As the holidays draw near, I thought I'd keep things a little light today and put together a "Best of" article. Below, you'll find commentary on some of our 2012 blog posts that come to the top of my mind, for various reasons (positive and negative).  Continue Reading..

As the end of the year is quickly approaching, and I'm reflecting back on the nine trade shows, conferences, and events I've attended, plus the many conversations I've had with managed services providers (MSPs) and VARs, I've been thinking about the most important themes I've picked up this year, and I wanted to share one that I think will resonate with a lot of our readers. There's all kinds of research pointing to...  Continue Reading..

In the January issue of Business Solutions magazine, we'll feature the results of our first ever product review editorial. The test focused on seven RMM (remote monitoring and management) solutions from the following vendors: Continuum, GFI, Kaseya, LabTech, Level Platforms, N-able, and PacketTrap. While it's true there was no silver bullet winner in every category our testers at Remote...  Continue Reading..

VAR and integrator readers of Business Solutions magazine who are outside the video surveillance space often ask me how easy or difficult it is to install the latest IP video cameras. To answer the question, I requested a bunch of cameras from Axis Communications, who came through in a big way.  Continue Reading..

David Dadian is CEO of powersolution.com, a solutions provider/MSP, based in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. His practice specializes in business continuity, and he was featured in a case study in this month's issue of Business Solutions magazine. Not long after my interview with Dadian, his company's DRBC (disaster recovery and business continuity) service was put to the test following Hurricane Sandy.  Continue Reading..

A while back I wrote an article entitled "The Shocking Truth About Retailers & PCI" in which I shared the results of a retailer-focused survey. The gist was that retailers, particularly in the SMB space, apparently have a low level of knowledge concerning PCI and its related terms and concepts. This, despite mandates and requirements going back years. Shame on them, right?!  Continue Reading..

Unless you're new to Business Solutions magazine, you know we've been on a crusade the past 18 months or so educating VARs and integrators on the great opportunity that is IP video surveillance. Some have embraced our recommendation, others have been skeptical and are holding off.  Continue Reading..

I shouldn't be surprised. I recently read that small business owners interested in NCR Silver could pick up the bundle at Staples for $499. According to the company's press release, "The bundle includes a receipt printer, credit card reader, cash drawer for NCR Silver, and the NCR swivel stand for an iPad. The cost also includes a free 30-day trial of NCR Silver."  Continue Reading..

Recent studies show that managed services providers as a whole are struggling to convert their customers over to a recurring revenue model. While attending a recent N-able Technologies conference, former MSP, Gary Pica, CEO and founder of TruMethods, an MSP mentoring company, addressed this pain point to an engaged audience of managed services providers. Pica shared a story from his managed services days when he presented a...  Continue Reading..

We recently surveyed our readers, asking what they'd like to see added to the magazine. The overwhelming response was for the addition of product reviews. So, the January 2013 will feature our first set of reviews and each month we'll look at another set of products.  Continue Reading..