The Business Solutions Network

When we first featured managed services provider Systems Engineering in the May 2010 issue of Business Solutions magazine, the company was already a successful $17 million MSP with 20 years of experience and 79 employees.

I had the opportunity to visit managed services provider CMIT Solutions of Erie last week and met with CEO Beth Burnside and her team. During my visit, the MSP fielded a call from a new client, which had previously lost its IT person and needed help with its network, including updating its antivirus on 26 workstations.

After attending the CompTIA Breakaway show in Las Vegas last week, I came across several new sources that I would highly recommend -- whether you were able to attend this year's event or not. Topics range from the cloud to gaps in IT skill sets. All resources below are free of charge.

Of all the statistics I'm confronted with on a regular basis, the one that sticks with me the most is one I heard while attending a training session for MSPs (managed services providers) not too long ago. The stat was attributed to CompTIA and stated that only 40% of VARs are currently offering any kind of managed services.

Earlier this week, I attended the CompTIA Breakaway event in Las Vegas. If you're a VAR or MSP who's never been to this event, I would highly recommend it. It's a great resource to help educate you on the latest technologies, and they even offer excellent certification programs, which can help you distinguish yourself from your competitors. The really nice thing is that they are a nonprofit organization, so you have the freedom to compare multiple vendors and even network with your peers so you can get the real scoop on who's good and who's not.

One of the most popular recurring revenue sources MSPs can offer is RMM (remote monitoring and management). For SMBs with limited IT resources, this is a win-win for both parties. Yet, there is a critical mistake some MSPs make regarding RMM that can seriously hurt their customer’s likelihood of renewing their service contract.

I spoke with an MSP recently that shared some insights with me that I wanted to pass along to you today, especially if you find yourself underselling your managed services. Cory Carson, owner of Computer Doctor, was just like some of you: working six or seven days a week, 12-16 hour days, and still barely getting by. After attending CharTec’s sales training academy last year, Carson made the bold decision to stop underselling his services.

"Cloud Computing" continues to be the top searched term at BSMinfo.com month after month. Yet, after talking with many IT solutions providers, I know that selecting a cloud provider is no easy task. To help you with that decision, I reached out to several industry experts to garner their advice regarding the most important considerations you'll want to heed. Here's one thing they all agreed on:  There is no one cloud service provider that’s able to meet all your customers’ needs. The bottom line is that if you focus on selling solutions and services to multiple vertical markets, you’re going to need to partner with more than one cloud service provider.