While still nascent for many channel firms, emerging technologies are nonetheless generating tons of excitement and becoming a growing part of portfolios. That’s made abundantly clear in the findings of CompTIA’s recently published 7th State of the Channel research, where study respondents cite emerging tech as the No. 1 driver of change across the tech ecosystem.
We dedicate a good amount of editorial to encouraging VARs to innovate, to add to their line cards, and to transition their business models. We should spend more time reminding VARs the importance of keeping existing customers happy by ensuring your customer support operation is up to par.
If Geek Squad is a nursery school for MSPs, its founder Robert Stephens, is the headmaster. I sat down with Stephens in Phoenix last week at the SolarWinds Empower user conference. Among many interesting points in our conversation were exchanges about IT services marketing and pricing.
Back when Channel Executive was named Business Solutions and VARinsights.com was BSMinfo.com, those publications used to host Channel Transitions conferences. The name of those events was quite literal – they were designed to help VARs in the IT channel transition to a managed services business model. Our brand names have changed, but we are still providing content to help break/fix VARs transition to the wonderful world of recurring revenue. I distinctly remember several panelists at Channel Transitions conferences advising audience members to tackle the VAR-to-MSP transition gradually: start with a small handful of customers, and only add more when your cash flow allows it.
There’s a repetitive scene that plays out each month as my team sits down to review and plan our varinsights.com and Channel Executive magazine editorial content. Our modus operandi, in a nutshell, is to feature executives who apply innovative solutions to often complex problems associated with being in the IT services business. With that M.O. in mind, we struggle to strike a balance between our coverage of traditional VARs and that of managed service providers.
The work my friend and colleague Abby Sorensen put into the IT Channel is paying dividends even after she shifted her focus to the greater software business community. Last week at its RetailNOW event, the Retail Solutions Providers Association’s Women-to-Women (W2W) Committee named her its 2018 Leader Of The Year. Committee Chair and business owner Kelli Stewart, owner/operations manager at Advanced Data Systems, bestowed the honors from the mainstage.
The security landscape is changing, and customers need solutions that can protect them against attacks. They also want a more automated approach to data reliability. Cybersecurity and data recovery shouldn’t be addressed separately. A unified data protection solution that combines cybersecurity with data backup and recovery resources working together seamlessly to quickly identify potential threats and safeguard data simultaneously.
A well-researched, gradual transition to managed services is best – but don’t wait too long.
As more companies shift their IT infrastructure, data, and applications to the cloud, the need for reliable cloud security has become more acute. Fact is, the cloud has increasingly become a target for cyberattacks, as criminals follow the data from on-premises servers to cloud platforms.
Low-tech security strategies are a vital part of protecting customers from email-borne threats.
For MSPs, the traditional approach to cybersecurity focuses on defense and prevention, but as cybercriminals get bolder and more sophisticated, that’s no longer enough. What’s needed is a proactive security posture that MSPs can enforce with their clients using these nine best practices.
Threats are everywhere, and endpoint security simply isn’t enough to keep your clients safe. Pairing domain name system (DNS) protection with endpoint security is a proactive way to prevent costly network attacks. Most clients, however, don’t understand the need for this added layer of security.
Change is the one constant in the IT world, and the way companies purchase and consume technology continues to transform and evolve. As customers continue to disrupt the IT value chain, a successful transition to cloud and hybrid models requires managed service providers (MSPs) to evolve their people, operations, and processes and employ advanced technology to secure their customers’ environments.
The Webroot Threat Research Team has analyzed the data from our customer base during the first half of 2018. This mid-year threat report not only shows the stats, but also tells the story behind the headlines. The bottom line from our observations: it has never been more important to implement a robust, effective, multi-layered and continuously evolving security approach to keep valuable data and systems secure.
Taylor Business Group is an executive coaching and peer group firm that focuses on IT Solution Providers and Copier Dealers. Founded in 2001, Taylor has brought efficiencies and higher profits to IT Solution Providers through a focused effort in delivering best practices to the Service Provider and Copier Dealer's service, sales and administrative functions.
| RSPA stands for Retail Solutions Providers Association. We are the only association dedicated to the retail technology industry. |
Webroot delivers intelligent cybersecurity for endpoint, mobile and web to channel partners, consumers, businesses, and enterprises worldwide. Powered by its BrightCloud® collective threat intelligence network, Webroot protects the internet of everything. Our cloud-based threat detection, high performance, lightweight agents, and single, web-based point of control have changed the way businesses think about protecting mobile devices, PCs and servers. Named a ‘Visionary’ in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms, Webroot’s smarter approach to security is why companies including Cisco, F5 Networks, GateProtect, HP, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, Proofpoint, RSA and others choose our solutions for advanced threat protection for their security products and services.
Global Technology Systems is the trusted expert in mobile power technology. GTS designs and manufactures high-performance batteries, chargers, and power management technologies for essential mobile devices. Millions of business professionals, public safety, government, and military worldwide rely on GTS to power mission critical communications and mobile computing applications. Founded in 2000, GTS is headquartered in Framingham, MA.
SherWeb has been helping businesses around the world work smarter in the cloud since 1998. Our cloud solutions help companies be more agile in today’s competitive market and trim IT costs.
Shif4 Payments is a leading national provider of touch-screen point of sale (POS) systems and payment processing services. As pioneers of the "as a service" model, Shif4 Payments offers an unprecedented "free" POS program that allows the company's sales partners to offer a full-featured POS system with no up-front costs.
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The retail cash drawer evolved from a basic wooden box with a bell to a metal box to a secure, intelligent device that keeps track of currency amounts by cashier and transaction and helps retailers improve their operations. One of the biggest benefits of intelligent drawers is loss prevention.
Join CloudBerry & Amazon Web Services for a webinar where we discussed the combined solution for Backup-as-a-Service (plus a customer who tells his own story).
Hear from Joe Steele with Blackwater Business Partners as he talks about his business' experience with the CloudBerry Managed Backup solution.
Bradd Konert, Owner/Founder of Gamma Tech Services shares his experience with CloudBerry Managed Backup.
Providing Backup-as-a-Service is much more than just making backups and charging a monthly fee. For the MSP not offering it today, the jump to providing BaaS is as large as was going from break/fix to RMM: there are a lot of technical and business details to address before you start.
Mobile device battery problems can be a huge detriment to operations. But, a unique new program — Batteries-as-a-Service (BaaS) — offers a comprehensive solution to battery problems while bolstering your client’s bottom line and positioning your company as an innovator.
Owner/Executive Coaching is a one-on-one engagement with the principal(s) of the business. These typically are focused on one or two areas of the business where the principal does not have experience or is struggling with implementing a solution. Executive Coaching is also used to help accelerate the company’s growth and ensure your growth objectives are met.
Sleek and streamlined, the Caddy™ SPM cleans up your work space cabling and allows positioning of your LCD display for greater productivity. Reposition your LCD to organize your POS workstation with just a touch.
The APG Vasario Series is the cost-effective choice that doesn't sacrifice quality or dependability.
Business Improvement Groups (or BIGs) consist of 10-12 non-competing members. The group will become a close network of advisors that you can call upon when you have any business issue facing you that you would like input from outside the company. Every member signs a non-disclosure agreement, so whatever is said or presented stays within the group.
