SMB Nation Blog

With only one month till the SMB Nation 2014 Fall Conference, the room block at the Marriott Residence Inn has been sold out.  Not to fear, however, as we got another room block at the Redmond Inn, just one mile away.

SMB Nation has worked closely with the Redmond Inn to offer you a conference rate of $119 per night USD during the SMB Nation 2014 Fall Conference. To secure your reservations please call 425.883.4900 or 1.800.634.8080 and let them know you are with SMB Nation. 

By Jesse Hebisen, Centurion Technologies

We have all been there; no matter how many times we tell them - DO NOT CLICK the link in the email, they still do it. Now the client is upset and you have to spend time to clean the computer and get them up and running again. Even worse, in the course of fixing the problem, the client may lose valuable data or emails saved before the attack.

Office 365 migration and deployment creates a lot of revenue opportunities for partners yet still leaves a lot of low-hanging fruit in the form of additional products and services. attachedapps helps you grab some of that fruit by helping you solve your SMB customers’ #1 pain point: attracting, retaining and growing their customer base. attachedapps are powerfully simple apps that “attach” to Office 365 and run on Azure, address critical needs like contact management, sales tracking, and customer service support.

Hey folks, join us on September 9 from 6:30-7:30 pm in the Boston, MA area for a Beerfest, presented by D&H Distributing! This will be a great night of networking, food and fun!

We will be at the RiverBend Bar:
Marriott Hotel Newton
2345 Commonwealth Ave
Newton, Massachusetts 02466 USA

You’ve never had a better opportunity to grow your business!

Driving a new norm in IT, Zynstra Cloud Managed Server Appliances deliver the best in on-premise and the Cloud. Integrated, secure and “as a service”. Your customers’ decide what runs where, we take care of the rest.

Help your customers’ transition from Windows Server 2003 & SBS 2003 to Zynstra’s Cloud Managed Server Appliances and benefit from:

ü  Offer your customers the best of local and Cloud IT

ü  Integrate Office 365, Azure & SPLA solutions

ü  Highly sticky recurring revenue, no capital costs

ü  You control your customer pricing, billing & support

ü  Compelling margins & upsell opportunities

ü  Dramatically increased operational efficiency from deployment to support

Take your business to the next level with Hybrid IT.

 Watch our 90 second video to find out more:

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

Blake Schwank is no novice when it comes to managed IT services and providing HIPAA Consulting Services to his clients. He’s been the CEO of Colorado Computer Support (CCS) since 2001, and has built one of Colorado’s premier MSP operations.

But if you ask him, Blake will tell you that even though he thought his company and his team were “covering the bases” when it came to their routine HIPAA Risk Assessments, as soon as they started using Network Detective he realized how much more his company could do to protect his clients – as well as his own business.

“When we first purchased the Network Detective HIPAA Compliance module, I figured it would be a quicker and easier way for us to generate the mandatory reports our clients need in order to be in compliance with the sweeping HIPAA regulations,” Blake told me.

“Once we ran our first report, I realized the true value in using this tool was with the evidence it provided to the client. By the time we complete the interviews, they realize we know what we are doing. Once we turn that into a report that references the specific HIPAA requirements, it is no longer just my team trying to convince the client of the need for policies or hardware expenditures. We can point them to the exact rules”

Another significant value was the ability to do internal IT audits of his own team. “The fact of the matter is, nobody’s perfect,” said Blake. “After we collect all the data needed for the analysis, we run a set of draft reports to see if my team has missed a task or a system like Antivirus, or updates have failed. They are easy to identify because the issues that need to be addressed are printed in red. Those are issues we need to resolve internally for the client to ensure they are compliant.”

Blake said that the final reports are proof to the client – and also to any government auditor – that all the required HIPAA policies related to electronic patient information are in place, and are being enforced. And if there are remaining risk issues that are dependent on the client to address, Blake and his team can point that out as well.

“We don’t charge our clients for these reports,” said Blake. “Our business model is to provide our clients with comprehensive services, and our fees cover the services we deliver.”

Blake also pointed out that even though there’s plenty of HIPAA-related information that has to be manually collected to supplement the network data collected by the Network Detective tool, all that information can be entered into the tool in one place, and the real savings is in the generation of the reports.

“It would take us weeks to compile and organize all of the data we collect to generate the reports that come out of Network Detective in minutes,” he said. “And we can easily brand them as our own. We realized our ROI on this tool with the first HIPAA risk assessment we performed.”

By Raymond Vrabel, Director, Technical Account Management, Continuum Managed IT Services

Part 7 of a monthly blog series examining tips on how MSPs can work to break “bad” business habits that they might unknowingly fall into as a result of just wanting to get things done.

In the previous installment of “Breaking Bad,” I discussed how to make a solid plan for navigating the industry trade show landscape. In this month’s blog, I offer a few tips on how to avoid becoming complacent in your business, by adding a few simple technologies to your services offering—all at a relatively low cost.

Before focusing on the technology aspect, think about your customer base and how you want to approach your clients about trying something new. I’m not suggesting that you approach them immediately and offer the full managed services gamut. However, by adding just one of these technologies and then building upon it, you can get there one step at a time. In addition, you can effectively demonstrate to your clients that you are being proactive about your business model.

Consider these technologies for your portfolio:

1.) Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM): While you might currently be working as break/fix, managed services is still trending at an upward pace. In fact, recent studies are predicting a bumper year in 2014 for MSPs. According to MarketsandMarkets,the managed services market will grow by almost 80%, from $142.75 billion in 2013 to $256.05 billion in 2018. This demand is set to translate acrossevery industry vertical. However, even if you are apprehensive about offering a recurring business model, start slowly by first adding an RMM tool. Find one that provides the freedom to scale your business and allows you to invest as little or as much as you want.

Providing some type of remote support is key when a problem should occur; it’s even appropriate if you are running a break/fix model. This way, you can think about issues before they occur, all while keeping employee uptime to a maximum and avoiding downtime. Remember, each time you do something that’s proactive for your business (like adding RMM), you are moving one step closer to a managed services model, whether you intend to or not.

2.) Regular Updates and Patch Management: No solution provider wants, no matter what business model they are offering, a client whose patches are out of date and not secure – this could lead to potential disaster. For instance, think about what happened earlier this month with the Community Health System security breach; nearly 4.5 million patient data records were compromised. While this is a much larger scale than your SMB clients, even if just one of your clients experiences a data breach, it can lead to much larger problems. Most of these breaches and viruses, for example Cryptolocker, ultimately settle by way of weak or out-of-date patches. Patches can protect against these vulnerabilities in which hackers can easily gain access. By keeping track of your clients’ patches and offering updates, you save both yourself and your client time and stress that could lead to a possible data compromise.

3.) Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR): This is a technology that is truly a no-brainer. Even if you only budget for one additional technology, I recommend BDR. It offers low overhead to your client and is not costly for you. I have seen many solution providers who have shifted their business model to managed services simply because they wanted to add BDR. Managed services isn’t something you can actually “touch” and/or “feel,” so many times it can seem a bit more daunting when moving from break/fix--not to mention a harder value proposition sell to your client. But because BDR is an actual device and function that can be demonstrated, it is often the stepping stone that leads to a managed services model. This, coupled with its ROI and up-front cost-effective price point, can be the first move toward putting together an eventual managed services model. And you might even pick up some new clients along the way.

4.) File Sync and Share: In the last year, I have seen more gravitation toward this technology. File sync and share offers low overhead and cost and is another way to get your foot in the door to talk with new clients about this hot topic. File sync and share could also be a way to get your business ready to move to the cloud (but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet). The reality is that everything is moving into a virtual world, and now with the cloud and other phenomenons such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and smartphones, users want to access their data anywhere, and at any time. With a reliable file sync and share platform, you can offer this (along with BDR) to ensure that your client’s data is safeguarded and accessible at all times.

Complacency can occur at any time within your business. Take time each month to step back and perform a quick re-evaluation. By adding just one of these technologies, you can gain a “double dip” for both yourself and your client—adding a new offering to benefit your clients and possibly obtain new ones. You can also move one step closer to offering a managed services model. It really is a lot easier than you might have thought!

Raymond Vrabel is Continuum's Director of Technical Account Management and participates in product and service growth initiatives. He manages Continuum's Technical Account Management team which supports over 3,400 partners worldwide. Vrabel has more than 15 years of experience in the IT industry, specializing in managed IT services, disaster recovery and cloud solutions. Follow him on Twitter: @rayvrabel.

For many technology solution providers (TSPs), giving clients the best service offering possible is a key focus, and they have the best intentions for how to make that happen. They work hard, log long hours and yet they find themselves in a position to ask, “Where are the profits? What about customer loyalty? Why isn’t it happening?”

Read More Here

PowerSourceOnline.com is the largest B2B computer, printer, networking and telecom exchange that connects buyers and sellers of IT parts. The online marketplace for buyers and sellers of telecom systems and parts, networking equipment, computers and laptops and other IT equipment is the largest online network for the secondary telecommunication and IT marketplace. Since its creation in 1997, PowerSource remains committed to providing quality sourcing and disposition solutions of hard-to-find, excess, discontinued, obsolete and end-of-life computer parts and systems. With a global member base of over 2000 members consisting of Dealers, Resellers, Brokers and Service Companies, locating computer parts, systems, telecommunication equipment, peripherals, printers and networking equipment has never been easier! In 2010, Telecom Finders joined the PowerSource Online website and community to add telecom parts and equipment to the already expansive IT and computer parts and equipment database.

attachedapps are a lightweight yet powerful solution designed to cure SMB customers’ biggest pain point of not being able to effectively retrain, manage and grow their customer base. A complete offering that no one else provides today, attachedapps are pain free to install, “attach” to Office 365 and run on Azure.   This allows for partners to cost effectively enhance their level of service to customers and drive incremental revenue.

I’m seeing more and more people embrace what they consider to be ‘The Cloud’ to store their files, be it Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Amazon Cloud, or any of the other file syncing services out there.  Notice I say file syncing services and not cloud backup services.  These services have a lot of value and are very handy; I utilize them for work and personal life for sharing files, collaborating, or syncing across the numerous devices in my life.  That being said, they are not backup, and I run separate backup routines to protect important data.

I was at a get-together this weekend and the topic of backup came up.  I know it sounds like I go to some really exciting parties, right? But the subject came up because the host’s wife, who is a paralegal, mentioned that she was tasked with figuring out how to get some data off some older SDLT tapes.  When the discussion turned to occupations and I mentioned that I work in data-protection, she perked up and instantly asked me about the tapes and how she could get the data off.  I helped her with that task, which was no big deal, but her next comment caught my attention. She remarked how she didn’t understand why people still use tapes and backup software and why everyone doesn’t just put everything on Dropbox.  The simplest explanation that I could come up with on the spot was reliability, flexibility, and security.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

“Your best clients are someone else’s best prospects.”

That was one of the first notes that I jotted down while watching a recent webinar featuring noted IT Sales guru Gil Cargill.

Scary as it sounds, it only stands to reason that if you have any competitors in the market place, they are going to be looking for opportunities to steal your best clients – the larger ones that outsource some or all of their IT needs, pay their bills on time, and appreciate the value of outside experts.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

I first met Shane Swanson and Eric Pepe when prepping them for an HTG webinar sponsored by RapidFire Tools.

Shane and Eric both wear two hats: one belongs to ARRC Technology, the thriving MSP based in Bakersfield, CA; the other hat belongs to CharTec, the innovative ground-breaking spin-off that trains other MSPs how to run their businesses better.

One of the many things the two organizations share in common is Network Detective, the industry's leading non-invasive IT Assessment tool. They also happen to be long-time HTG members, so it made sense to have them as guest presenters for the webinar.

To hear a short excerpt (less than 10 minutes) of that webinar featuring Shane and Eric, click here.

Thursday, August 14, 2014 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT

Registration: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/909075792

Please register by 11am PDT to allow for pizza delivery, see details below.

Presented by: David Maffei ,VP of Global Channel Sales, Carbonite, Inc., Rachel Cafarella, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Carbonite, Inc., and Harry Brelsford, Founder and Chairman, SMB Nation, Inc.

The cloud has become the go-to technology for a number of companies large and small looking for a simple yet effective data recovery solution. Some situations, however, call for fast, almost-instant data recovery that can only be found in an on-site offering. In this Channel Expert Hour webcast, Carbonite offers a first-hand look at the Carbonite Appliance HT10, a hybrid solution that combines the speed of on-site data recovery with the security of cloud integration to provide powerful protection at an affordable price. You’ll learn:

by Webroot Guest Blogger

MSPs accustomed to managing on-premise security solutions take note: your business is moving to the cloud.

Security in the cloud is growing steadily. Gartner Inc. predicts that the cloud-based security services market will grow to $3.1 billion in 2015, up from $2.1 billion last year. The company notes that growth in cloud security will “remain strong.” Market researcher Infonetics affirms that trajectory. The company states that cloud-based security service revenue will expand at a 10.8 percent compound annual growth rate through 2017, when the company projects the market will reach $9.2 billon.

It’s that time of year again. Join us at the Brelsford house on Bainbridge Island, WA Thursday, August 21, from 4:30-8:30 pm!

We’ll have the food, giveaways and drinks, but it’s up to you to bring yourselves for great conversation and networking.

This year’s picnic is sponsored by Puget Sound Energy and D&H.

Register for this event at: http://westsoundtechnology.org/events/upcoming-events/august-annual-picnic

In a previous article, I discussed how many technology companies don’t really understand that partners are the key to selling into the SMB customer space. Some companies seem to get this, and are taking a “partner first” sales strategy. However, just allowing partners to sell your product and/or receive referral fees is missing a key aspect of the channel: it’s really all about services. Margins on subscription products aren’t typically enough to keep the lights on for many partners, let alone pay for a retirement shack on a sleepy Caribbean island. Again, attachedapps gets this. They are building their apps and partner program to enable partners to build a robust services business in addition to receiving generous margins on sales of the apps.

By Raymond Vrabel, Director, Technical Account Management, Continuum Managed IT Services

Part 6 of a monthly blog series examining tips on how MSPs can work to break “bad” business habits that they might unknowingly fall into as a result of just wanting to get things done.

In the previous installment of “Breaking Bad,” I discussed why you shouldn’t miss your mid-year business check-up. In this month’s blog, I offer a how-to guide on navigating the upcoming busy trade show/events season. Our industry is a bevy of event activity throughout the year, however the fall season seems to be the busiest with “back-to-school” mode following summer break. There are various considerations behind an events plan, including objectives for attending specific events, budgeting time and money, and the plan of attack on-site.

A lot of technology companies that want to sell into the SMB customer space don’t really understand the role that partners play. They tend to take the Field of Dreams approach of “if you build it, they will come”, thinking that SMBs will take the time and effort to search out new products, then purchase, install, configure and customize them on their own without using their trusted partner. Experience and research has proven that most SMBs just don’t have the time, patience or skills to do so, leaving a lot of company executives scratching their heads wondering why their product isn’t selling. That’s why it’s refreshing to see attachedapps launching their products with a true “partner first” sales strategy.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

Shane Swanson and Eric Pepe both wear two hats: one belongs to ARRC Technology, the thriving MSP based in Bakersfield, CA; the other hat belongs to CharTec, the innovative ground-breaking spin-off that trains other MSPs how to run their businesses better.

One of the many things the two organizations share in common is Network Detective, the industry's leading non-invasive IT Assessment tool.

To hear Shane and Eric tell this story in their own words, click here to watch a short excerpt from a recent webinar they delivered for the HTG Group.

Registration Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/363612904

Thursday, July 31, 2014 10:00 - 11:00 AM PDT

Presented by: David Maffei, VP, Global Channel Sales, Carbonite and Harry Brelsford, Founder and Chairman, SMB Nation

Carbonite is very excited to announce its new Partner Program designed to help you differentiate yourself from your competitors and provide you with the programs and tools to make the most of every sales opportunity. As we evolve our channel first strategy, we set out to re-design the partner program to help support and grow both our respective businesses. Join us to learn more about new:

By Stijn Hendrikse, CMO of MightyCall

As customers get in touch through multiple channels, SMBs are turning to cloud-based call center technologies to create deeper, more meaningful engagements.

Companies big and small know how a momentary lapse in customer service can have huge consequences. Keep a customer too long on the line and he hangs up. After that, he goes on to Facebook and Twitter to share his poor experience with hundreds of followers.

While companies with sizeable budgets can hire entire teams to handle voice calls at a call center and still respond quickly to customers on social media, small and medium businesses (SMBs) are often constrained by cost, manpower and know-how.

Local SEO focuses on searches within a defined geographic area. You’ve probably already experienced local search by typing something like “best restaurants in Seattle” into Google which will return a list of local restaurants along with a map showing their locations.

Appearing in these local search results is very important for small businesses because the majority of their customers are located in a set area around their business. So what do you need to do to appear in these search results? Here are 4 basic steps that all small businesses should be taking to improve their local search results:

PowerSourceOnline.com is the largest B2B computer, printer, networking and telecom exchange that connects buyers and sellers of IT parts. The online marketplace for buyers and sellers of telecom systems and parts, networking equipment, computers and laptops and other IT equipment is the largest online network for the secondary telecommunication and IT marketplace. Since its creation in 1997, PowerSource remains committed to providing quality sourcing and disposition solutions of hard-to-find, excess, discontinued, obsolete and end-of-life computer parts and systems. With a global member base of over 2000 members consisting of Dealers, Resellers, Brokers and Service Companies, locating computer parts, systems, telecommunication equipment, peripherals, printers and networking equipment has never been easier! In 2010, Telecom Finders joined the PowerSource Online website and community to add telecom parts and equipment to the already expansive IT and computer parts and equipment database.

The growth of Office365 is enabling solution providers to extend their reach into the SMB customer segment in ways never possible before. However, there are some gaps in Office365 functionality, and Microsoft is increasingly looking for partners to fill them. One of the main areas of opportunity is to address the #1 business pain point for SMB’s: retaining, managing and growing customers. attachedapps are uniquely designed to enable partners to take advantage of that opportunity, while increasing their level of service to customers and driving incremental revenue. The apps are hosted on Microsoft Azure, and are sold on a subscription basis. Each app is designed to be very simple and inexpensive, yet flexible enough to accommodate a wide variety of customer types and needs.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

The Network Assessment is arguably the most important and versatile service that you, as an IT service provider, can offer. And there are inexpensive tools available that allow you to perform this highly valuable service very quickly, and at little cost to you.

Datto and RapidFire Tools are teaming up to educate the market about the top ways to use IT assessments to not only find and win new business, but also to grow your existing accounts and keep them longer.

Click here to sign up for the next webinar, coming up this Thursday.

As recently as five years ago, small businesses of all shapes and sizes did the bulk of their digital work in front of a stationary, traditional PC. Unable to move around, entrepreneurs would boot their machines, wait for them to load, sign-in, and use a mouse and keyboard to find, edit, and create documents, presentations, and other necessary assets for their business. These steps were common and not considered terribly burdensome at the time. Today, however, technology has advanced and business is moving faster than ever.

A new strain of ransomware called CryptoWall (and variant CryptoDefense) has picked up where CryptoLocker left off. Hot on the heels of the botnet takedown, which stopped the spread of CryptoLocker (after infecting over 250,000 computers), the Center of Internet Security (CIS) has reported an increase of new CryptoWall malware infections, targeted at Windows systems running Windows 8, 7, XP and Vista. Similarly, this malware takes over systems, restricts access to files and folders, and attempts to extort users for a ransom.

When support for Windows* XP and Microsoft* Office 2003 ended on April 8, a lot of people were left in the lurch. Antiquated, vulnerable computing equipment leaves the business looking equally antiquated and vulnerable, yet investing in new hardware and/or software has dissuaded many business owners from upgrading their systems. Ultimately, as with any investment, it’s ideal to compare your immediate ROI to your future ROI. Spend a chunk of your budget today on technology that will move your business forward tomorrow, or save the money today so that tomorrow you can spend it on damage control.

We are really excited for our Fall Conference, and we wanted to let you know that our recent webinar, which covers the main conference theme, location and times, is now available for replay!

Check it out below:

Registration Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/358866673

Thursday, July 10, 2014 1:00-2:00 PM PDT

Presented by: Rhett Ryder, VP Business Development, Zynstra and Harry Brelsford, Founder and Chairman, SMB Nation

Webinar to review update from Harry on final leg of his world tour regarding SBS/WS03 migration plus an update on the Zynstra SBS/WS03 Migration and Hybrid Cloud IT product identified in SBS II. Hear how the Zynstra product has been stacking up against the “build your own” versus product approach. Hear what progress has been made and what has been the typical feedback or concerns from the SMB Partner community and how they have been addressed. Plus take part in an open discussion on what the SMB Partner Community would like to 1. ask of Microsoft at the forthcoming World Partner event to help further in this area.

We are gearing up for our Annual Fall Conference!

Read what others are saying!:

“I just wanted to say congratulations on selecting Office 365 as the focus for this year’s SMB Nation. It’s currently something many MSP’s are selling and supporting. I have not sent any of our staff in several years because the content did not seem applicable to our client base or staff. This year we will be sending people from both the sales and tech departments. I think both departments will get value out of the topics that will be covered. I hope others feel the same and you have a successful conference.”
– Gordon Carlisle, BrightWire Networks, LLC, Tumwater, WA

Here are the details:

Event Website and Registration:
http://fall2014.smbnation.com

Dates:
September 26-28, with a Pre-Day on September 25, and a special Post-Conference Bike Ride on September 29

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

Last month I wrote about the huge opportunity that exists for EVERY IT service provider and MSP in the medical and healthcare market . . . selling HIPAA Risk Analyses.

Here’s why this is a target-rich opportunity:

• Prospects must have one annually, or they are breaking the law.
• You can offer a much better risk assessment than your prospects can do themselves.
• You have access to a professional diagnostic and reporting tool that guides you through the complex process, making it much easier.
• You already understand the IT security issues that confound your prospects.

And most importantly, the benefit of your risk analysis far outweighs the cost.

By Bob Vogel B2 Marketing

If you want to really understand the value of performing regular IT assessments for your clients, try doing an assessment on your own network – you might be really surprised at what you find.

Sean Tindall (pictured) is the Chief Technical Officer at Bulletproof InfoTech in Calgary, and he knows what I’m talking about.

At least $310 million is available in a class action settlement to businesses that purchased DRAM, or devices containing DRAM, such as laptops, desktops, servers, graphic cards, video game consoles, MP3 players, printers, PDAs, DVD players, etc. Eligible purchases are those that were made from any entity other than the DRAM manufacturer Defendants in United States at any time between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2002. (Eligible DRAM types are EDO, FPM, RLDRAM, SDRAM, RDRAM, ASYNC AND DDR.)

Investing in mobile devices is a necessary, yet serious expense for many small businesses. With work happening in and out of the office (if a traditional office even exists), entrepreneurs need devices that can be used for several tasks throughout any given day. To help find the best tools for the job, we’ll highlight the four different types available in the market today, with some examples of models that may pair best with your organization.

Tablets

Small, lightweight and with a touch interface, tablets are the ultimate on-the-go devices, ideal for quick updates on email, social media, and other channels. Plus, tablets are great for sales personnel who need to show customers presentations, product demos, price sheets, and other materials in a highly interactive fashion. Some business-level tablets include:

By Raymond Vrabel, Director, Technical Account Management, Continuum Managed IT Services

Part 5 of a monthly blog series examining tips on how MSPs can work to break “bad” business habits that they might unknowingly fall into as a result of just wanting to get things done.

In the previous installment of “Breaking Bad,” I discussed “How to Choose the Right Vendor Relationships.” In this month’s blog, I offer tips and advice on how to provide a mid-year assessment on the health and wealth of your business. A mid-year physical or check-up helps you and your staff avoid scrambling at the last minute at the end of the year. December will be here before we know it, so here are a few tips to help you get started now:

Registration Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/464822920

Thursday, June 26, 2014 10:00-11:00 AM PDT

Presented by: Harry Brelsford, Founder and Chairman, SMB Nation

What if you could turn back time to attend the first SMB Nation in September 2003, right before the launch of SBS 2003? So many people have said “I wish I had been there!” This is your opportunity to be there at the start. Whereas SBS took over 14+ years to sell a million installations, Office 365 is selling two (2) licenses per minute and is the fast growing product I Microsoft history. Learn how our 12th annual Fall conference will dive deeply into the technical and business conversations surrounding all aspects of Office 365. Also included are on-premises server installations + Office 365 so there is something for your inner Server babysitter to benefit from (LOL). Worked up about the “Honey – I shrunk my paycheck” syndrome? Well the Fall conference offers money makers and booty shakers to make you $$$ whole with Office 365. The choice is yours. Lead. Follow. Or get out of the way. Don’t miss on this Office 365 Nation preview to THE FALL CONFERENCE (September 26-28, Microsoft Redmond).

The volume of work that comes with running a small business is enough to keep anyone busy for a lifetime. So when it comes to the technology that powers a small business, it needs to enable productivity without any user coaxing or coercion. For many, a tablet could prove the simple solution to a lot of complex problems. Tablets with Intel® Core™ and Intel® Atom™ processors have the performance and compatibility to power productivity, with the functionality that will allow for a simplified and satisfying user experience.

The phrase “Time is money,” coined by inventor Benjamin Franklin, can often ring too true for small business owners around the world. The global nature of today’s business landscape means that even though an organization is a small business, it is competing against large corporations for a global audience. How do small businesses keep up? The answer lies in small business owners being resilient, efficient, and economical–but unfortunately outdated tools and technologies can hold small businesses back.

While some SMB technology resellers cater to a wide range of clients and requirements,
others have found greater success servicing specific market verticals.

Demonstrating impressive sales growth over the past quarter, Compass Network Group (www.compassnetworkgroup.com ) is one such example that sticks to a simple philosophy; they focus exclusively on dental clinics to deliver the highest standards of IT integration and compliance. Servicing more than 400 clients, Compass Network Group streamlines dental office networks to meet HITECH and HIPAA requirements for electronic protected health information (ePHI).

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

If you’re running a service-based company, you’ll relate to one of my favorite quote-jokes: “This would be a great business if it didn’t require having clients!”

It’s a sad fact that even the most discriminating IT service companies sometimes end up with some clients that are ridiculously demanding, others that don’t appreciate or value the service they’re getting, and still others who are simply a royal pain.

With the help of 'Googling' and Internet research, consumers are more clued-up and savvy about products and services than ever before. On the Web they can get instant results and useful information to help them weigh up whether they want to get in touch and make a purchase. Instead of reaching out to customer services or sales reps for answers they may consider online reviews before they do anything else.

While technology is paving the way for exciting innovations, this tech jungle can pose a real challenge to the small to medium sized business with limited time and resources. The answer is to take positive steps that are not only going to help you survive, but thrive; helping you turn leads into quality clients.

For a small business five years ago, meetings meant a lot of paperwork: documents to be shared with employees and clients, agendas, daily planners, presentation materials, the list goes on. All that paper–and preparation–would be used once, disposed of promptly thereafter, and inevitably forgotten in the shuffle of paperwork meant for the next meeting. The lifecycle of the information sharing that happened within the meeting was defined by the retention of physical documents. Luckily, a lot has happened in technology over the past five years and a small business owner is no longer restricted to antiquated methods of collaboration.

Even if you’re not using paper and a pencil to present documents and projects to business partners, bringing an older laptop to an important client meeting could still color some people’s perceptions of your overall plan and cause them to see your company as being outdated.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

There’s nothing more inspiring than listening to true entrepreneurs with clear visions for their companies, and game plans for turning those visions into reality.

Dan McCoy is one such person, and I was lucky enough to catch him talking about his plan to literally “own” the IT Services market for Chiropractors within 2 years.

If you’d like to hear his 11-minute story, click here and I’m sure it will get you thinking about what market your company might own.

NovaStor’s recent release of a convenient backup solution for both physical and virtual machines, NovaBACKUP Business Essentials 16, responds the demand for an alternative to the complex and overpriced backup solutions on the market today.

But with all the companies in the marketplace offering products and services for data-protection,
why are resellers making the switch to NovaBACKUP as their backup solution of choice?

We take a closer look the reasons cited for joining the NovaStor ValueCREATE! partner program,
and the motivation for selling NovaBACKUP software over the competition.

New computers can be a big expense for small businesses, but old computers can cost your company in a number of ways too: necessary repairs, downtime for employees, and potential security risks to name just a few. Perhaps you’ve been putting off updating your staff’s computers, but there are five important reasons to stop delaying and upgrade soon.

By Raymond Vrabel, Director, Technical Account Management, Continuum

Part 4 of a monthly blog series examining tips on how MSPs can work to break “bad” business habits that they might unknowingly fall into as a result of just wanting to get things done.

In the previous installment of “Breaking Bad,” I discussed how to maintain a healthy work/life balance. In this month’s blog, I offer tips on what MSPs need to look for when identifying and establishing vendor relationships. At first, researching and picking the correct vendor to mesh with your business model might sound like a daunting task – if you follow these steps, however, and watch out for the potential “red flags” that I outline below, you can find a vendor relationship that will be mutually beneficial for both of you.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

I’m a high tech marketing guy, and make a living generating leads, awareness and interest for IT products and services.

So, more than most, I know how hard it is for most IT Service companies to land new clients. That’s why it’s so important to make the most of the clients you have.

Noted IT services guru Erick Simpson has teamed up with RapidFire Tools to show IT service pros how to make more money with their existing clients. They’re offering up a free training video plus valuable documents that you can also download for free by clicking here.

Purchasing new machines can be a considerable expense for most small businesses. As the workplace continues to change and evolve due to social and mobile, savvy entrepreneurs understand the need to invest in devices that are best suited to the needs of everyone on staff. If you’re ready to take your company’s productivity to the next level, Intel has created a quick infographic with divergent arrows to help locate what device is best for you and your small business team.

Thanks to the spread of IT into our homes, offices and pockets, we're all fluent in what was once considered "geek” speak - hard drive, RAM, WiFi, backups and bytes are now everyday words.

But what is Internet Presence Management (IPM)?

Well simply put, IPM sums up everything your SMB is doing online. If your IT firm has a website, then it has an internet presence - even if it is just a single page site with a number and a list of services.

But Internet Presence goes far beyond websites. It's about how you're being found by people   looking for products and services using Google or one of the other search engines. It takes in social media like Facebook and Twitter, where people give reviews, likes and links.

PowerSourceOnline.com, the online marketplace for sourcing and selling new, used or refurbished IT & Telecom parts & equipment.

Benefit from PowerSource Online's professional community.

You will very rarely find small business employees and owners just standing behind a counter or sitting at a desk. In today’s business environment, employees are constantly on the move, connecting with customers and bringing in business no matter where they are. The ability to work from anywhere has opened doors and allowed access into communities and worlds that customers might otherwise overlook. The Small Business Administration (SBA) found that 96 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States. It is up to small business owners everywhere to capitalize on this global consumer, but how?

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

Last month I wrote about the huge opportunity that exists for EVERY IT service provider and MSP in the medical and healthcare market.

In that article I explained that recent changes in the federal law called HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), dramatically broadened the definition of what kinds of organizations are required to have formal IT security risk assessments performed annually.

And, if you’re reading this article before 2 PM EST on Thursday May 22, then I strongly recommend that you click here to register for a special SMB Nation webinar, sponsored by RapidFire Tools, Inc. that will open your eyes to this opportunity and give you the secret sauce to make it work for you.

With Microsoft ending support for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 being phased out in July 2015, many small businesses (especially those running SBS 2003) are exploring their options for the easiest and most affordable transition to new server and workstation operating systems.

For IT providers, this offers an opportunity to not only update client operating systems, but also to start a conversation about virtualization. Migrating legacy systems from physical machines into a virtual environment offers numerous benefits:

Small businesses have to be more agile than ever, often working outside any sort of traditional office and meeting with clients, vendors, and others over the course of a single day. So, are you working like it’s still five years ago?

In years past, before tablets and other mobile devices became mainstream, taking the time to set up a laptop in order to play a non-interactive presentation wouldn’t be considered outside the ordinary. But today, customers of all kinds expect a seamless, polished way of viewing presentations and other business materials.

Based on survey recommendations in the marketplace and feedback from thousands of NovaStor Reseller partners, the May 2014 release of NovaBACKUP 16 includes a more robust All-in-One Physical and Virtual backup solution. The new NovaBACKUP Business Essentials product is poised to disrupt the market, offering features usually found in far more expensive solutions.

By Brian Ferguson

One of the biggest challenges Value Added Resellers (VARs) face is differentiating themselves from competing VARs that sell similar products. It’s fairly common within a city, or other geographically defined territory, to find several technology providers that offer similar, if not the exact same products and services within a few miles of each other. As a VAR, how can you separate your company from the pack? How can you become the provider of choice in your space? One way to do this is to focus on vertical markets.

Registration Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/702257688

Thursday, 8, 2014 10:00-11:00 AM PDT

Presented by: Ken Shaw, Jr., Founder and CEO, Infrascale and Harry Brelsford, Chairman and Founder, SMB Nation, Inc.

Spend 45 minutes with Ken Shaw Jr., Founder and CEO of Infrascale. Ken will cover the company and will detail our award-winning suite of cloud-based data protection tools designed specifically for MSPs and resellers.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how hard it is to generate honest-to-goodness qualified leads – that is, having an opportunity to pitch your services to organizations actually ready and able to do business with you.

Most service providers and MSPs I know find marketing and sales to be the hardest part about running their businesses. In fact, most have resigned themselves to relying almost exclusively on word-of-mouth referrals for new clients.

By Raymond Vrabel, Director, Technical Account Management, Continuum

Part three of a monthly blog series examining tips on how MSPs can work to break “bad” business habits that they might unknowingly fall into as a result of just wanting to get things done.

In the previous installment of “Breaking Bad,” I discussed how to bring out the best in your employee talent. In this month’s blog, I’ll be more specific as to how to encourage your employees (and yourself) to maintain a work/life balance that is realistic and healthy.

Many of today’s MSPs are one-person shops that perform several duties throughout the day; there never seem to be enough hours, and multi-tasking is an understatement. However, whether we are talking about work/life balance for you, the business owner or your employees, it has to start at the top. As the business owner, you set the tone for the rest of the organizational culture. Here are a few tips for you and your employees to begin maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

Steven Ostrowski

Managed services providers (MSPs) must routinely and regularly examine their customer contracts and pricing strategies if they intend to maximize profitability. That message was delivered Wednesday by several industry experts during a meeting of the CompTIA Managed Services Community. The session was part of the CompTIA Annual Member Meeting taking place this month in San Diego.

By Rene Reinsberg, General Manager/Vice President of Product, GoDaddy

I am in Boston on a business trip and as I am walking down the street between meetings, my smartphone suddenly vibrates with a notification:

“Rene, it’s been 4 weeks since your last haircut. You have 1.5h until your next meeting. 5-star rated Judy’s Hair is nearby and is available right now. Say “book appointment” and get a $10 discount.”

Of course I go ahead. The above scenario from the not-too-far-away future is just one of the many examples and use cases that will impact how the world’s small businesses, in particular brick-and-mortar businesses like Judy’s Hair, will attract and retain customers. It’s a radical change from how customers used to connect with businesses; it is the Discovery Marketing revolution.

What has changed? I would have traditionally noticed looking in the mirror in the morning that my hair is getting too long and hence concluded that I need a haircut soon (‘intent to purchase’).

Assuming that I was happy with my usual hair salon and they had availability, the ‘discovery’ and ‘selection’ steps would have been limited. However, I may have heard or read about a better place (‘discovery’) or in a scenario where I was not satisfied with my usual choice or where there was no availability, I would actively engage in ‘discovery’, leveraging a variety of signals (local search, social, ads, coupons) that eventually lead to a decision (‘selection’) and booking of an appointment (‘purchase’), likely via phone.

Illustration 1 below shows how the typical customer journey is changing.

Illustration 1: Typical Customer Journey – Traditional vs. Discovery Marketing

A New Category

The ways consumers find information about businesses and connect with them is changing. It has always been clear that ‘discoverability is key – both offline and online’, particular for brick-and-mortar businesses like Judy’s Hair. Forrester was among the first to use the termDiscovery Marketing to acknowledge how consumers’ behavior has been changing with respect to discovering businesses online:

“Where natural search results once were the primary way users discovered content or websites, now non-search engine media such as mobile apps, social networking sites, and consumer review hubs are veritable contenders in consumers’ paths to discovery. […] To ensure that SMBs are “findable” across all different types of media, we believe that we must shift the scope of our work (on behalf of the SMB) from just buying paid search ads and conducting SEO projects to enabling brand discovery — a practice we’ve dubbed “discovery marketing”

Having been helping local businesses get found with Locu, and now GoDaddy, I couldn’t agree more. I want to take this a step further and extend the framework by calling out five principles that my colleagues and I see at the heart of Discovery Marketing: mobile, multi-channel, actionable, controllable and measurable. GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving gave a sneak preview of this framework during his keynote at the recent BIA/Kelsey conference in San Francisco.

While I have no doubt that we will see a lot of great innovation around new self-serve marketing products in the industry, these five principles should provide a long-term framework for any business running marketing campaigns and any vendor building discovery marketing products by taking into consideration a mix of consumer behaviors as well as the business’ standpoint.

Mobile

94 percent of smartphone owners look for local information on their phone, according to a study by Televox. Due to the rise of smartphones and smart devices – think Google Glass, navigation system in cars, smart watches - the time between intent and purchase is being compressed; often intent is sparked and satisfied in close-to real-time. Another recent study reveals that when consumers use mobile search to help make a decision they are 57% more likely to visit a local store and 39% more likely to call a business.

Mobile goes hand-in-hand with local. Geo-targeting, i.e. the ability to advertise to consumers based on their location, as well the real-time consumption aspect allow for easier customization and optimization of marketing campaigns.

The rise in mobile devices – think of the number of local businesses who now use internet-connected tablets as point-of-sale - is also helping bring business data online, enabling the above scenario where appointment availability is accessible in real-time to consumers.

Multi-Channel

According to a recent report by Black Box Media, 92% of consumers use online directories to research businesses in their local areas. The average searcher uses 2.5 different types of sources when looking for local business information. For local business owners, getting found on search engines, directories and social sites, like Facebook, has become de facto mandatory. Given the numerous platforms and channels, aggregation is important to streamline efforts and help SMBs save time.

Actionable

In the above example of the haircut, I was able to book the appointment right after finding out about the business. When consumers search for local information online, 70 percent end up connecting with the business. The increasing availability of (internet-) connected devices in small businesses, fueled by rapid growth of tablet-based Point-of-Sale and loyalty systems, is making it increasingly possible to connect consumers and businesses, beyond the phone call.

Controllable

Describing a scene from the movie Minority Report, GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving highlighted the importance of the user being in control and surfacing content based on a set of events and criteria, such as time of day, calendar entries, and location. “The way we actually intelligently filter [content] and allow the user to be in control is going to be a necessity for [Discovery Marketing] to take off”, said Irving during his keynote speech at the recent BIA/Kelsey conference in San Francisco.

Measurable

Coming from a world of $10,000 newspaper ads with limited ability to track performance, small businesses want simple metrics to track campaign success; there is a trend of replacing brand dollars with metric-based spending.  A significant portion of local businesses interviewed by Street Fight as part of their Local Merchant Report 2013, said that ‘direct ROI is the No. 1 most important factor in deciding to run a local marketing campaign’[8] .  Simply put, Judy’s Hair should have an easy way to see how well marketing campaigns work, e.g. how much it costs to acquire me as a customer or what an incremental $500 per month mean in terms of new customers.

Conclusion

We are at the beginning of an exciting, new chapter in the history of marketing. During the last decade, companies like HubSpot reinvented marketing for larger SMBs, coining the term ‘Inbound Marketing’. The next decade is about enabling smaller SMBs, the hair salon at the corner and the car repair shop down the street. In a recent survey, 76% of SMBs said ‘attracting new customers’ is the #1 topic that keeps them ‘up at night’. We believe Discovery Marketing products will help SMBs grow their businesses without losing sleep

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how hard it is to generate honest-to-goodness qualified leads – that is, having an opportunity to pitch your services to organizations actually ready and able to do business with you.

Most service providers and MSPs I know find marketing and sales to be the hardest part about running their businesses. In fact, most have resigned themselves to relying almost exclusively on word-of-mouth referrals for new clients.

If you’re in that boat, then you certainly can’t afford to squander those precious few opportunities. You need to “bat 1000” when it comes to closing those leads and turning them into clients.

There’s some great free information available for you in an information-packed 16-minute webinar presented by noted IT Sales Guru, Gil Cargill.

Since 1984, more than a million businesses have chosen Retrospect to provide a complete and versatile Backup & Recovery, Data Archiving, and Duplication solution.

With 25 years experience working directly with SMB customers, Retrospect continues to hand-craft a complete 3-in-1 data protection solution for Windows, Mac, and Linux designed specifically to meet the needs of small and medium businesses.

We asked a few what they thought of it.

By Brian Ferguson

The increasing use of cloud-based phone systems, along with the general trend toward Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), has sparked a debate within the communications industry as to the preferred deployment method for business phone systems: Cloud or on-premises.   It’s understood that each has its benefits and challenges. The industry as seemingly arrived at a consensus as to which key factors play into the decision for the best solution:

Guest post by Laplink Software

April 8^th marked the end of support for Windows XP bringing an end to hot-fixes, security updates, and technical support for Windows XP users.

The reality of the end of Windows XP support was difficult for many to swallow. Windows XP already had an infection rate six times higher than Windows 8 before the April 8 deadline. Now, with known vulnerabilities leaving XP consumers and businesses exposed to hackers, viruses, and other malware, this number is likely to be much higher.

Recent statistics show that 20-25% of users are still using Windows XP despite these security risks. However, we at Laplink don’t believe this will be the case for very much longer. As shown in the graph below, migrations with PCmover jumped by a drastic 300% as April 8^th drew nearer.

So why are people finally deciding to make the move? One reason that we already touched on is security. As updates come out for Windows 7 and 8, analysts predict that hackers will investigate XP for these same vulnerabilities. If they are shared, the hacker now has an open doorway into unprotected Windows XP machines.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

You’re going to hear me talk a lot about this topic over the next couple of months because it is BIG, BIG, BIG.

If you don’t have any clients in the healthcare vertical – or don’t have any clients who, themselves, work with healthcare organizations – you can go back to sleep.

I’m talking about 700,000 hospitals, Emergency Medical Clinics, Dental Offices, Nursing Homes, Psychiatric Care Facilities, Diagnostic Labs, Corrections Facilities and Pharmaceutical Companies. These are the so-called “Covered Entities” that must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

I’m also talking about another 2+ million companies known in the law as “Business Associates” that are ALSO covered by HIPAA – that would be the lawyers, accountants, billing services and, yes, IT Service Providers!

Here’s a useful link that’s buried on the federal Health and Human Services web site that talks about this requirement, and also includes a sample contract that Business Associates (you) should have with Covered Entities. You might need a HIPAA expert or lawyer to interpret some of the provisions, but they’ll tell you that you need to do your own HIPAA Risk Analysis… and document it.

As more and more companies are realizing the value of Office 365 as a means to empower their employees to work from anywhere and on any device, they are looking to their IT providers to help them migrate their current on-premises Microsoft Office to the cloud.  Until now, enabling your team to migrate customers’ Office has required significant planning, project management and technical expertise - a significant barrier to taking advantage of this new revenue stream.

Now there is a solution from SkyKick – “Microsoft  2013 Partner of the Year”. SkyKick offers a new type of cloud migration application that significantly reduces the time and resources it takes to migrate to Office 365 by automating many aspects of the migration project.  And with the Turbo program from Microsoft and SkyKick, your first migration project is free.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new from talking to IT pros.

While everyone is more-or-less in the same business – providing outsourced IT services to clients – it seems as if every MSP and IT service provider has a truly unique business. They’re delivering different types of services, packaged in unique ways to their own specific clientele, often influenced by geography and mix of industries served.

Learn why schools like Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Columbia, and Johns Hopkins use Retrospect. Attend our webinar Protecting EDU Environments with Retrospect. Participants receive a free Retrospect NFR!

So what do EDU customers need?

By Tim Kelsey, Pronto Marketing

In its goal to deliver the best marketing analysis tool to businesses, Google has recently made vital improvements to Google Analytics - Google’s reliable Web-based analysis tool. Although there were new reporting features added, many of the existing features remain the same. This goes to show that the recent improvements made by Google are a clear statement that they’re keen on developing a more solid and profound marketing analysis platform.

By Melinda Curran

For businesses today, technology can be an unsettling investment. It won’t be long before said technology is outshined by something cheaper, faster and stronger.

Considering Moore’s Law, most technology will outgrow itself within two years and many technologies won’t make it that long. But, constantly shuffling your budget to adopt the next generation of networks and technologies on the market hurts your bottom line. “Rip and repair” costs are not cheap, especially for companies with multiple locations and extensive networks and systems. By the same token, the cost of downtime and inefficiency from inadequate systems come with a price of its own.

By Travis Adams

As an information technology professional, you know that your work is about more than bits and bytes, despite stereotypes perpetuated by movies and popular television shows. As technology takes an ever more prominent role in everyday life, possessing the skills and knowledge necessary to maintain computers and computer systems becomes increasingly essential. In many instances, specialized training is necessary to perform the functions necessary to keep systems up and running.

Registration: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/465034921

Date: March 27, 2014

Time: 10-11am PDT

Presented by: Thomas Koll, CEO and Chairman, LapLink Software

On April 8th, Windows XP users will see an end to technical support, hot-fixes, and security updates, leaving them vulnerable.

Laplink is Microsoft’s official Windows migration partner and will give you a simple cost-effective plan to help you avoid the 5 costly mistakes of staying on Windows XP. Join Laplink’s chairman and CEO Thomas Koll to discuss why moving off of Windows XP is crucial to your business and how Laplink’s PCmover provides the possible best solution.

By Raymond Vrabel, Director, Technical Account Management, Continuum

Second part of a monthly blog series examining tips on how MSPs can work to break “bad” business habits that they might unknowingly fall into as a result of just wanting to get things done.

In the premiere installment of “Breaking Bad,” I discussed how MSPs can get to know their customers better. Now, in this month’s blog, I continue this theme by exploring the other lifeblood of an MSP’s business--your employees. More specifically, I dive into how you can retain and keep solid employees and talent, once you get them onboard.

Let’s look at a few best practices that I have firsthand knowledge of from speaking with MSPs when it comes to hiring and keeping staff that best aligns with your business. These tips apply to any staff member including techs, marketing and sales, and administrative and support staff.

No two businesses are the same. And if you are one of the many thousands of companies who provide IT support, computer repairs or managed IT services then understanding how companies differ in the way they work, and organize their business is vital to your success.

The IT world is changing and it's not enough to simply fix broken machines, provide virus protection, backups and system checks. Cloud computing has revolutionized the way IT service providers operate. With less physical infrastructure to take care of, expertise is now more valuable than technical skills. You are no longer a every-day IT nerd, you're a Chief Business Technologist.

Learn why so many departments and remote offices in enterprise businesses need to control their own data protection and restores, and why Retrospect is their choice!

Attend our webinar Protecting Departments and Branch Offices with Retrospect

Participants receive a free Retrospect NFR!

So what are their data protection needs?

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

Darryl Anderson is CEO of Owia Technology, a small IT service company based in Washington DC, with clients up and down the East Coast. And he’s making a big business out of helping non-profits to migrate to the cloud.

“If you’re a non-profit, Microsoft is pretty much giving away licenses of Office 365,” Darryl told me recently, “and so that makes it very compelling for these organizations to get away from the hassles and cost of maintaining internal Exchange – especially when so many of them are running off of old boxes.”

Click here to hear more about Darryl’s story in his own words.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

There is simply no getting around it. You MUST continue to acquire new clients. Even if you don’t have any plans or desire to GROW your company, no customer lasts forever, so that means winning new business just to maintain your current level of income.

Marketing and selling is hard work, and doesn’t come easy for the IT professionals I talk to every day. But I’ve found that a lot of the dread is fear of the unknown, and fear of failure. Marketing and sales is very much a numbers game. You need to kiss a lot of toads before one turns into a prince (or princess). That translates into a lot of rejection, and who likes that?

Learn why government agencies like NASA Goddard, Hubble, USGS, City of Oakland, and more choose Retrospect to protect their data.

Attend our webinar Protecting GOV Environments with Retrospect. Participants receive a free Retrospect NFR!

What do they need in a data protection software?

With Storage & Time Savings, Powerful Reporting, Flash Media Support, Block Level Incremental Backup, and Other Enhancements

Try the new versions today,or become a certified Retrospect Partner and get a free NFR!

By Brian Ferguson, Digium

A recent CNBC study found that this season’s winter weather cost the U.S. economy more than $50 billion in lost productivity. There are few business roadblocks more glaring and expensive than the loss of productivity due to employees not being able to get to the office. This is especially true for small businesses that naturally tend to run very lean on staffing and budgets.

How can your company prepare for the operational disruptions of winter weather? For that matter, how do you combat any of Mother Nature’s possible weather events that could potentially throw a monkey wrench into profits?

There are a few fairly obvious (and somewhat expensive) actions you can take, such as developing a disaster recovery plan, buying back-up power equipment, and investing in redundant equipment and services. There is, however, another change that can have benefits well beyond those of disaster planning and that can actually save your business money: providing flexible workplace options.

Learn how Retrospect’s features and EDU discount make it the perfect fit. Attend our webinar Protecting EDU Environments with Retrospect. Participants receive a free Retrospect NFR!

The unique circumstances and constraints of the EDU market means that requirements other than the need for a specific feature set carry much more weight in the decision to purchase than they typically do. For EDU customers, resources are scarce, but data loss risk is higher than normal; staff and administrative equipment is often older, making it more prone to failure, and schools are typically charged with protecting computers used by students, which can have an above-average problem rate.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

There’s always something or another that goes whacky with my laptop… and the cause is usually not obvious.

I remember one time that my email stopped accepting html content, but only from selected senders. I spent weeks going through my spam settings, Outlook configurations, talking to my ISP, talking to my IT security guy, looking on the internet for other cases.

Finally, a smart IT guy I know ran a little program to compare the registry settings deep-down – like eight layers into the Office app settings – where one value was changed. He put it back to where it was before, and the problem was solved, even though he couldn’t actually explain what the setting was for or why it was behaving like that.

That’s probably why so many IT pros swear by Network Detective. It works like that, except on steroids.

By Raymond Vrabel, Director, Technical Account Management, Continuum

First part of a monthly blog series examining tips on how MSPs can work to break “bad” business habits that they might unknowingly fall into as a result of just wanting to get things done.

As we are about to close out the second month of 2014, most of us in the IT industry have likely come across a print magazine article or an online blog discussing and providing tips on how to make money and/or improve your business operations in 2014.

However, I’d like to take a different approach with this blog series. Rather than provide tips on how MSPs can improve their business from a general revenue standpoint, I instead would like to explore how they can change their business by perhaps starting with themselves, instead, taking a deep-dive into how they can possibly break the cycle of (though not intentional) “bad behavior” traps. In fact, I recently spoke to a Continuum partner who is presenting on this exact topic at our Navigate Partner Conference this September.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

If you talk to Dan Johnson, president of Denver-based MSP Machine Logic IT, he’ll tell you that Network Detective is his “Swiss Army Knife.”

“We use it on every single prospective new MSP engagement ... we use it for paid Network Assessments … we use it as part of our PCI and HIPAA audits … and we use it as part of our MSP quarterly review process,” he said.

Not only that, Dan will tell you that all it takes is one paid project or recurring service engagement, and you’ve paid for the entire suite of Network Detective IT Assessment Tools. “From a financial perspective,” he observed, “it’s a no-brainer.”

Click here now to hear Dan explain all of this in his own words. He does a much better job of it than I can do, and probably with a lot more credibility.

By Susan Mehta                             

With business ventures going mobile, organizations have observed a massive boost in employee productivity. Smart phones, PDAs, laptops and tablets are now being connected to business networks so that employees can work from anywhere, anytime. BOYD, or Bring Your Own Device, is a phenomenon fast catching up across various multi-national organizations because of the flexibility it offers employees in working from different client locations. However, BYOD as a practice does come with its share of pitfalls, the biggest being confidentiality and security of company data.

Previously, organizations that required employees to work from remote locations issued smart phones or laptops with security clearance. Case in point is the Blackberry range adopted by companies as something of a de facto standard across the software and finance industry. Blackberry, then associated purely with the white collar workforce, designed mobile devices with powerful capabilities that were utilized by companies to harness employee time on-the-go without compromising security. It enabled the organization to be in control not only of the data accessed by the employee but also of the device configuration. Data integrity and confidentiality was assured as the employee had to return the phone to the organization on employment termination.

That is not the case today. With more and more employees purchasing smart phones, tablets, phablets, and laptops with superior capabilities over the Blackberry, data security has become a major concern in organizations. Having expended a considerable sum on an expensive phone and already being comfortable with the device, the owner may be more inclined to use the same device at the workplace rather than managing two smart devices. While this works in favor of the organization in many ways, with reduced expenditure on official phones and the fact that individuals are much more comfortable with their own phones over company-issued devices, there remains the question of security. What mechanism is there to stop an employee leaking sensitive information to rival organizations? Or worse, a theft of a device means that the thief will be privy to confidential details of a new product in the pipeline.

The argument in favor of BYOD entails that the new generation of smart devices come fully equipped with anti-theft and security software. Whether this is enough to ensure that company data is safe in the hands of an employee remains to be seen. With mounting pressure on employers to embrace BYOD, the viability of the concept on a large scale is still a gray area.

For the present, organizations would do well to safeguard their data on company phones with the following tips.

1. Restrict Company Network Access

The network administrator in-charge of personnel access must review security measures frequently and thoroughly. For data protection, it is vital that active email accounts, VPN tokens, intranet applications and databases be monitored closely to detect unauthorized access and suspicious activity like a high number of login attempts. No confidential data should be available to employees without secure authentication. There must be robust security measures in place to detect any breach from a mobile device. All network openings must be covered and monitored often.

2. Ensure Secure Access to Corporate Data from Remote Locations

Corporate organizations must review their servers and data regularly to ensure that confidential information be accessed only after authentication. It is a good idea to prioritize the relative risk of exposing data accessed from various external portals. Sensitive data requires more than one layer of authentication, while low-risk data should be easier to access from remote channels for quick turnaround times.

3. Be Aware of Device Configuration

Mobile devices are a liability from a corporate standpoint owing to theft and potential loss. As a result, corporate data stored on mobile phones is highly susceptible to espionage. There is additional risk of data loss through electronic channels. Viruses and worms are also being developed on various mobile platforms to access confidential data.

An organization's first line of defense against smart devices is to ensure that each device is properly configured to secure any data. Software available online advises users about the possibility of applications accessing personal information and data being visible over a network. Companies can add their own theft and anti-espionage settings requiring users to access certain information only after being authenticated. Thirdly, employees must be advised about the possibility of data theft and the seriousness of the loss of vital information impressed upon them. Administrators aware of the configuration of smart devices are in a better position to detect unauthorized access and security breaches from individual devices.

4. Utilize Device Management and/or Audit tools

Often, the first step to ascertain that employees configure their portable devices as per company policy is by circulating written instructions either by email or putting them up on the notice board; and reinforcing the same by verbal instructions. While this may seem simple, employees may often read the directions yet not follow them. Over time, they may also fail to maintain the prescribed configurations.

To tackle this problem, there are tools that monitor and report the configuration of a device; and automatically channel any non- compliant device to align with the desired security configuration. While Mobile Devices Management (MDM) are the tools of choice, they are better suited for large organizations rather than a small company. An alternative to MDM is Mobile Device Auditing solutions. Unlike MDM, which is more stringent, these tools do not take over control of the device but keep track of non- compliant devices; making it an employee- friendly option as well.

5. Be Clear and Accurate when Communicating with Employees

To maintain transparency, it is preferable that the management informs all employees about the type of monitoring and control policies that are in place for BYOD like:

•              The kinds of data being monitored.

•              The configuration settings which can be modified.

•              The manner in which the device information will be used by the company.

•              The time period for which such data will be retained and so on.

Keeping communication lines open also promotes a level of trust and confidence between the company and its staff. It is important to note that organizations, by law, require a written agreement regarding the audit and control of employee devices. Such agreements enumerate the information that can be viewed and modified on employee devices by the organization.

Create awareness among employees about factors like reporting suspicious activity, loss of device or data, configuring devices as per security policies and the like; this will go a long way in securing sensitive information as employees will certainly be more cautious about where and how they keep their devices.

6. No Compromises on Employee Privacy

Even though BYOD allows external devices to access company data, the device is, at the end of the day, the property of the employee. They should be able to use their device for personal tasks too. A fine balance has to be maintained to see that the privacy of the employee is preserved along with securing company information. The staff too, will be at ease knowing that their personal data like bank accounts, non- business emails and texts; in short, all their private information which need not be accessed by any monitoring mechanism is out of bounds for the organization as well.

7. Have an Action Plan in place for Data Breach

It is important to identify the places where chances of data breaches are high and focusing on securing those areas. While steps to protect data are a must for any organization, they ideally serve to reduce the risks of losing sensitive data rather than completely eliminating it. Hence, it is always better to be prepared in case of loss or theft of data. The first point of contact in case a data breach is detected, the immediate configuration settings that will kick in to prevent further loss of data, investigative activities to identify the person or device responsible and such other factors have to be put in place to efficiently deal with such an prospect.

8. Keep Pace with Technological Advances

Technology is changing at the speed of light, and every organization should keep its IT systems, device monitoring and auditing tools updated to suit the latest scenario. Regular revision of policies regarding data protection too, goes hand in hand with system changes. When such processes are up- to- date, they complement each other’s working and support organizations in keeping their sensitive data secure, in a more efficient manner.

9. Practice what you Preach

IT systems have to not only comply with a variety of external regulatory bodies like Sarbanes, Oxley, HIPAA, PCI and so on but also with company security policies and internal audits. Whether surprise checks or routine ones, ensuring the systems and processes are secure and in compliance with external and internal policies at any time are always beneficial. Any deviations must be recorded and attended to in a timely manner. It reduces the chances of data breaches to a large extent.

10. Win-win situation for the Management and the Workforce

Putting mechanisms in place for BYOD policies do require considerable planning and proper execution from start to end. However, at the end of it all when all systems are in force, the Management is satisfied knowing that company data is safe to the maximum extent possible; and the employees are assured that they can exercise their choices as much as their responsibilities at the workplace.

BYOD is certainly a game-changer in data security policies for almost every company. A well-planned balance between freedom and safety measures will help create a working environment that is secure as well as flexible to work in.

How to build a successful Internet presence that reflects the professionalism you bring to your work.

You’ve heard how important an online presence is these days, but you know it takes a lot of time and focus to bring the elements together. And as a small business owner, your time is precious and needs to be dedicated to growing your business.

With the Internet playing a crucial role in finding any sort of information, it’s your website that will make the first impression on any prospective client or partner. A first-rate website not only tells people where you are located and what time your office is open, but also builds trust, inspires confidence and establishes you as an expert in your field.

Is your website mobile-friendly, with its design optimized for smartphones and tablets? How about online forms - are they capturing all the important information and in sync with your database? The better your website is, the easier your job will be. You can concentrate on serving the needs of your clients and focus on the day-to-day management of your office, while Pronto Marketing makes your brand shine online. Pronto's enthusiastic team of professionals are versed in every online discipline, driven to boost SMB brands with a dynamic and coordinated, tailor-made Internet Presence that will empower your business.

But Pronto offers a lot more that just advanced website maintenance. From strategic marketing planning and unique content creation to link building and AdWords management, Pronto's new line of marketing services is designed to not only help your company maintain an awesome Internet Presence, but to also have a direct impact on growing your business by driving more traffic to your website and improving conversions. It’s everything you need to market your business online!

View all services and pricing here.

By Ravi Rishy-Maharaj, GigSky CEO

If your company is like most, 80 percent of your employees shut off mobile data when they’re traveling abroad. The reason is to avoid the “bill shock” of the usurious international roaming charges that come with traditional mobile service. But what’s really shocking is that small and medium businesses (SMBs) are willing to undermine their productivity and responsiveness when they don’t have to.  

By asking three simple questions, SMBs can minimize bill shock and maximize productivity:

1) Are my employees’ devices unlocked?

This question applies regardless of whether you provide your employees with smartphones and/or tablets or whether your company has a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy. Either way, if those devices were purchased from a mobile operator’s store or from an operator’s authorized reseller, such as Best Buy or Staples, they’re almost certainly locked to that operator. That means they can get mobile data service only from that operator and its roaming partners – a design that virtually guarantees bill shock.

Wi-Fi provides a way around that limitation because the lock applies only to cellular connections. There’s an ample selection of handheld Wi-Fi routers – often marketed as “personal hotspots” – that use 3G and 4G cellular for backhaul. Your employee’s locked smartphone or tablet uses Wi-Fi to connect to the router, which then uses cellular to pass that data back and forth.

Like smartphones and tablets, these handheld routers are available in locked and unlocked versions. Be sure to purchase an unlocked version, which enables the router to use a universal SIM.

Short for Subscriber Identity Module, the SIM is a fingernail-sized microchip found in all smartphones and tablets that use the GSM family of cellular technologies, which includes HSPA and LTE. A universal SIM is a type that enables the device to connect to more networks rather than just a single operator and its international roaming partners.

Universal SIMs are available from companies, such as GigSky, that resell mobile operators’ broadband services at lower prices than SMBs can get if they buy direct. Universal SIMs also eliminate the hassle and expense of buying and swapping SIMs every time an employee arrives in a new country. Instead, the universal SIM automatically chooses the right operator in each country, so the employee can focus on work instead of figuring out which SIM and network to use.

Could you simply provide your employees with new, unlocked smartphones and tablets? Sure, but an unlocked Wi-Fi router typically is a fraction of the cost of an enterprise-grade smartphone or tablet. And if your employees’ smartphones and tablets are already unlocked, then they can accept a universal SIM, eliminating the need to use a Wi-Fi router.

Why not just skip the router and have the locked smartphone or tablet connect to a public Wi-Fi hostpot, such as in a café, hotel room or airport? There are at least three major drawbacks:

•          Wi-Fi coverage is unavailable in many places, which means your employees often won’t be able to communicate with colleagues and customers. That can cost you sales and productivity.

•          Public Wi-Fi often isn’t free. Companies often underestimate how much they really spend on public Wi-Fi service because employees put that on the travel and entertainment section of their expense report, so it’s lumped in with other travel expenses.

•          Public Wi-Fi is a back door for hackers. One common attack is to put an access point in a public place and give it an SSID that sounds innocuous, such as “Starbucks Wi-Fi.” The access point provides Internet access, but it also harvests passwords and other confidential information in the process.

A personal hotspot with a universal SIM avoids all three drawbacks. So does an unlocked smartphone or tablet that uses a universal SIM.

2) How much data will employees use on their trip?

This is an important question because it enables you or them to buy the right amount of prepaid data for use with the universal SIM. As a result, employees aren’t left incommunicado by a plan that runs out of megabytes or gigabytes before their trip ends, and you’re not wasting money by buying more than they’ll use.

One way to calculate the right amount is to look at your mobile bills over the past few months. Another option is to use the tool built into the smartphone or tablet, or an app, that tracks usage. Those tools and apps often break out usage by application, which in the case of BYOD is useful for distinguishing between work-related data and personal data such as Facebook.

Keep in mind that doing business on the road is typically more data-intensive compared to being in the office. For example, when calculating how much data they’ll need, employees should consider how often they’ll be checking email from a cab or in a client’s office.

Being out of the office also can mean employees will need to use their smartphone or tablet for videoconferences because they can’t attend meetings in person. If that’s likely, then do a quick videoconference in the office beforehand so the aforementioned usage-tracking tool or app can show how many megabytes are consumed per minute.

Of course, business often takes unexpected turns, such as an opportunity that pops up while someone is on the road and has to be addressed immediately. That’s why it’s important to look for universal SIM solutions that make it easy – such as through an app or Web portal – for employees to buy additional megabytes or gigabytes from the road.

3) How much will that usage cost?

Not all universal SIM solutions are created alike, including when it comes to the type of network your employees can use. Focus on solutions that feature at least 3G and ideally 4G networks because only those technologies can provide the broadband speeds necessary to maximize productivity and support bandwidth-intensive applications such as videoconferencing and file sharing.

Next, look for solutions with low rates in the countries where your employees travel. That can be as low as $.04/MB in some countries and $.10/MB in many others. A typical mobile operator’s add-on international mobile data plan costs about $60 for 300 MB, while a plan that uses a universal SIM – with or without a personal Wi-Fi router – costs about $35 for 300 MB.

Another way to appreciate that savings is to go back through your employees roaming charges over the past six months or year, add them up and then subtract about 80 percent. That total is how much you could have saved if you’d switched to universal SIM solution earlier. Why wait any longer? 

Valentine’s Day is a perfect chance to show those most important to you how much you appreciate them. The day wouldn’t be complete, of course, without paying special attention to the one group that makes everyone’s jobs possible: the IT Department. Adam Stewart, Vice President of Engineering at Autotask, shares seven ways to prevent breaking up with your IT Department this holiday by showing them a little extra love.

By Brian Ferguson, Digium

The business phone system industry is no stranger to massive technology changes. Consider the move from the traditional key or analog systems to the digital PBX; and then the introduction and adoption of Voice over IP (VoIP) occurred, the telephony world has continued to evolve and value added resellers (VARs) have had to adopt their business model and sales strategies to keep up. The most recent shift forcing telephony resellers to reevaluate their revenue models and business processes is Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS). The rapid adoption of cloud-based solutions by small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) brings with it both benefits and challenges for telephony resellers. And it is forcing resellers to evaluate new products and cloud vendors a little differently. As a VAR, you not only need to better understand the opportunities that UCaaS offers your business, but also how to choose the most appropriate vendor solution to offer your SMB customers.

The IT assessment is arguably the most important and versatile service that you, as an IT service provider, can offer. And there are inexpensive tools available that allow you to perform this highly valuable service very quickly, and at little cost to you.

There are at least five primary ways – and dozens of secondary ways -- that an IT assessment should be used within the context of your current service portfolio: New Business Generation, Pre-Service Benchmarking, Client Network Audits, Internal and External Vulnerability Scans, and Network Change Management. All five of these areas will lead to both improved client service and growth of your business.

By Mervin Pearce

When it comes to cyber-attack, Small and Medium Businesses are at a significant disadvantage. Lacking the resources and expertise of their Enterprise counterparts, SMBs often rely on free or lightweight tools that leave their organizations exposed to attack.   Instead of shoring up their cyber-defenses, many SMBs wait for a breach to occur. In some cases this can be too late.  

Hacking has never been as easy as it is today. The significant information sharing between hackers has created a publicly-available knowledgebase that is easily accessible to cyber-criminals.   Sites such as hackthissite.org serve as a training ground for cyber criminals, hacktivists and even government entities to gain up-to-date information on new attack vectors.  

By Michael Ward, COO, Directnic

It’s the revolution you may not have heard of—but Google, Amazon and startups like Donuts.co have. These companies have applied to manage a whole host of new top level domains (TLDs)—the part of the web address after the dot—that ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) made available to companies starting February 4^th of this year. These won’t just affect the way we think about web addresses; they’ll change the way we search and do business. Below, five things you should know about TLDs and how they affect your company.

1. Shorter and Sweeter

We’re all familiar with those long, hard-to remember URLs on many company websites. Thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com anyone? The new TLD extensions will allow increased access to domains that are easier for potential customers to remember. With only about 22 TLDs out there until recently—the most popular being .com, .net, .org and .edu—companies have until now had to lengthen their URLs to near absurdity to find a name that isn’t already taken by another entity. With a wider array of choices, they will now be able to select a more succinct domain that better reflects their brand.

2. Less Costly, More Accurate

Premium domain names (domain names that have been registered previously and are now back on the market for resale) are often beyond the budget of a small business. So whether it’s too costly or that perfect URL is already taken, the new TLD extensions will increase access to prized domains with memorable words and keyword search terms. In 2014 extensions for everything from .shop to .website will be available for registration, vastly widening the array of choices for precious web real estate. According to eConsultancy, using a domain that says what you do or where you are may increase SEO. What’s more, these TLDs will in some cases be significantly lower priced than their premium .com counterparts, with the potential for significant cost-savings.

3. Acting Local

If a business has a brick and mortar store location, using a new TLD that’s location-specific will save consumers time and also help drive foot traffic. For example, a retailer located in New York City might opt to use the new .nyc extension. Local shoppers will have automatic awareness of the location without having to dig through the website.

4. Going Global

Some of the first TLDs to be made available for purchase will be those expanded into more languages, opening up significant opportunity for non-U.S. or Anglo companies. For the first time ever, TLDS in scripts such as Arabic, Chinese and Russian will be available for purchase, making it possible for businesses to have entire web addresses in the native language of non-US customers.

5. Join a Community

New community-based extensions like .ngo, .eco or .ski can drive awareness for people looking for a specific product or service. In addition, it can help put you in touch with like businesses and open the door to increased communication and visibility within your industry.

As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. Being an early adopter in today’s digital age can define a brand as smart, relevant, and savvy. Making strides into the new world of TLD extensions can help customers take notice. And, as TLDs take off, you will be thankful for having had the foresight to seize the opportunity when you had the chance.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

Spoiler alert: there are more than five. But I’ve interviewed literally hundreds of IT service pros over the years, and I keep seeing and hearing recurring themes among the successful ones.

Ironically, even knowing whether or not you are successful is one of the top ingredients. So many IT service companies are living from month-to-month, quarter-to-quarter, even year-to-year, without any clearly defined goals. Without goals, there’s no way to measure success.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

One of the biggest challenges you might face in picking up new clients is that most of them are probably walking around in “ignorant bliss.”

The truth is, the vast majority of computer networks and devices out there are “sick” in some capacity or another – even ones supposedly under the care of professional managed service providers. And that’s because the clients have no clue what’s going on “under the hoods” of their systems, and even MSPs with monitoring tools are going to miss some of the ills.

Robert McCool, President of arielMIS, sees this all the time. Case in point (in his own words):

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

I’ve been around IT guys for over a decade now, and there’s always a spirited debate about whether or not to charge prospects for IT assessments.

Proponents of charging will generally justify their position by suggesting (and rightly so) that giving away the assessment diminishes the perceived value of their service. But those who advocate offering assessments to prospects for free will point out (and rightly so) that charging creates an unnecessary barrier to getting in the door of a new and potentially lucrative client.

By Bob Vogel, B2 Marketing

Spoiler alert: there are more than five. But I’ve interviewed literally hundreds of IT service pros over the years, and I keep seeing and hearing recurring themes among the successful ones.

Ironically, even knowing whether or not you are successful is one of the top ingredients. So many IT service companies are living from month-to-month, quarter-to-quarter, even year-to-year, without any clearly defined goals. Without goals, there’s no way to measure success. Tip 1: If you don’t have clearly defined goals for your business, establish them right now and put them in writing.

We just received news that tickets for our SMB Nation Emerging Technology Tour stop in Dallas, TX have been picked up by sponsor, D&H! This means that the first 100 registrants are complimentary!

Tour Stop: Dallas, TX
Date: February 7, 2014
Location: Microsoft Dallas
Registration and Info: http://tour.smbnation.com/dallas/
Complimentary Code: DandHTicket2014