Greetings Tribe!
Welcome to the BusinessSpeak edition of my SMB PC Advisory newsletter. Lots of business going on!
With great success comes great responsibility. This past Friday I revisited my "geek giver" roots by volunteering with my entire extended, family building a house for Habitat for Humanity. The reason? It was my mum’s 80th birthday and she wanted a reverse birthday where we give instead of take. A rare winter sunny day in Seattle greeted us as you can see in my introductory video. So give back as you are able.
In this issue:
- Complete our 4th Annual Salary Survey!
- Learn about ConnectWise Capital funding LabTech
- Participate in our SMB Top 150 Survey that we are running in conjunction with the SMB Technology Network (SMBTN)
- Harryb ‘s appointment as Dean of the Technology School at Aspen University
- The NEW “SMB Nation Pocket MBA” at Aspen University!
- Last call for the SMB VoIP show
- First call for the 5th Annual SMB Nation Spring show!
- Listen to the Computer Outlook radio show
Enjoy the read!
cheers....harrybbb
Harry Brelsford | CEO | SMB Nation, Inc. | www.smbnation.com
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Did you know? Our Small Business Server 2008 Blueprint book is now SHIPPING. Learn more here!
Read Harry's SMB Dude Blog here
Beyond VoIP - Integrating More SMB Stack Stuff!
Join us for a Webinar on February 24 from 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM PST
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/584683297
It’s not just about VoIP all the time. The convergence of voice and data has resulted in a plethora of opportunities well beyond VoIP. Join Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) experts who will explain their hosted application strategy. Learn how BPOS is a direct hit in the telephony crowd and is really an extension above and beyond common VoIP services. SMB channel partners will learn about the recurring revenue opportunity associated with BPOS. You will also learn more about the SMB VoIP workshop, Las Vegas, March 1-3, 2010.
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Are you like other IT Service Providers who look for ways to improve profits year after year? There are several components involved in building a profitable IT Service Provider or MSP business. Perhaps the most critical component is the right technology infrastructure that will allow you to meet SLA commitments as well as move away from break-fix and into a recurring revenue business model. Kaseya’s automated systems management software provides a unified set of tools that proactively manage and control IT assets remotely, easily and efficiently. This means you’ll do exponentially more without hiring new staff and you’ll immediately increase your profits!
Kaseya’s IT Automation framework delivers the ability to:
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Automatically audit, monitor, patch, manage, deploy, secure and control from ONE simple dashboard
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Manage thousands of endpoints per technician (yes, we said thousands!)
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Do at least twice the amount of work with the same # of staff
This week, Kaseya announces the delivery of its next generation line of products for MSPs and IT service providers. This product line, known as K2, delivers even more flexibility and scalability for businesses of any size. Check out the video above for more information on what Kaseya can do for your business and sign up for a pre-release trial by clicking on the image below.
LabTech Scores!
It’s always fun to see two friends get together and collaborate. Matt at LabTech has justed been funded by Arnie at ConnectWise to go and grow. Recently ConnectWise announced a $30M commitment to invest in SMB technology solutions. One of the first recipients of this funding is LabTech, a MSP-related software company and services provider. Matt Nachtrab, CEO at LabTech, shared the following with me last Friday afternoon.
"SMB Nation Fall 2008 was LabTech's first event and was an avenue where we met many of the ConnectWise folks", shared Matt Nachtrab, CEO at LabTech. "It was also the launch of our worldwide partner recruitment efforts. Many of the partners we signed up started to tell ConnectWise to work with LabTech to create strong integration. The partner communication drove Connectwise to begin conversations LabTech that eventually lead to this announcement. Our partners and the channel are the reason this happened and the reason we exist."
So what does this mean for the SMB community? I believe you’re seeing a mature community start to consolidate as the economy recovers. In the mergers and acquisition (M&A) world, this is called a “roll-up” and it’s how free markets behave and operate. I am interested in your opinion. Is the emerging M&A activity in our space a good thing or do you oppose? Comment on my blog at www.smbnation.com
Quest Packet Trap MSP
Quest’s PacketTrap MSP software is the most robust, yet affordable remote network monitoring and management software solution on the market. PacketTrap’s software allows the MSP to save time by being able to manage servers, desktops, laptops, routers, hubs, switches and traffic from one view across your customer’s largest networks. As a network monitoring tool, PacketTrap MSP supports monitoring with Netflow on Cisco devices. For non-Cisco devices, PacketTrap supports J-flow and PT-Flow, allows almost any device to be monitored without NetFlow support. To download the free 21 day trial, go to http://www.packettrap.com/download/index.aspx
Scalable to thousands of devices, Quest’s PacketTrap MSP is a comprehensive solution that allows MSP’s to centrally manage their customers networks to specifically identify and remediate traffic and performance challenges. To learn more about what the MSP solution can do, attend a weekly webinar. To register for the webinar, go to http://www.packettrap.com/network/demonstration.aspx. The solution includes over 50 diagnostic tools consolidated into a single interface.
Points of Interest:
- No Legacy Technology
- Flexible Deployment Options
- Performance Baseline
- ProActive Alerts
- Website Surfing Analysis
- Go-live Monitoring
- Patch Management
- Robust & Automated Reporting
- Simple and Straight Forward Branding
- ConnectWise Integration
4th Annual Salary Survey
In the world of business statistics, we like to work with consistent data sets over time so that we can discover trends. Our 4th annual salary survey presents this opportunity. For the past three years, our magazine, SMB PC, has surveyed our readership on economic compensation matters and learned much along the way. For example, the most common compensation level reported by the SMB Nation tribe is just over $100K. This year we have our stock questions again (demographics, $$$, etc.) followed by questions on being an MSP, etc.
Please participate in our 4th Annual SMB Salary Survey by clicking HERE.
Easy Living
The Big Easy Offer 4.0 is a brand new offer from Microsoft for SMB customers.
Customers can take advantage of the Big Easy Offer 4.0 by making qualified purchases to earn subsidy checks back from Microsoft. They can then use their checks with their Microsoft Partners on additional Microsoft products, services or solutions.
The following licenses are considered "Eligible Licenses" for this promotion:
- Open License
- Open Business License (L Only)
- Open Local Government License (L Only)
- Open Value
- Open Value License and Software Assurance (L&SA) for Commercial and Government
- Open Value Subscription for Commercial and Government
By purchasing from multiple product groups over the course of the Big Easy Offer 4.0, SMB customers can increase the amount or their partner subsidy checks.
For a list of qualifying products and full offer details, visit: www.MicrosoftIncentives.com/BigEasy
Top 150 SMB Pros Survey
Who’s hot and who’s not? The Top 150 SMB “players” are being identified because of your participating in a survey we are conducting with SMB Technology Network (SMBTN), a well-respected association. I liken it to an update to our popular “Making It big In Small Business” book published in 2006 where we identified the top 15 SMB consultants in the world in a case study format. Times have changed and we’re increased the list ten-fold and use an online survey to gather your votes!
So – community is as community does. Please complete our Top 150 SMB survey HERE!
Boxlight ProjectoWrite2
The presentation industry’s first interactive projection solution will likely change what we have come to know as interactive whiteboards.
The BOXLIGHT ProjectoWrite2 is the world’s first interactive solution built into a single piece of equipment.
Traditional whiteboards require many pieces of equipment to purchase and install. Whereas the ProjectoWrite2 is cased in one simple projector, the interactive projector is portable, can be easily retrofit into most existing projector installations, can be projected onto nearly any screen size or surface and costs thousands less.
Best of all, there is only one, affordable piece of equipment to purchase.
The ProjectoWrite2 features a small on-board I/R camera that interacts with an included e-wand or e-pan. Users can write notes on the screen, manipulate text, update images, surf the web, and save any changes into a jpeg for future use.
Like other traditional projectors, the ProjectoWrite2 is very easy to set-up and use. Simply plug the projector into a computer source, open/save the software, and respond to a simple 9 point calibration and you’re ready to interact.
The ProjectoWrite2 is the perfect solution for any presenter who needs to interact with an audience. Ideal for teachers in classrooms, military and defense contractors, corporate presenters, training professionals, attorneys, and athletic coaches.
In addition to its interactivity, the ProjectoWrite2 also features traditional projector specifications such as 3000 lumens of brightness - so it’s bright enough for well lit environments. It is network capable, houses a side changing lamp for easy lamp replacement and a short throw version, the ProjectoWrite2/W performs as close as 48” to the screen, allowing a 60” diagonal.
A video demonstration can be seen at the company website www.boxlight.com or on youtube. You can also access a review at www.projector.com
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"Dean" Brelsford and the SMB Nation Pocket MBA! |
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It’s no secret that someday, someway I want to return to the academic community as a professor. I’m delighted to announce that journey has started with my appointment as the Dean of the Technology program at Aspen University (www.aspen.edu). I look forward to this role in addition to my day job as CEO of SMB Nation. More importantly, we are DELIGHTED and thrilled to announce our SMB Nation Pocket MBA program. This is an online ACCREDITED academic certificate in “BusinessSpeak” that requires the completion of six rigorous courses taught by real instructors. The academic credits are transferable if you plan to continue the full MBA program at Aspen University. How cool is that? Why did we launch the SMB Nation Pocket MBA as a bona fide certificate that our tribe can earn? We did it because the world is now full of SMB “kits” of different flavors and stripes and we wanted to distinguish our brand and offering. We did it because I have a strong academic background, having taught at the vocational, undergraduate and graduate-levels for 12+ years as an evening adjunct instructor over the years. We did it because YOU have communicated a hunger for on-going continuing education and this professional certificate fulfils that demand. This program is tailored to provide the business information you need to grown within your SMB market. The curriculum draws from cutting edge business leaders and materials, focusing on essentials necessary to aggressively build a competitive market advantage, starting the day you complete the course. This program provides an overview of management essentials for you to put to work in your business immediately: Looking In at Your Business
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Looking Out at Your Clients
A little bit of business know-how can lead to a lot of new customers, and better integrated service offerings with existing customers! You can learn more about the SMB Nation Pocket MBA at www.aspen.edu/smbnation. We will formally kick-off the program at the SMB Nation Spring 2010 show (April 30 – May 2, 2010, East Brunswick, NJ) with classes starting in early May 2010. You will learn much more about this program in the coming weeks. For now – I just wanted to give you a heads-up! |
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Break A Leg!
It’s last, last call for SMB VoIP next week in Las Vegas and a “first call” for the SMB Nation Spring show in 2+ months.
Listen Up!
Did you know that SMB Nation has a monthly segment called “BusinessSpeak” on the popular computer Outlook radio show? It’s the 4th TH of each month for 60-minutes at 5:00PM PST (GMT-8] and I join host John Iasiuolo. The topic for February 2010 is a conversation about the new NetGear UTM device for SMBs plus a candidate conversation about VoIP in our space. It all begins at www.computeroutlook.com.