evolution of its PSA tool into a full-fledged business management platform (BMP) designed to holistically address how to improve...

05/24/2019

The Sales & Marketing KPIs that Actually Matter

The number of #sales and #marketing #KPIs that you could be tracking is dizzying, but are they all necessary? The #MSP501 weighs in. https://www.channelfutures.com/sales-marketing/the-sales-marketing-kpis-that-actually-matter

Sales and marketing aren't the most inspiring topics for many managed service providers (MSPs) who love the tech and not necessarily the business of tech. As Mosaic451 senior cyber analyst Michael Jenks puts it, I stay out of the sales and marketing world because it's soul-crushing.

05/23/2019

The Best Books for Growing Your MSP Business

No one knows how to grow an #MSP business better than the #MSP501. Here they spill on where they get all the know-how to engineer sustained growth. https://www.channelfutures.com/leadership/the-best-books-for-growing-your-msp-business

From Bill Gates to Barack Obama, the most successful individuals of our time will tell you that the key to staying ahead is constant learning. Successful business leaders go through dozens or even hundreds of books a year to learn about the latest innovations in business models, management technique...

05/23/2019

What to Look For in an RMM

When it comes to #RMM software, there are more choices than you can shake a stick at. So what really matters in an RMM tool to the #MSP501? http://ow.ly/WUPo50uo7AP

When it comes to remote monitoring and management (RMM) systems, the 2018 MSP 501 knows one or two things. This group of the top 501 managed service providers in the world have researched, tried or successfully implemented just about everything on the market. So we asked them what it is that they lo...

05/23/2019

Channel Futures 2019 MSP 501

Attention #MSPs! Time's running out to submit for the 2019 #MSP501. Apply before the survey closes at 11:59pm May 31 to see if you've got what it takes to be a #501er https://informa.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Xmxv9gFsMHSgVT?track=Website_Announcement

Qualtrics sophisticated online survey software solutions make creating online surveys easy. Learn more about Research Suite and get a free account today.

05/08/2019

SAP Execs: ‘Experience Economy’ Driving $1.6 Trillion Opportunity

What the heck is the 'experience economy'? One heck of a cash cow, say @SAP execs at #SAPPHIRENOW2019 http://ow.ly/nM4w50u2DoZ

SAP’s 30th annual SAPPHIRE NOW conference kicked off today with the announcement of a slew of new data-driven core business offerings stemming from its acquisition of Qualtrics three months ago. The tools combine what SAP calls experience data (X-data) with operational data (O-data) to analyze cus...

05/08/2019

It’s 501 Somewhere: Happy Hour Shop Talk with Kaseya’s Jim Lippie

What happens when @jimlippie of @KaseyaCorp and #MSP501 sr. ed. @Kristility from @channelfutures catch up over drinks? Tune in to find out. #Its501Somewhere https://bit.ly/307MLkY

An editor and a channel expert walk into a bar... it's the new channel talk show, this one featuring Kaseya.

05/07/2019

Forbes Small Giants: The Best Small Companies Of 2019

We're not the only one with love for our #501er @webitservices. Congrats on making the @Forbes Best Small Companies of 2019! We can say we knew you when... :) http://ow.ly/JXYY50u2mgk

When is bigger not better? When you value greatness over fast growth. These 25 companies are all privately owned and closely held, and they share a commitment to providing stellar service to customers, offering employees fulfilling, rewarding work and being vital members of their communities.

05/06/2019

Certifications for MSPs – Yea or Nay?

Certs...the bane of #MSPs everywhere. Are they worth it? Seriously. Whaddya think?

Certifications are designed to level you up and put you a notch above the rest, particularly when it comes to attracting customers. But overall, are they worth the time and investment for MSPs? Here’s a look at the pros and cons. Are certifications necessary, or just a nice to have?

05/01/2019

5 Outlook Hacks to Make Life Easier on You and Your Customers

Anyone else drowning in email--or have customers who are? Check out this piece, where @ChannelFutures editors and #501ers @Expedient & @velomethod share some tips for how to wrangle the Outlook chaos #OutlookHacks #productivity http://ow.ly/JMMG50tE85q

These days, everyone is looking for ways to increase efficiency, and with the sheer amount of email we're all trying to wade through every day, it can sometimes feel like all we do with our days is spend hours in a fruitless attempt to get to Inbox Zero. There's no magic trick that will make that fa...

04/27/2019

Rob T Rae of Datto Inc. tells the #MSP audience at #ITOwnersCompass how to use storytelling to sell security

04/24/2019

Is the #501er force strong in you? Only one way to find out if you've got the Jedi chops to take you to the #MSP501 gala in D.C. this year! Come on, show us what you've got. Apply here: bit.ly/2T69EAD @ChannelFutures

04/10/2019

Backstage at #CPExpo with AT&T Cybersecurity’s Mike LaPeters and our own Edward Gately geeking out over cybersecurity

04/10/2019

Had too much fun chatting with Greg Praske and Mike Shonholz from ARG over happy hour drinks last night. It’s #501 at #CPExpo!

04/09/2019

Where our #501ers at? Rumor has it #MSP501 guru Kris Blackmon will be in the Delano lobby bar around 6:30 doing happy hour the 501 way at #CPExpo. Look for the crazy tall woman with blonde hair and a glass of cabernet!

04/09/2019

It’s #CPExpo time!

04/08/2019

The Channel Partners and Channel Futures team is coming for you, Vegas! Who’s gonna be at CPLV this year?

04/04/2019

Cloud Foundry Report Assesses State of Digital Transformation

"So how much for the Digital Transformation Package?" Check out this ITPro Today story about the latest Cloud Foundry research...especially this Abby Kearns gem: “There’s no destination of digital transformation. I think it’s a new frame of thinking, not just about technology, but thinking about the way you operate your business.”

Yeah. What she said.

To reap the benefits of digital transformation, enterprises need to embrace a state of constant change, Cloud Foundry said.

03/21/2019

New MSP 501 Functionality Makes Submission Easier for Some Applicants

The #MSP501 gets a big functionality upgrade this year.

Year after year, managed service providers (MSPs) around the globe apply for the Channel Futures MSP 501 ranking list and survey. Some applicants can trace their submission history back to the days when the list was the MSPmentor 250 more than a decade ago.

03/12/2019

IT Glue: New Integrations Reflect Commitment to Open Platform

Seems like everyone is an IT Glue user these days. VP of Product Luis Giraldo sat down with Sr. Editor Kris Blackmon to talk about why its new ConnectWise and Autotask integrations are a great example of why it's so popular with #MSP customers. http://ow.ly/xuPs30o1iyG

IT Glue, the documentation platform provider, announced Tuesday new deep ticket integrations with ConnectWise and Autotask, adding to the growing list of PSA providers it supports, including Vorex, Pulseway, TigerPaw and Kaseya, which acquired IT Glue last year.

03/11/2019

Tired of Talking About Diversity? Too Bad

Diversity fatigue is a real thing. But to make true progress, we have to push through it. Kris Blackmon talked to 9 strong women in tech about why the continuing conversation about gender equality in the workplace is a discussion worth having. http://ow.ly/NwAK30o0n3Q

There’s no question that things are getting better for women in tech. While we have long had inclusion programs at progressive organizations and multiple associations of strong women with a mission of striving toward parity in the workplace, recent years have seen a surge of women in all sectors a...

03/07/2019

How to Get Your Managed Security Game On

We know that a solid #MSSP practice isn't built in a day. But that doesn't mean you can't start laying the foundation bit by bit. At #CPExpo in April, Channel Futures Senior Editor Kris Blackmon will sit down with #MSP501 rockstars Ian Richardson of Doberman Technologies and RSM US LLP's Jason Steiner and Jason Ingalls of Ingalls Information Security to ask them what steps an #MSP can take tomorrow to create a #security practice that will last. http://ow.ly/I4S030nWRTu

Channel Futures spoke to the panelists: Jason Ingalls, CEO of Ingalls Information Security; Ian Richardson, founder and CEO of Doberman Technologies; and Jason Steiner, manager of risk advisory services at RSM US.

03/05/2019

What Does the ConnectWise Buyout Say About the MSP Market?

We blinked & those young basement-born companies writing their own rules are now "adulting" in a maturing market. Kaseya's Fred Voccola & Michael George of Continuum Managed Services explain how private equity is making the #MSP solution market grow up fast.

Before you know it they're off to college, with their own lives, never call, never write...

Last week, investment firm Thoma Bravo announced it’s acquiring ConnectWise, the last major player in the MSP business management space to accept private equity. It’s a sign to many that the market is on its way toward being a fully-mature sector, but what does that really mean?

03/04/2019

MSPs On … The ConnectWise Buyout

These #MSP501-ers have something to say about ConnectWise's sale to Thoma Bravo http://ow.ly/uRel30nUM7l Digital Boardwalk Reality Bytes DLC Technology Tech Experts The Isidore Group

On Monday, MSP management software provider ConnectWise announced it had accepted a buyout offer from private equity firm Thoma Bravo. ConnectWise, among the first and certainly the largest provider of professional services automation (PSA) solutions, has found itself in increasingly lonely territor...

03/04/2019

Welcome to the 2019 MSP 501

Are you ready for the 2019 Channel Futures #MSP501? Applications now open! http://ow.ly/oKPB30nULyI

The Channel Futures MSP 501 opened for submissions Friday, kicking off the 12th year of the IT channel’s first, largest and most comprehensive survey and ranking of managed service providers (MSPs) worldwide.

02/27/2019

Channel Futures Launches the 2019 MSP 501

The #MSP501 opens Friday! On 3/5, join Sr. Editor Kris Blackmon and special guests from SabinoCompTech & our 2019 sponsor IngramMicro to hear how Channel Futures uses the data to learn more about the business of #managedservices

Join MSP 501 Senior Editor Kris Blackmon on Tuesday, March 5 at 2:00 pm ET to learn about the 501, hear about industry trends straight from the experts, and get the inside scoop on how to apply.

02/27/2019

Whatever Happened to the MSPmentor 501?

In case you were wondering...

Many of you remember that I joined the channel journalistic-fold several years ago as the VAR Guy-turned-VAR Gal. I left that title behind a little more than a year ago when The VAR Guy's parent company, Penton, was acquired by Informa Global.

02/27/2019

ConnectWise Finally Accepts Private Equity, Preps Job Cuts

Welp, it finally happened. ConnectWise, the last of the big RMM/PSA lifestyle companies, accepts a buyout from Thoma Bravo. How do you think it will impact partners?

ConnectWise today announced its intention to be acquired by investment firm Thoma Bravo for an undisclosed amount, finally joining other segment leaders like Datto, Continuum, SolarWinds and Kaseya in the next stage of market maturation.

02/27/2019

Get Set … The 2019 MSP 501 Opens This Week!

The 2019 ChannelFutures 2019 #MSP501 will open for applications this Friday. Do you have what it takes? Stay tuned for all the details!

On Friday, Channel Futures and its sister channel news site, Channel Partners, will open the 2019 MSP 501 survey for applications. The survey is the IT channel’s first, largest and most comprehensive ranking of leading managed service providers around the globe.

02/26/2019

MSP 501's cover photo

12/02/2017

MSP Goes Broke While Prosecutors Weigh Charges of Destroying O365 Data

MSP Goes Broke While Prosecutors Weigh Charges of Destroying O365 Data

Ten months after the widely publicized arrest of Georgia MSP James Kubicek, formal charges have still not materialized but the impact to his reputa...

12/02/2017

SolarWinds MSP Adds Doc Backup to RMM at $1 a Month Per Workstation

SolarWinds MSP Adds Doc Backup to RMM at $1 a Month Per Workstation

The new offering is aimed at eliminating cost and efficiency pain points that prevent IT service and solution providers from more thoroughly protec...

11/30/2017

Barracuda Hopes to Turn VAR Partners Into Cloud-Savvy MSPs

Barracuda Hopes to Turn VAR Partners Into Cloud-Savvy MSPs

As the company’s fiscal Q3 draws to a close today, Barracuda MSP is seeing great momentum in sales of security software. But executives at the vend...

11/30/2017

If I Were Launching an MSP Now | Dan Haurey

If I Were Launching an MSP Now | Dan Haurey

Business advice from industry experts.

11/30/2017

Ask a Security Expert: Recognizing the Tell-Tale Signs of Social Engineering

Ask a Security Expert: Recognizing the Tell-Tale Signs of Social Engineering

It much easier for an attacker to exploit a victim’s natural inclination to trust than it is to find ways to hack their software. Organizations can...

11/29/2017

Apple Issues Quick Fix For Gaping Security Hole in macOS High Sierra

Apple Issues Quick Fix For Gaping Security Hole in macOS High Sierra

The problem – which affects macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 – allows anyone with physical access to enter the word “root” into the Users & Groups are...

11/29/2017

Great Hill Partners Announces $17 Million Investment in MSP Reliam

Great Hill Partners Announces $17 Million Investment in MSP Reliam

The private equity firm said it’s also prepared to spend up to $75 million more to fund acquisitions and organic growth for the MSP.

11/29/2017

Key Takeaways from Day 1 of Ingram Micro ONE 2017

Key Takeaways from Day 1 of Ingram Micro ONE 2017

It was a whirlwind day here in Dallas, Texas, as Ingram Micro's annual ONE conference kicked off. In all the information, a few key themes emerged ...

11/29/2017

Barracuda Networks to be Acquired by Thoma Bravo in $1.6 Billion Deal

Barracuda Networks to be Acquired by Thoma Bravo in $1.6 Billion Deal

The acquisition – which is pending regulatory approval and other typical closing conditions – is expected to close before the end of Barracuda’s fi...

11/29/2017

From MSP to MSSP: How to Add Managed Security Services to Your MSP Business

From MSP to MSSP: How to Add Managed Security Services to Your MSP Business

Even if you do not consider yourself an MSSP, you can add managed IT security services to your MSP service offerings in order to grow revenue and m...

11/29/2017

‘Nerdio for Azure’ Offers Full IT Stack as a Service in Microsoft Cloud

‘Nerdio for Azure’ Offers Full IT Stack as a Service in Microsoft Cloud

By properly leveraging the company's products, Nerdio’s CEO says MSPs can earn 40- to 60-percent margins on recurring revenues of $50 to $250 per u...

11/22/2017

Intel Critical Security Flaw Affects Chips in Millions of Computers, Servers

Intel Critical Security Flaw Affects Chips in Millions of Computers, Servers

“An attacker could gain unauthorized access to platform, Intel ME feature, and 3rd party secrets protected by the Intel Management Engine (ME), Int...

11/21/2017

Three Ways to Rekindle Customer Intimacy

Three Ways to Rekindle Customer Intimacy

In an age where relationships of all types are growing more shallow and less personal, here are three simple steps you can take right now to streng...

11/21/2017

Auvik Surges as MSPs Flock to its RMM for Network Infrastructure

Auvik Surges as MSPs Flock to its RMM for Network Infrastructure

Unlike most RMM tools – which are focused on computers, servers and other endpoint devices – Auvik’s SaaS product enables monitoring and management...

11/18/2017

MSPs, VARs Remain Vital to Citrix Cloud Strategy, Vendor Says

MSPs, VARs Remain Vital to Citrix Cloud Strategy, Vendor Says

Cloud and related technologies are shaking up the roles of traditional resellers and service providers but Citrix insists channel firms remain a vi...