The IT Marketing AgencyHi there, I’m delighted and flattered that Zen Software have asked me to write a guest blog, and we thought that some simple steps to get started on marketing your MSP business would be a topic that worked for both of us, and hopefully you, too! Firstly…if you’re not doing ‘much’ (or even ‘any’!) marketing, you’re not alone! In my previous roles of Head of Marketing for Ingram Micro and Network Group as well as in the work I do now, I meet a lot of MSPs. Almost without exception they tell me sheepishly “I know I should be doing more (for which I read ‘some’) marketing”. Or “Here’s my card, but don’t look at the website, it’s being redesigned.” Or if they’re being honest: “I just don’t know where to start!”. So, here’s where to start. And by the end of this blog post, you’ll have no excuse not to – so be prepared! ☺

MDaemon 15.5Back in April 2014, support for Exchange 2003 was officially brought to a close by Microsoft. Among those impacted were the vast number of smaller companies using the hugely popular Small Business Server 2003. Many moved across to alternative solutions early doors, but faced with unwanted expense and the potential for significant disruption, many sensibly remained firmly in the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" camp, putting off the decision for as long as possible.

MDaemon 15.5We've just put the latest major iteration of MDaemon Messaging Server live on our web site. Along with a long list of minor tweaks it includes some great new features for both admins and users alike. In this post I briefly highlight the new additions I think you'll find most interesting, including a real breakthrough for Mac users and further enhancements to the email encryption features. As always, this is just our highlights, a comprehensive list of all new features and enhancements can be viewed in the MDaemon Release Notes.

BackupAssist beta testingOur Australian friends over at BackupAssist have been working hard to make sure v9 is the best release yet. They could however, really do with your help in testing the Beta version (released this morning) to make sure it's as good as it possible can be come the final release. As the distributor we like to provide as much feedback as we can, but we also rely on the fantastic response we always receive from customers and partners to help make sure we've got the broadest testing base. Please note -  As a beta product, we do not recommend using this version of BackupAssist v9 on live or production machines.

BackupAssist renewal promotionIf you, or one of your customers, own a copy of BackupAssist with expired upgrade cover (you can check here), for the next four weeks, we're offering a brilliant opportunity to bring it up to date (which also reinstates the free technical support cover). Renewing an expired licence would normally be £95.00 + VAT, but up to and including Monday 14th September, it will be available to you at the non-expired rate of £66.00 + VAT. **Now extended to 30th September 2015** The reason for this sudden turn of generosity is two-fold...

Windows 10Unless you've been living on a remote island for the last couple of weeks, and also covering up your Windows task bar every time you use your computer, you probably know that Windows 10 is now available to the masses. Yes, Microsoft's new flagship desktop O/S is upon us in all of it's glory. It'll take some time to see whether the hype was justified, and of course to discover the new features (and quirks), but if you've already upgraded or are thinking about doing so, you'll no doubt be keen to know how it interacts with our products. In this update I'll detail what level of support (if any) is currently offered for each of the products we distribute.

If you currently use an on-premise mail server such as Exchange or MDaemon Messaging Server, SecurityGateway is a fantastic way to protect your business against the many email-based threats in circulation. This summer, developer Alt-N technologies have announced they'll be offering 30% off the cost of all NEW licences, which means SecurityGateway is currently £70.00 + VAT for 5 users!

It's not often we promote events that aren't actually our own on the blog, however this particular one is national , it's free and it's aimed specifically at IT support companies and MSP's like you who want to make your business more profitable. It's also the brainchild of the highly acclaimed IT Marketing Agency and industry expert Richard Tubb, both of whom stole the show at our recent partner event so we have no doubt it'll be of the usual high calibre and well worth your valuable time. Visiting Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester and London, the specific aims of the roadshow are to help you: 
  • Use vendor partnerships to better meet the needs of your customers
  • Develop and execute a go-to-market strategy to help your business develop fast
  • Increase business with sales and revenue strategies for high growth

BackupAssist's MultiSite Manager (BAMM) is here, and if you're a registered partner program member, it's completely free for your own use. If you manage more than a handful of BackupAssist customers, I hope this will be music to your ears, particularly if you're spending more time than you'd like checking the many emailed backup reports coming in from your various client sites every day. Please note: BAMM is the replacement for BackupAssist's legacy Centralised Monitoring Console (CMC) which is now no longer supported. I'll explain the key differences between the two in the moment, but if you're a reseller currently using the CMC, we highly recommend you migrate and here's why...

As an archiving solution for individuals, MailStore Home is a hidden gem, and one we're guilty of not giving enough exposure here on the blog.  In a nutshell, MailStore Home solves two of the biggest problems you're likely to face as a home user with a personal email account(s):
  1. How to find specific emails quickly when they're buried among hundreds of messages from GroupOn 
  2. How not to lose your email should your hosting provider spontaneously combust