Paglo: SaaS and Managed Services at $1 Per Device
Lennon and McCartney. Peanut butter and jelly. Managed services and software as a service (SaaS): The next great duo? Perhaps. Plenty of MSP software remains on-premise by design. But Paglo today becomes the latest in a growing list of companies launching SaaS-oriented MSP software. And the Paglo approach apparently starts at $1 per managed device per month.
Paglo, which positions itself as the search engine for IT, has launched an Impact Partner Program for MSPs and channel partners. The company says the software service has no minimum commitments or start-up fees and starts at $1 US per managed device per month. Is that low-ball price a gimmick? Check in with Paglo directly and let me know your conclusions.
Paglo CEO Brian de Haaff demonstrated the software for me on January 19. Paglo's widget-based user interface — similar to viewing Google Analytics and many modern SaaS platforms — seemed fast and responsive. de Haaff says the software is designed to discover and track all networked devices, including Windows, Unix, Linux and Mac systems. For more information, check out http://www.paglo.com/consultants and look for the Impact Partner Program.
Larger SaaS Trend
The shift to SaaS in managed services reached a critical mass in 2008 and will likely accelerate this year.
- Autotask's Professional Services Automation (PSA) software is entirely SaaS-driven, excluding a few VARs that insist on on-premise deployments.
- Level Platforms is widely deployed in a Master MSP model, where established MSPs host the software for VARs and aspiring MSPs.
- N-able CEO Gavin Garbutt told me in mid-2008 that half of the company's latest sales involved SaaS deployments.
- Kaseya is planning an aggressive SaaS push this year, with specific details still pending.
- Ingram Micro Seismic continues to host a growing range of options for MSPs.
Meanwhile, other companies are developing hybrid approaches — where selected MSP products are deployed on-premise but managed via a cloud approach. Examples include:
- itControl Suite, which recently won business from MSP Services Network (MSPSN).
- Fonality's Hybrid-Hosted IP PBX, originally based on the Asterisk open source platform, recently landed a distribution deal with Tech Data.
- SMC Networks recently launched its own managed services platform where on-premise devices report into a cloud service.
Will all managed services systems shift to cloud- and SaaS-based designs? I doubt it. But I do think the managed service market's growth will accelerate as VARs are able to test more and more in-cloud services without needing to purchase, install and configure on-premise evaluation systems.
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MSPmentor / Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:00:19 GMT
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