Opinion

Opinion

Cloud Computing Services

• MicroScope at 40: The collapse of civilisation, time travel, and things that did not happen

  Long time MicroScope contributor Nick Booth looks back over the history of the magazine and ponders on which expectations failed to be realised  Continue Reading

• How can business manage the financial cost of rail strikes?

  Colin Dean, major accounts director at M-Files, offers some advice for those struggling with the transport strikes  Continue Reading

• Threat hunting for MSPs

  Iratxe Vazquez, senior product marketing manager at WatchGuard, provides top tips for managed service providers to help their customers stay one step ahead of the cyber criminals  Continue Reading

• MicroScope at 40: Billy MacInnes looks back

  The former editor of MicroScope shares his memories about his time covering the channel  Continue Reading

• How can MSPs minimise the risk of supply chain attacks?

  Jaime Arze, manager II of third-party risk at Datto, shares some thoughts on how managed service providers can avoid becoming the weak links in the supply chain  Continue Reading

• How can managed service providers remain competitive?

  Anthony Lamoureux, CEO of Velocity Smart, shares his thoughts about how an MSP can stand out from the crowd  Continue Reading

• Things sound good now, but will they stay that way?

  Broadcom is making the right noises to the channel after its acquisition of VMware, but Billy MacInnes has heard these sorts of positive soundings before  Continue Reading

• Predictions for the manufacturing industry in 2022 and beyond

  Jason Chester, director of global channel programmes at InfinityQS, provides his thoughts on what we can expect to see from the manufacturing industry over the next 12 months and beyond  Continue Reading

• The cyber risk threat landscape to MSPs and SMEs

  Ryan Weeks, CISO at Datto, shares his thoughts about what is happening in the market from a security point of view  Continue Reading

• Emerging digital service models: Addressing the need to prevent downtime

  Schneider Electric UK and Ireland’s channel director shares his views about the opportunities for the channel on ensuring systems remain powered  Continue Reading

• Lessons learnt and what lies ahead – security concerns in the channel

  Neil Langridge, marketing director at e92plus, shares insights into what lessons the cyber security world can take from 2021 to better inform against threats in 2022  Continue Reading

• Circle of distrust: the security challenge for managed service providers

  The life of a managed service provider is tough, and the rise in security challenges could be set to make it tougher, with MSPs having to work hard to gain partner trust  Continue Reading

• Channel partners can leverage the subscription economy to grow

  Roman Rudolf, vice-president, strategy and services at Tech Data Europe, shares his thoughts about how the channel can get the most out of subscription models  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing in the public sector: a distant dream or the near future?

  The public sector has been slow to embrace public cloud, but Mark Vivian, CEO at Claremont, wonders if that might change soon  Continue Reading

• Bye ‘buy’ baby: subscription services are the future

  We take a look at the changing face of IT consumption  Continue Reading

• XaaS has reached the tipping point

  There are signs from vendors, research from the GTDC and other developments that all point to this being the moment when anything-as-a-service goes mainstream  Continue Reading

• VMware was the crown jewel in the EMC deal

  As Dell announces plans to spin off VMware, Billy MacInnes casts an eye over the latest development  Continue Reading

• The cyber security channel – what’s in store for 2021?

  Ben Richardson, head of channel EMEA at Forcepoint, shares his thoughts about what cyber security could look like in the year ahead  Continue Reading

• Ransomware has MSPs in its sights

  Peter Geytenbeek, senior manager of channels EMEA at Thycotic, shares a warning about the need for managed service providers to take their own security seriously  Continue Reading

• The problems of brand association

  Billy MacInnes wonders whether SolarWinds MSP partners might have been asked some questions over the past few weeks  Continue Reading

• How has the cloud changed life? Let's ask a vendor and channel player

  The cloud has changed the way many of us operate, and Nick Booth has gone out to take a closer look via a couple of examples  Continue Reading

• Why consultation helps IT service providers keep customers for longer

  Managed service providers need to focus on the ‘partner’ aspect of their role, says Mav Turner, group vice-president of products for SolarWinds MSP  Continue Reading

• Covid-19 pandemic highlights a crisis of data

  Paul Evans, CEO of Redstor, shares his views about why he feels the ‘new normal’ offers unprecedented opportunities  Continue Reading

• The sustainability challenge

  Epson research indicates that users do care about sustainability, but it's not as easy as just tapping into that sentiment  Continue Reading

• How the GSI partner model has supported customers with distributed workforces

  Adam Tarbox, director of the global system integrator business for EMEA at Nutanix, shares his thoughts about the impact of the pandemic and the GSI partner model  Continue Reading

• Four disciplines for maintaining staff productivity to meet service level agreements in pandemic

  Datto’s vice-president of engineering for remote monitoring and management, Ian van Reenen, shares some views about productivity during the current crisis  Continue Reading

• Providing more value to your customers over time

  Maintaining your client base means your technology offerings, services and reporting must evolve  Continue Reading

• What will the next phase of working look like due to Covid-19?

  Andy Jane, CTO at Olive Communications, looks back at the past couple of weeks as the UK has been on lockdown to see how businesses have coped during the initial stage of the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis  Continue Reading

• How managed services can help SME security teams take back their time

  For those uncertain about investing in managed services in 2020, doing so could be the answer to freeing up your IT team to turn its attention to areas where it’s needed most. In the first of a three-part series, we look at the services you will need  Continue Reading

• Zero clients: The future of mobile security for the channel?

  As cyber attacks and security breaches continue to grow, IT managers are seeking new ways to secure their critical business data. While thin clients have been a good option in the past, they have limited benefits for remote working. That is where ...  Continue Reading

• Digital transformation for print: Four traps to avoid

  In the final part of her series on the world of print, Nicola Narey looks at how print providers can keep on the straight and narrow  Continue Reading

• Moving with the times – how PSPs can adapt their skills for the digital age

  In the first part of her two-part series on the world of print, Quadient’s Nicola Narey shares her views on why print service providers need to evolve their businesses  Continue Reading

• Distribution model is alive and well

  Warren Buffett’s interest in Tech Data represents a very strong endorsement of distribution and the channel’s role  Continue Reading

• Opportunities and threats with Microsoft 365 Business Voice

  The latest announcement from Microsoft brings significant business benefits and increased revenue to its resellers  Continue Reading

• Digital transformation: How far are we really in the journey?

  Are customers really in as much of a hurry to digitally transform as the shrillest advocates of the technology would like us to believe?  Continue Reading

• Will IAM make you more secure in a less secure world?

  There are growing opportunities for the channel with identity and access management, as migration to hybrid environments gains pace  Continue Reading

• The five challenges SMEs face due to poor internet connectivity

  What are the leading problems for small to medium-sized enterprises when it comes to internet connectivity?  Continue Reading

• Westcoast and iland present a tale of two disties

  Talking to just a couple of distributors reveals the evolution and determination from those firms to remain ahead of the market  Continue Reading

• Supporting intelligent workspaces

  As new technology continues to drive new ways of working, IT departments need support in facilitating the flexibility and connectivity demanded by today’s tech-savvy workforce  Continue Reading

• Are you ready to trade with the world on Brexit day?

  While some claim there are no freight management systems in place to help businesses trade after Brexit, the vendors of such systems – both traditional and newer, more user-friendly versions – would disagree  Continue Reading

• The hybrid cloud and clearing technical debt

  When done properly, hybrid infrastructure can deliver efficiency, cost savings and performance, but with so many options available, good advice from a channel partner is key to achieving these benefits  Continue Reading

• What makes a great managed security service provider?

  With an increasingly challenging threat landscape, being a successful MSSP can be a struggle. Making sure customers stay safe is critical to the success of your business, which is why understanding what makes a great MSSP is crucial for you to be ...  Continue Reading

• Securing SD-WAN – beyond the base level

  Software-defined networks has sophisticated security features built in, but additional layers of security are required to ensure robust protection against increasingly advanced cyber threats  Continue Reading

• What are the risks of not responding to a critical alarm in time?

  When selling management tools, managed service providers need to educate users about the importance of acting on the alarms generated by such equipment  Continue Reading

• Apstra stops the cyber criminals from loitering with intent

  Intent-based networking fine-tunes all the complicated variables that influence the performance of a network infrastructure and can head off any potential cock-ups  Continue Reading

• Shifting business model to benefit from the rise in cloud

  Channel partners will need to undergo their own version of digital transformation to take full advantage of the shift to cloud  Continue Reading

• A bridge too VAR

  The expedition from VAR to MSP is not short of challenges but, equipped with the right map, ambitious companies can feel more confident in getting past first base. In the second part of his series, Predatar CEO Alistair Mackenzie takes a closer look...  Continue Reading

• Ransomware and the danger of MSP lock-out

  Recent attacks on managed service providers have highlighted remote monitoring and management vulnerabilities, reinforcing the need for a security-centric approach in MSPs’ foundational practices  Continue Reading

• VAR from the madding crowd

  Predatar’s CEO reflects on the transformation from VAR to MSP, highlighting some of the key milestones and the obvious pitfalls to avoid  Continue Reading

• Help us to help you – how the customer-first model helps you empower your business

  We are in the middle of the fourth industrial revolution, with technologies such as the internet of things, data analytics, artificial intelligence and cloud-based business management tools a regular talking point. But technology alone won’t solve ...  Continue Reading

• What has the channel ever done for digital transformation?

  How the channel can play an important role in the drive for digital transformation  Continue Reading

• Channelling the cloud – building healthy CSP relationships

  Creating a successful relationship with cloud service providers is essential for channel partners looking to increase their cloud portfolio. iLand 's director of channel sales has five tips to make the most of the opportunity  Continue Reading

• Insight 2019 technology predictions

  Michael Guggemos, CIO of Insight, shares his thoughts about what will be the key issues for the channel in the months ahead  Continue Reading

• Tech Data’s Advanced Solutions: 2019 channel predictions

  Miriam Murphy, Senior Vice President EMEA , Advanced & Specialist Solutions at Tech Data shares some thoughts about what next year will hold  Continue Reading

• Improving processes with the cloud

  Dominik Birgelen, CEO of oneclick, has some advice for those looking to harness the cloud to improve their operations  Continue Reading

• There's a cloud partner to cover every need

  The recent Cloud Industry Forum report into how customers spend their money on infrastructure caught the attention of Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Are the good old days coming back?

  Long lunches and conversations of substance are things that Nick Booth hopes will return  Continue Reading

• Nuxeo aims to help companies with problems of subject access review and digital transformation

  Subject access reviews cost money and Nick Booth finds someone that not only understands how to save customers a few pennies but also how to help the channel make some  Continue Reading

• What has HP Inc got in common with Manchester City and Chelsea FC?

  Comments made by the HP boss about the context of the recent acquisition of Apogee got Billy MacInnes thinking about other operations that buy strategically to deny rivals  Continue Reading

• Virtustream is about to get biblical on the channel and its Aas

  The vendor gathered the great and the good together to outline its cloud strategy and Nick Booth was in the audience  Continue Reading

• MSP Day 2018 - Only the beginning

  Jason Howells, EMEA Director, Barracuda MSP, shares his views about building on the success of the first MSP Day  Continue Reading

• AI Cops Walk the Thin Line Between Fin Tech and Fiend Tech

  Steps are being taken to ensure that AI and machine learning do not damage consumers finds Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• You don’t need to treat clients mean to keep them keen, says WP Engine

  The technology that made WordPress so easy to use is something that has caught Nick Booth's eye  Continue Reading

• Considerations on a European channel strategy

  Brad Parks, VP of business development at Morpheus Data, shares some of the thoughts that go through then mind of a vendor looking at increasing European channel coverage  Continue Reading

• The rise of IoT

  Craig Smith, director IoT and analytics solutions and services at Tech Data, shares his thoughts about the rise of the Internet of Things  Continue Reading

• 5 growing pains MSPs need to overcome

  Gregg Lalle, vice-president of international sales and strategy at ConnectWise, explores the business challenges that confront MSPs as they endeavour to scale their businesses without compromising the customer experience  Continue Reading

• Cloud appeals come rain or shine

  The recent hot weather got Billy MacInnes thinking about the benefits of paying for what you use  Continue Reading

• Looking beyond MSP Day to year-round sales opportunities

  Later this month the first MSP Day will be marked but supporting and encouraging managed service providers is not a one-off exercise argues Jason Howells at Barracuda MSP  Continue Reading

• Are resellers ready for the race to multi-cloud?

  Multi-cloud is here to stay and could offer resellers a chance to stand out from the crowd if they can rise to the challenge  Continue Reading

• Giving the NHS some IT treatment

  There are plenty of things that could help the NHS save money by using IT finds Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Hugging hardware is outdated - the new trend is cuddling a cloud

  The world is changing and as Nick Booth finds out after a chat with Arcserve the days of stroking the tin is coming to an end  Continue Reading

• There is no Margin for Error in Azure it’s Strictly Bill Room

  Nick Booth finds some inspiration in what Microsoft partner Astel Systems has been doing to deliver cloud services  Continue Reading

• Continuing in the face of disaster

  Paul Blore, managing director at Netmetix, cloud network specialists, writes about the importance of business continuity and how businesses can best implement it  Continue Reading