Building a Business on Dynamics CRM Online the MSP Market: 5 Questions (And Answers)
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RCPmag.com ✱ November 2009 Some of the IT industry’y s top innovators are within striking distance of retirement. A llookk at whhatt thhat means ffor them, theiir Passing companiies and the chhannell. PLUS Building a Business on Dynamics CRM Online The MSP Market: 5 Questions (and Answers) NUMBER 11 ✱ SMB Nation Steps Away from Redmond DeGroot on the Promise of Services Ready VOLUME 4 VOLUME Project8 7/3/08 12:42 PM Page 1 Project8 7/3/08 12:44 PM Page 2 %" ) %" "' $ $ ! '"% #$"$ &$ '$ %### $ # %$ # " + " # $,* $ " %! $ ## !" $")$ $ $ !$$ %$ %#$") #$"# " # $, "&", #)#$# " " # $ #! !$$ # '" "# "% !($)* ' &" $ #$ !" " !" " $ %#$") $ &"! !"#$! ! $% "#$ ! %)" &$ $$ % !,# $ #! #(# &%&##$ '#$&$ #!$!% ! !,# $ # $)$%$ ! *&# (% ! % $%!# %$ ""%! $!%(# &$ $$ % )% $!%(# $ %## ! + #%$ #$#' $!%(# &$ $$ % )% $!%(# $ %## ! + #%$ #$#' Project1 10/9/09 11:16 AM Page 1 Spent thousands on tape drive hardware? 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Inside NOVEMBER 2009 ✱ VOLUME 4 ✱ NUMBER 11 DEPARTMENTS 9 Channel Report PULSE: SMB Partners Hedge Their Bets ........................9 CRM: Cisco, Salesforce.com Go After SMBs Together ... 10 DYNAMICS: What Recent Acquisitions Signal About Microsoft’s ERP Strategy ............................................. 11 UPGRADE: Less of a Need for Partners in Dynamics NAV 2009 SP1? ........................................................... 11 ROADMAP: Data Protection Manager 2010 Beta Released ............................................................. 12 MOBILE: Takeaways from the Windows Phone Launch ............................................................. 12 OUTLOOK: Ballmer Promotes ‘New Effi ciency’ Vision for IT ................................................................ 13 GOLD CLUB: Meet the companies that have recently reached Microsoft’s top partner level .......................... 13 COLUMNS DIRECTIONS: Paul DeGroot Ready, Set ... Wait and See .......................................... 40 SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION Partner’s Guide to Backup and Recovery 16 Parsing a spate of recent IT industry reports shows bright spots amid the general gloom of the storage market— especially in the cloud. FEATURES 16 Passing the Torch 24 Some of the IT industry's top innovators are within striking distance of retirement age. We look at what that means for them, their companies and the channel. 24 Racking up Online Deals For Pelagic Solutions Inc., launching a business atop Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online leads to 78 deals in a year. 30 5 Questions About the MSP Market Steve Bowles The essential questions parnters have about the managed services of Pelagic market have some surprising answers. It may still be a good time to Solutions Inc. is become an MSP. building success atop Dynamics CRM Online. IN EVERY ISSUE 4 RCPmag.com 8 Channel Watch 39 RCP Index COVER ILLUSTRATION BY JON VALK > RCPmag.com NOVEMBER 2009 Redmond Channel Partner 3 What’s ChannelRedmond Partner RCPmag.com OnLine November 2009 + Volume 4 + Number 11 EDITORIAL STAFF Vice President, Editorial Director Doug Barney @RCPmag.com Editor in Chief Scott Bekker Managing Editor Wendy Gonchar Associate Managing Editor Katrina Carrasco ONLINE EXCLUSIVE BLOGS ART STAFF Creative Director Scott Shultz ESJ.COM SALARY SURVEY Senior Graphic Designer Alan Tao Top IT managers who work with RCPU ONLINE/DIGITAL MEDIA mainframes can expect to earn Editor, RCPmag.com & signifi cantly more than other Stay tuned to channel Executive Editor, New Media Michael Domingo IT executives, according to the news with the Redmond Executive Editor, Web Initiatives Becky Nagel latest salary survey by ESJ.com. Online News Editor Kurt Mackie Channel Partner Update Of ESJ.com's readers—a mix Editor, RCP Update Lee Pender Associate Editor, Web Gladys Rama of mainframe, data center, e-mail newsletter, written Web Producer Shane Lee server and other enterprise by Lee Pender. Web Developer Rohan Christian IT professionals —CIOs and ON THE RELEASE OF MICROSOFT vice presidents in mainframe SECURITY ESSENTIALS environments reported the Given Microsoft’s record (or lack thereof) of releasing highest average base salary President Henry Allain quality anti-virus wares, we’re not quite ready to scarf of $232,700 per year. Those Vice President, Publishing Matt N. Morollo down Microsoft’s free bowl of sugary Security Essentials, Director, Marketing Michele Imgrund with the same title who work and we fi gure that most partners and users won’t be, Online Marketing Director Tracy S. Cook in AIX/Unix environments either. What’s more disturbing here, of course, is that averaged $173,500, followed by Microsoft seems once again to be trying to undercut $148,600 for those in midrange some of its most important partners and dominate environments and $114,600 President & yet another market. In this case, though, Symantec, Chief Executive Offi cer Neal Vitale in non-mainframe Windows McAfee and friends aren’t likely to be too worried about Senior Vice President & environments Chief Financial Offi cer Richard Vitale Redmond’s play -- for now. Still, it’s not the nicest In general, the survey found Executive Vice President Michael J. Valenti gesture Microsoft ever made to its third-party partners, the average CIO/vice president but then Microsoft didn’t get where it is today by being Vice President, Finance salary for 2009 is $150,340, up nice. FindIT code: PenderA1109 & Administration Christopher M. Coates slightly over 2008's average Vice President, Digital Media, Audience Marketing & of $149,000. However, the aver- Web Operations Abraham M. Langer age bonus earned with these ON MICROSOFT, GOOGLE AND LOS ANGELES Vice President, titles dropped from $28,500 to [It] has come down to a choice between two contenders: Information Technology Erik A. Lindgren Microsoft Offi ce and Google Apps ... From what we can Vice President, $18,000 this year. Attendee Marketing Carmel McDonagh tell, this isn’t just a Microsoft-Google battle. This is an Donwload the PDF version Director, Print Production Jenny Hernandez of the 2009 survey to read the on-site vs. cloud computing showdown. This is old-school, entire breakdown by titles. reliable Offi ce vs. cheaper, intriguing but still somewhat Chairman of the Board Jeff rey S. Klein FindIT code: ESJSS enigmatic Google Apps. FindIT code: PenderB1109 Reaching the Staff Staff may be reached via e-mail, telephone, fax, or mail. BY THE NUMBERS A list of editors and contact information is also available online at RCPmag.com. E-mail: To e-mail any member of the staff , please use the following form: [email protected] Framingham Offi ce (weekdays, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET) Expected amount of managed-services Telephone 508-875-6644; Fax 508-875-6633 $ spending by small and midsize 600 Worcester Road, Suite 204, Framingham, MA 01702 businesses* worldwide in 2009. Irvine Offi ce (weekdays, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT) 14 . 3 * DEFINED AS COMPANIES WITH FEWER Telephone 949-265-1520; Fax 949-265-1528 billion THAN 1,000 EMPLOYEES 16261 Laguna Canyon Road, Suite 130, Irvine, CA 92618 Corporate Offi ce (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. PT) Telephone 818-734-1520; Fax 818-734-1528 SOURCE: TECHAISLE 9121 Oakdale Avenue, Suite 101, Chatsworth, CA 91311 Redmond Channel Partner The opinions expressed within the articles and other contents FINDIT CODES herein do not necessarily express those of the publisher You’ll see FindIT codes embedded throughout Redmond Channel Partner. Simply type these into the FindIT code box on any RCPmag.com page and you’ll jump directly to the desired information. (Note that all FindIT codes are one word, and they are not case-sensitive. 4 Redmond Channel Partner NOVEMBER 2009 RCPmag.com Project2 9/14/09 10:14 AM Page 1 Windows®. Life without Walls™. Lenovo recommends Windows. INCREASE YOUR BOTTOM-LINE FIVE TIMES. As a Lenovo® Business Partner, you can increase your bottom-line, up to 5 times, by offering your customers essential options and accessories along with their ThinkPad® notebooks, powered by Intel® Core™2 Duo processors.