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Problem solve

Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.

• Healthcare IoT's next steps come into focus

  Industry watchers believe healthcare IoT is approaching an inflection point. Channel partners can assist in the next step in developing a strategy for existing data. Continue Reading

• Partners deploy phishing countermeasures as threats evolve

  The pandemic and 2020 presidential election are giving criminals plenty of phishing opportunities. Learn about phishing countermeasures that partners can take to protect customers. Continue Reading

• SD-WAN for home workers becomes partner opportunity

  SD-WAN technology is seeing increased customer interest due to the sudden expansion of remote workforces. IT service providers are offering product advice and implementation help. Continue Reading

• Customers expand IT capabilities for business in the new normal

  The pandemic has sparked new directions for Insight Enterprises' project work. Clients are looking to build IT capabilities for unique types of business problems. Continue Reading

• MSP staffing strategies change during a pandemic

  The overall economic and employment impact of coronavirus is affecting service provider staffing -- some more than others, if at all. See why and gain tips to help with hiring. Continue Reading

• How to prepare client companies for ransomware attacks

  Ransomware is a constant aspect of the IT landscape but isn't always seen as a priority. IT service providers can help their clients mitigate the risk.Continue Reading

• Partners donate technology, services to pandemic relief

  IT services companies are contributing a mix of advice and cloud offerings to help research groups and other organizations battling the COVID-19 pandemic.Continue Reading

• Tips for overcoming MSP patch management pain points

  Software patch management is more difficult than it once was. Industry experts offer advice on how to best stay ahead of the patching curve and reduce risks to both MSPs and customers.Continue Reading

• Accenture: Industrial digital transformation needs leaders

  Leadership and execution are the keys to overcoming the potential pitfalls of industrial digitization, a process that redundant technology can hinder.Continue Reading

• How managed service operations are adapting to a pandemic

  IT service providers are deeply involved in curbing the pandemic's disruptions to U.S. businesses. Learn how companies have uncovered hidden strengths and new service offerings.Continue Reading

• Rookie MSP marketing mistakes and how to fix them

  Marketing is a stumbling block for most MSPs. Use these tips to resolve a range of problems involving company websites, marketing plans and advertising investments.Continue Reading

• ServiceNow implementation upgrades reinsurer's finance unit

  In 2017, Accenture embarked on an unconventional ServiceNow deployment on behalf of global reinsurer Scor. Learn how the implementation helped modernize Scor's finance department.Continue Reading

• Top tips for providing co-managed IT services

  Co-managed IT services give MSPs an opportunity to partner with the internal IT staff of their clients. Get insight into how to successfully implement a CoMITS offering.Continue Reading

• FedRAMP authorization and the quest for a better process

  Service providers and consultancies are among the organizations attempting to build a better way to get cloud-authorized under the government's FedRAMP program.Continue Reading

• MSP software vendors play catch-up with security threats

  Hackers have exploited MSP software tools such as remote monitoring and management as a conduit for cyberattacks, leading some vendors to issue new security measures and resources.Continue Reading

• Addressing the data problem in a DevOps world

  There's a data problem underlying the shift to the cloud, cloud-native applications and the demands of the DevOps world. Insight's Jeff Bozic discusses the issues.Continue Reading

• Business-driven security: Consultants help clients play catch-up

  Digital transformation projects and other sophisticated tech initiatives call for integrated security. IT service firms are addressing the gap between security and business teams.Continue Reading

• Robotic process automation market needs provider boost to accelerate

  RPA vendors, service providers and their customers must find ways to overcome time-consuming tasks and bottlenecks to accelerate the technology's enterprise adoption.Continue Reading

• Hackers target MSPs, but not all are prepared

  Managed service provider security is being put to the test as hackers target MSPs with increasing frequency. Even a relatively simple attack can compromise a service provider.Continue Reading

• 5 Microsoft Azure managed services to grow your channel business

  Andy Syrewicze, a former MSP engineer and current Microsoft MVP, detailed five Azure solutions that service providers can offer their clients. The packages run from the simple to the visionary.Continue Reading

• How the channel can help fight bias in AI applications

  Customers' AI applications pose the risk of producing prejudiced results. Channel firms, however, can step in to educate organizations and reduce harmful biases within AI systems.Continue Reading

• How to succeed at managed services marketing

  The marketing formula at service provider DynTek includes executive briefings, messaging around innovation and transformation, and a blend of traditional and digital techniques.Continue Reading

• How to manage Windows 7 user accounts and groups

  Whether your customers operate in a workgroup or a domain/Active Directory environment, user account setup and group memberships control their rights, permissions and roles.Continue Reading

• Cloud migration planning: Assess workloads now to avoid trouble later

  Organizations that take the time to assess workloads, identify dependencies and educate themselves on cloud security tools can set a smooth path for a public cloud deployment.Continue Reading

• Applying AI: Accenture exec cites customer opportunities

  Mike Sutcliff, group chief executive at Accenture Digital, talks about the challenges of applying AI, digital thread and augmented reality to real-world business issues.Continue Reading

• Ease the MSP talent acquisition process with these tips

  For Eric Hobbs, the key to the talent acquisition process is to recruit prospective employees early and often. Hobbs is CEO at Technology Associates, a managed service provider (MSP) in Cary, North ...Continue Reading

• Channel execs grapple with IT security staffing challenges

  Channel firms say security talent is hard to find and expensive to acquire. Learn how executives are overcoming the cybersecurity skills gap.Continue Reading

• Why TIC Gums chose a cloud computing disaster recovery plan

  After a manufacturer recognized the risks in having its systems and data located onsite, the company implemented a cloud computing disaster recovery plan with the help of a channel partner.Continue Reading

• Video game industry: A hyper-converged infrastructure market

  InData, a virtual and physical IT infrastructure partner, has discovered a hyper-converged infrastructure market in the video game industry.Continue Reading

• Channel partners help SaaS provider enter overseas markets

  OneLogin needed a way to enter overseas markets. The company decided cultivating relationships with channel partners was the best method.Continue Reading

• Flawed channel data management may result in partner overpayments

  Erroneous sales data may pose potential conflicts between some vendors and their partners; however, most vendors seem more interested in keeping the peace.Continue Reading

• Three tips for dealing with the IT labor shortage

  IT companies should seek out motivated workers, commit to continuous learning and invest in employee well-being to minimize the effects of the IT labor shortfall.Continue Reading

• SD-WAN: Providers could see strong growth, but face hurdles

  The SD-WAN market beckons with high-growth potential, but channel partners must confront incomplete feature sets, training requirements and market consolidation.Continue Reading

• Ransomware infections: Channel toils to defend besieged customers

  Channel partners are working with customers on ransomware defense strategies and risk mitigation amid a rising tide of costly and disruptive infections.Continue Reading

• MSP ticketing system: Autotask's new UI draws round of applause

  Autotask's new ticketing system user interface ranked among the top developments at the company's annual partner conference. Channel companies tell why.Continue Reading

• Ask the expert: How to navigate a law firm's IT committee

  Pitching your services to a law firm's IT committee can be challenging, but there are ways to get your message across, according to Andrew Harrover of Matrix Computer Consulting.Continue Reading

• Software robots transforming IT services industry

  IT service providers, particularly large, global outsourcing firms, are helping customers deploy robotic process automation and also using the technology internally.Continue Reading

• Vology's transition toward an integrator business model

  Vology has used a combination of acquisitions and organic growth as it transitions from a product-oriented approach to an IT services provider business model.Continue Reading

• Tech OEMs: Gray market goods are a growing concern

  The gray market revisited: A KPMG report explores whether the sale of gray market products has decreased since 2008 when economic conditions proved conducive to unauthorized sales channels.Continue Reading

• Cisco wants channel partners to Engage with digital marketing

  Marketing may not be a channel strength, but Cisco hopes to help partners adopt digital marketing practices.Continue Reading

• IT migration case study: Partner helps downsize data center

  HighVail, an IT consulting and professional services firm, helped Empire Life downsize its data center, migrate business applications and create a new disaster recovery site.Continue Reading

• Integrating legacy systems, hybrid clouds: Channel partner tips

  Channel partners need not flinch at legacy systems and cloud integration. An application audit, attention to latency issues and a solid connectivity model can help ease the task.Continue Reading

• IT security tutorial: Channel partner tips for new tech

  In this IT security tutorial, we outline security concerns and mitigation strategies for software-defined networking, hyper-converged infrastructure and the Internet of Things.Continue Reading

• MDF funds: How MSPs can get their cut of the marketing money

  Market development funds are there for the asking. Learning the details of individual programs -- and demonstrating sales and technical strength -- can help you get your shareContinue Reading

• Partners avoid liability issues with channel customer contracts

  Channel partners must ensure they make customer contracts they can abide by. The managing attorney of InfoTech Law Advocates outlines a number of common liability issues.Continue Reading

• Outdated technology: A channel partner challenge

  Channel companies find no shortage of out-of-date technologies -- from Windows Server 2003 machines to aging Unix systems -- in their customer's data centers.Continue Reading

• How to overcome resistance to change: Four tips for channel partners

  Resistance to change is only natural, but channel partners can look for early adopters and clearly state a new technology's benefits to sway clients.Continue Reading

• Healthcare vertical market: How partners can help clients master BI

  Healthcare providers are awash in data in light of electronic health records. Partners, however, can help clients leverage their information with BI tools.Continue Reading

• Channel partners see customers uncloud: Reverse cloud migration strategy

  Channel partners report that a small but increasing number of customers are moving some or all of their applications off the cloud.Continue Reading

• Five tips to mitigate the risk of a cloud outage

  Selling cloud-based services? These five tips can help service providers mitigate the risk of a cloud outage.Continue Reading

• Ten mistakes to avoid in cloud or MSP business model transitions

  The process of transitioning to the cloud or MSP business model can run smoother if channel partners avoid these 10 missteps.Continue Reading

• How to explain managed services pricing to customers

  The managed services model is better -- and more lucrative -- than the break/fix model because it represents an alignment between your goals and your customers' goals.Continue Reading

• Working with your IT channel account manager

  Get partner and vendor insight on the relationship between your company and your IT vendor's channel account manager.Continue Reading

• Big data consulting services top analytics opportunities for channel

  There's a lot of untapped potential around big data consulting services and hardware. The trick is uncovering the business problems big data solves.Continue Reading

• How to become a Microsoft partner, and Microsoft Partner Network details

  Find out how to become a Microsoft partner in this description of the MPN, which includes changes to the program effective in January 2014.Continue Reading

• Cloud demands new IT organizational structure: How providers can help

  Enterprises don't build true private clouds because most IT organizations aren't structured for them. Cloud providers can help customers get there.Continue Reading

• End-user experience monitoring is key to SaaS provider success

  As customers expect the SaaS model to deliver equal performance to local apps, end-user experience monitoring becomes a core capability for providers.Continue Reading

• Are customers happy? How SaaS providers can use Apdex to find out

  Application response time is key to the user experience, but what's a 'good' response time? SaaS providers can use the Apdex formula to find out.Continue Reading

• VAR marketing strategy: Focus on customer outcomes

  VAR marketing professionals must stay focused on the success of customers. Get advice for keeping that tenet top of mind.Continue Reading

• What are the main challenges associated with DRaaS SLAs?

  Cloud providers must cover security, access control and restoration time when negotiating DRaaS SLAs with customers, says cloud expert Mooney Sherman.Continue Reading

• Disaster recovery in the cloud: What do customers expect in an SLA?

  Crafting an SLA for DR in the cloud requires providers to address several issues up front with customers, according to cloud expert Mooney Sherman.Continue Reading

• Five best practices for developing a successful cloud partner program

  Developing an effective channel program requires taking a look at policies around recruiting, incentivizing and communicating with cloud partners.Continue Reading

• Cloud broker skills in higher demand as cloud adoption gains momentum

  The cloud broker becomes more crucial as enterprise cloud adoption grows, giving providers, integrators and partners an opening to fill that role.Continue Reading

• Data as a Service opportunities for solution providers

  Learn about Data as a Service, how it works, its benefits and drawbacks for customers, and the opportunities it presents to IT solution providers.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V cluster: Basic points for customers

  Learn about the most important factors for a Server 2012 Hyper-V cluster, including Failover Clustering, Cluster Shared Volumes and more.Continue Reading

• Building targeted cloud services with software developers as partners

  Operators entering the cloud market need to target business customer needs and consider software developer partners for higher revenue SaaS offerings.Continue Reading

• How transparent should a provider be with its cloud security policy?

  Cloud security policy should make procedures clear without revealing all the technology at work, says cloud expert Mooney Sherman.Continue Reading

• DBaaS pros and cons for solution providers

  A DBaaS has feature and other limitations, but it brings shorter sales cycles, reduced startup costs, recurring revenue streams and more customers.Continue Reading

• VoIP phone services for customers with on-premises and remote VDI

  Adding VoIP phone services for customers with on-premises and remote VDI can lessen reliance on cell phones, improve service integration and more.Continue Reading

• Cloud computing cost savings: Fact or fiction?

  When articulating cloud computing cost savings to customers, most providers don't realize that they're focusing on the wrong angle.Continue Reading

• HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance addresses massive data needs

  The HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance can manage from 30 TB to 600 TB of data in a preconfigured bundle.Continue Reading

• Biometric authentication methods: Comparing smartphone biometrics

  Biometric authentication helps ensure only authorized smartphone users can access a network. David Jacobs weighs the pros and cons of three methods.Continue Reading

• Unified storage architecture approaches: Modular vs. integrated

  Find out what the considerations are for VARs with customers looking for both file and block storage in a single device.Continue Reading

• The risk of using Windows kernel-mode drivers in systems management

  Windows kernel-mode drivers can pose risks if used in IT efficiency systems management tools.Continue Reading

• All-flash storage systems: Types and use cases

  Learn about all-flash appliances and all-flash storage arrays, as well as the scenarios they're best suited for.Continue Reading

• Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) terms you need to know

  Providers planning to offer DRaaS should brush up on their disaster recovery vocab and understand what works best in the cloud.Continue Reading

• Planning cloud disaster recovery services and avoiding the pain points

  Providers looking at cloud disaster recovery services should examine the potential customer base, the challenges and partnership opportunities.Continue Reading

• Using VMM 2012 to add Hyper-V servers to trusted and untrusted domains

  Learn how to add Hyper-V servers to trusted and untrusted domains using Microsoft Virtual Machine Manager 2012 in this chapter excerpt.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Sync Framework services for mobile device data management

  Solutions providers can find success using the Microsoft Sync Framework to help SMBs with mobile workers that aren't constantly connected to a network.Continue Reading

• Cloud computing trends: Three reasons skeptics aren't adopting cloud

  The hype around cloud computing trends doesn't match adoption rates. Learn three reasons skeptics are resisting the cloud and how you can win them over.Continue Reading

• Selling government IT solutions: Challenges and opportunities

  Partners are finding business opportunities in selling government IT solutions despite tight budgets and learning curves in the government sector.Continue Reading

• What is the cloud's role in machine-to-machine (M2M) services?

  The cloud can play a vital role in bringing M2M services to market more quickly for service providers, says TM Forum CEO Martin Creaner.Continue Reading

• Guiding customers through cloud automation platform selection

  Cloud-shopping customers need help with cloud selection, and IT solution providers can guide them in the selection of a cloud automation platform.Continue Reading

• Creating a virtual machine template in vCenter Server

  Learn how to create a virtual machine template, update the template and deploy a VM from a template in vCenter Server.Continue Reading

• Linux HA cluster tool evolution in SUSE and Red Hat

  The pool of Linux HA cluster options is narrowing as Pacemaker becomes the preferred choice for SUSE, Ubuntu and Red Hat.Continue Reading

• Selling next-generation firewalls: Overcoming resistance, challenges

  Partners can find new business opportunities in helping customers understand the need for next-generation firewalls.Continue Reading

• Cloning virtual machines in vCenter Server

  Learn how to identify and clone virtual machines in vCenter Server, from the parameter selection in vSphere 5 to the actual steps to creating the clone.Continue Reading

• Cloud business intelligence tools offer SQL Azure Reporting alternatives

  SQL Azure Reporting’s limitations may disappoint some customers, but solution providers can step in and offer other cloud business intelligence tools.Continue Reading

• Better cloud application response time: An overview of partner options

  Cloud application response time is a sticking point for customers, but not all providers have the capital to build a CDN from scratch. Partnerships may be a sound alternative.Continue Reading

• V2V conversion using VMDK to VHD Converter

  If your VMware customers are interested in Microsoft Hyper-V, you can use the VMDK to VHD Converter tool to perform a V2V conversion and migrate VMs.Continue Reading

• 'Big data' technologies to address retention, performance and capacity requirements

  Read up on how ‘big data’ technologies from companies such as RainStor, GridIron and Quantum are addressing challenges around retention, performance and capacity.Continue Reading

• Five ways your VDI implementation can fail

  Solution providers can win with VDI solution sales, but failure to communicate with customers and manage expectations can kill a VDI implementation.Continue Reading

• Microsoft System Center 2012 add-ons ease management issues

  Microsoft System Center 2012 contains several add-on products that VARs can use to help customers manage and enhance their Windows system.Continue Reading

• Using DMARC to improve DKIM and SPF email antispam effectiveness

  DMARC aids the DKIM and SPF protocols that help keep spam out and let legitimate emails in. David Jacobs explains how.Continue Reading

• Active Directory management services: cleanup and optimization

  If you think there’s no demand for Active Directory management services, think again. Active Directory cleanup and optimization services can be valuable to your customers.Continue Reading

• Using SQL Azure Reporting Services to offer data analysis services

  By adding Azure Reporting Services to your line card, you can provide customers with easy data analysis services. SQL Azure Reporting information can benefit your company, too.Continue Reading

• Monetizing the cloud: Differentiate services through cloud billing

  Cloud billing should not be underestimated as a differentiator. But before cloud providers can achieve that, they must understand competitors' capabilities and customer needs.Continue Reading

• Selling public sector IT solutions forces partners to do some homework

  The need for public sector IT solutions is growing due to developing network activity, but can partners must be ready to commit to longer sales cycles and other complications.Continue Reading

• Tape archiving: Which customers are a good fit?

  Find out why tape archiving -- for both large customers and small ones -- is worth another look by VARs who might have lost interest in tape in favor of disk-based or cloud-based archiving.Continue Reading

• Tools for mainframe storage management

  Learn about the products that are available to help your customers handle mainframe storage management tasks from companies such as BMC, CA, EMC and IBM.Continue Reading