Month: September 2019
The power of peer groups
I was recently asked by a Managed Service Provider (MSP) owner what the one thing is that would help him build a successful IT Solution Provider business. I think this particular business owner was expecting me to share a book...
Tech Time Warp: Stration worm preys on users’ best intentions
In September 2006, the tech world was focused on a reported Windows vulnerability related to the implementation of Vector Markup Language (VML). While programmers raced to fix the VML issue, spammers capitalized on the opportunity. Using the new bug in...
Survey finds increased appreciation for external IT service provider expertise
Far too many leaders of small to medium businesses (SMBs) still don’t appreciate the strategic role IT can play in the success of their organizations. However, a survey of 250 business executives at organizations with $5 to $50 million in...
Are banks doing enough to combat cybercrime?
Last week we explored the security vulnerabilities posed by banks using legacy systems and how MSPs can play a mitigation role. This week, we explore the steps banks and their security teams should be taking today to prevent the next...
MSPs versus the rising tide of email attacks
For all the comings and goings of modern technology, email seems to stay. Even with the rise of enterprise messaging tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams, email still holds an important role in how we communicate. A staple of...
Brownouts make organizations just as blue as outages
Typically, when managed service providers (MSPs) make the initial case for their services much of their focus tends to be trying to determine the number of outages any organization has experienced. The theory is that organizations that have experienced the...
Ask an MSP Expert: How can we get more out of our sales calls?
Q: As an MSP, a difficult part of our sales process is “getting our foot in the door” and attracting follow-up interest from our discovery calls and meetings. What type of approach or strategy should I take to capture more...
Where should IT leadership go for advice?
IT executives are looked upon as the technology experts within their organizations, but where can they go for trusted advice when they don’t have all the answers? Technology consulting offers an excellent platform to fill the trusted adviser role for...
Oracle’s autonomous cloud tools should get you thinking about automation
Even with the shift to the cloud, it’s still up to IT to make sure that Linux is being patched and updated on a regular basis — which is often a tedious job. Oracle announced a product this week to help: a...
Tech Time Warp: NeXTSTEP paved the way for OS X and iOS
Steve Jobs’ story has many fascinating chapters, including the story of NeXTSTEP, the operating system that proved to be the first step toward OS X and iOS.