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Live from SolarWinds EmpowerMSP 2018 in Scottsdale AZ, I want to share some left to right visibility from Day One of this annual confab.

National Happy IT Pro Day. SolarWinds MSP deftly created a business holiday that got legs – right out of the “unmarketing” philosophy. This trending event

When disaster strikes, you want to be ready for it.  The best way to do so is to minimize the chances you’ll be hit by a crisis in the first place. But what does that mean, exactly?

A disaster comes in many forms. Maybe a rogue employee decided it would be fun to bring your IT infrastructure crashing down around your ears. Maybe a faulty piece of equipment caused a catastrophic fire. Maybe mother nature just arbitrarily decided that it hates you.

After delivering a rousing keynote at the SolarWinds Empower conference (Scottsdale, AZ), I spent a few minutes with Robert Stephens – the founder of Geek Squad. His speech detailed his journey from bicycling computer repair guy to car-based Geek Squad to its corporate acquisition by Best Buy.

I was more interested in his final speech topic, the Internet of Things (IoT),

With cryptocurrency gaining prominence, have you considered accepting Bitcoin and its ilk?

By: Andrew Medal

Consumers expect businesses to provide ease of use, efficiency and seamless payment processes. That's especially pressing considering that globally, around two-thirds of the population of 52 key countries are expected to own a smartphone in 2018, as documented by Zenith Media.

Watch out old guard PSA and RMM tools – there is a spunky West Coast player in the PSA/RMM market that’s disrupting the East Coast landed gentry. Proof? In this hands-on product review, within one hour even I completed the setup and transacted with a fictitious client. If Harry can do it; you can do it.

But don’t be fooled that SyncroMSP is a simple tool and subject to retaliation from the big two PSA/RMM players as a “light” version (remember the attacks on “Go” a decade ago?). In the review you can download

It’s Labor Day and I wanted to do a “labor” contribution as part of the holiday weekend.

I’ve used the summer to write about Unified Communications (UC) from a couple different viewpoints. I explored the concept that Managed Services Providers (MSP) should look at the Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) as seeing the ocean (of opportunity through the day-to-day trees of IT infrastructure (read HERE). Then I followed with a piece on MSPs helping clients rejigger business operations by using UC as a tool to accommodate the burgeoning mobile workforce (read HERE). Finally I did a piece on catching your customers at mid-funnel with a robust UCaaS system (read HERE) and leading to robust conversion rates!

By: Hayden Field

"Fixed" expenses? That's what they want you to think. Utility bills, cell phone bills, credit card interest rates and the like are often negotiable. 

Apps like Trim and Truebill will negotiate monthly bills on your behalf, but they take a percentage of your savings. If you want to DIY, set a calendar reminder for once a year to call the companies and negotiate better rates.

Numerous research reports show, and my own personal experience validates, that today’s buying experience dramatically differs from a few short years ago. Forbes reported in “How To Turn B2B Buyers Into Sales Leads” in December 2017 that buyers are “…70% of the way through the decision-making process, conducting digital research” before they ENGAGE with the seller! So that means sellers have to be able to consistently and quickly respond to mid-funnel buyer reach out.

By: Saun

When I kick-started my carrier as an intern, all I needed was motivation, and nothing used to be as motivating as my project manager patting my back and uttering those three magical words ‘good work mate’.

Think yourself, don’t you feel special when somebody tells you that you have done a great job? Well, don’t you dare deny the fact, because this is what human nature is all about. Humans like to feel valued and special for what they are, and what they do and this feeling is more rewarding than a salary cheque itself.

In this Tech Tuesday segment on Northwest Digital News, I discuss IT security, career opportunities and the recently completed CompTIA ChannelCon conference in Washginton DC. With Kevin and Kyle! Enjoy the segment and let me know what you think. 

Here is the offical blub: "If you missed "Tech Tuesday," here's the replay on YouTube with Harry Brelsford, Kevin Hunter, and Kyle Torgerson today. The content was outstanding for any business with interests in data and network security, for network consultants, and anyone with an interest

At the SMB Nation 2004 Fall Conference at the Red Lion in downtown Seattle, two milestones are still spoken about with reverence. First – there was the release of the Swing Migration Kit by Small Business Server (SBS) MVP Jeff Middleton. Second – there was a keynote by the Windows Secrets “king” Brian Livingston. Livingston shared his category killer insights from the first release of Windows forward with the SMB Nation audience. If you were there, you’ll remember well.

Fast forward the movie and it’s time for Livingston 2.0.

Lucy Handley

Does an ad campaign result in a company selling more products?

It's the ultimate question for marketers, in a world where chief executives and heads of finance want to see returns on investment and not necessarily softer marketing measurements such as "intention to buy."