Cloud transition is still a struggle for many organizations
The cloud is hardly new, and public cloud growth numbers suggest that we are finally starting to reach a tipping point for cloud adoption. Yet thirteen years after AWS launched the first modern cloud service, an Accenture survey finds that...
Ask an MSP Expert: How can my MSP prepare for an economic recession?
Q: Right now, we have more business than we can handle, and cash flow is exceeding our projections for the year. Still, I get nervous and worry about the next downturn. Is there something I should be doing now to prepare...
Growth Hacking for MSPs: Help Desk Optimization
If you have been following along with our Growth Hacking for MSPs series of posts, you probably now have a good idea of what growth hacking is and how you can apply the principles to your MSP. We have already...
The three things MSP buyers are looking for that are not “low price”
At Boot Camp, I shared the research I’d compiled on what clients want from their IT provider. This research was based on examining the responses to a testimonial request e-mail we have our MSP clients send to their best clients....
Sales & Marketing
Outreach has a place in your MSP marketing strategy
As someone who has been in the MSP marketing game for years, I’ve seen trends come and go. Recently, I was on a call with a new client, discussing the shape of his marketing strategies moving forward. I’ve always believed...
Ask an MSP Expert: What are some different pricing strategies to consider?
Q: There seems to be a lot of different opinions on how we should price our offering. How can we determine what the right pricing strategy is for our MSP business? Setting a pricing strategy is a critical process for...
Buy or die – long term prospecting
Recently, Managed Sales Pros has closed two new clients. What’s special about these engagements? Nothing, except that we’ve been pursuing both clients for around four years. The value of those clients totaled about 42,000 in MRR. A decent win, that...
Security
Tech Time Warp: First mobile malware makes its debut
Back in the pre-smartphone days, an international group of hackers set out to prove no technology was safe from malware. In June 2004, the group 29A — 29A being the hexadecimal version of “666” — released the first virus targeting...
Cryptojacking is making a comeback
Black Squid has washed up on the cyber-shores of the United States, after first being spotted in Thailand. Unlike its oceanic counterparts, this cyber squid is destructive. Beincrypto describes the threat like this: It uses tactics such as anti-virtualization, anti-debugging,...
Steganography makes a comeback
Steganography was malware before there was malware. In fact, the term dates back thousands of years and has only recently been used in cyber-circles. The word’s root is derived from the Greek word steganos, which means “covered” or “concealed.” Pre-technological generals used...
Better Business
Competing with the big guys
As an MSP, it can be a bit daunting when looking around at the competitive market. Sure, there are other MSPs your size, doing pretty much the same things as you. It’s a case of competing on a peer level...
Ask an MSP Expert: How can I get techs to log billable hours?
Q: We’re having a tough time getting technicians to remember to log their time. Some customers are on an all-you-can-eat service model, while others have an allocated amount of service time. How can I get techs to accurately log billable...
Increased complexity pushes internal IT teams closer to the breaking point
The decision to rely on a managed service provider (MSP) often comes down to the IT skills, or lack thereof, any organization has at hand. The more complex the IT environment, the thinner the level of expertise that can be...
Tech Insight
Drivers for cloud adoption are starting to go beyond IT cost concerns
A survey published by Infosys Knowledge Institute suggests that the primary reason organizations are embracing cloud computing is no longer just about lowering costs. The survey of 876 executives from organizations with over $1 billion in revenues operating in the...
Oracle alliance with Microsoft complicates cloud computing relationships
Cloud computing makes for strange bedfellows, but now that Oracle and Microsoft have agreed to work together to integrate Oracle Cloud services with the Microsoft Azure cloud, almost anything seems possible. The agreement between the two companies represents something of...
Tech Time Warp: Net neutrality debate heats up again and again
Life tends to slow down in early June — unless you’re involved in the net neutrality debate. A surprising number of momentous net neutrality actions have occurred over the years in the month of June, starting with the initial use...