Your Small Business Technology Information Source!
| Hear Ye! 2016 Annual SMB Nation Readership Survey |
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By Harry Brelsford, CEO, SMB Nation -
As the NFL playoffs continue, it’s that time of the year to conduct our annual readership survey. There is one reason, and one reason alone to engage in the conversation: Feedback is the breakfast of champions!
We’re asking a handful of questions that will allow you to help us direct our content coverage. We want to insure that we are relevant, on-target, and that you enjoy our community building efforts.
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| Using Spreadsheets to Track Sales Opportunities |
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By Jennifer Hallmark, President, SMB Nation -
Using Spreadsheets to Track Sales Opportunities
A large proportion of small and medium-sized businesses use spreadsheets to track and manage their sales process instead of a dedicated software application, aka customer relationship management (or CRM) software. We’ve noted the following advantages and disadvantages of this choice:
Advantages:
1. Ease of use: Most people already know how to open a spreadsheet and make changes to it. Many old style CRM applications are complex and require significant user training, not to mention IT resources to setup and configure. Newer-style CRM applications are lighter and easier to use, taking away some of the advantage that spreadsheets had in the past.
2. No additional cost: Most employees already have access to a spreadsheet program or can access them for no cost.
3. Highly customizable: Spreadsheets can be customized as you go without a programming language.
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TA Associates to Invest $187,000,000 in StorageCraft Technology |
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By Jennifer Hallmark, President, SMB Nation -
TA Associates, a leading global growth private equity firm, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to invest $187,000,000 in StorageCraft Technology Corporation, a leading international provider of backup and recovery software, to support the growth of the company. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The investment is expected to close in late January. In connection with the investment, Matt Medeiros has joined StorageCraft as Chairman and CEO.
Primarily serving small to medium-sized businesses, StorageCraft provides backup, disaster recovery, system migration, virtualization and data protection solutions for servers, desktops and laptops on Windows and Linux platforms. The company’s integrated product suite is designed to reduce downtime, improve management and stability of systems and data, and lower the total cost of system ownership in both physical and virtual environments.
StorageCraft’s software solutions are available in traditional on-premise license form through more than 8,000 value-added resellers, and on a subscription basis through approximately 3,100 managed service providers (MSPs). In addition, StorageCraft is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for a number of leading third-party backup and recovery solution providers.
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By Pete Engler, Channel Marketing Manager, Digium -
When small to medium businesses (SMBs) shop for partners to help with their technology needs, they want expertise, dependability, trust, convenience - and one-stop shopping. In the past, technology solutions utilized by SMB customers often came together by accessing a collection of multiple companies (or partners) specializing in specific areas. One partner would typically handle the data infrastructure, another the telecommunications, and another the desktops and laptops, etc. Many different IT partners were needed to support the entire technology needs of a business. Today, the different services listed above are easily consolidated and provided by fewer partners. With this consolidation of services, some channel industry experts are saying it’s time to re-evaluate how partners are classified. As a partner or reseller, that means it may be time for you to consider becoming a Strategic Service Provider (SSP).
How did we get to the idea of a SSP? The rise of value added resellers (VARs) and managed service providers (MSPs) started the shift toward consolidation of the IT service offerings by a single partner. Telecommunications is a prime example. Traditionally, this service was provided by a separate reseller from the data infrastructure partner. Now, most voice services are carried over the data networks utilizing VoIP; a data integrator/reseller can add this service to their portfolio and eliminate the need for a separate specialized provider.
In the ever evolving technology channel, the SSP will play a critical role delivering a new type of information technology service to SMBs. The basic premise of a SSP involves getting to know a business's current processes, problems and overall business goals before executing and implementing a solution. You may be thinking that is what the MSPs, VARs and traditional resellers of today are doing.
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Story by Harry Brelsford, CEO, SMB Nation -
We’re back! Time to hit the road and bring the bits to YOU! No travel, no hotel and daylong advanced Office 365 and Windows 10 technical content. Over winter and spring quarter, we’ll be back in familiar NFL cities plus add a few new destinations.chicago event hardcore
New Year’s Resolution
In 2016 it’s your chance to recommit to being a life learner. You’re in tech and every decade you have to reinvent and start over. Now is that time. So invest one day to discover that our amazing independent content will help you navigate the sheer madness with the technology shift underway.
Assured Outcomes
One thing you can count on is our independent outside view looking in. We take our role as community ombudsman very seriously. You will learn something you didn’t know and you’ll leave with actionable outcomes applicable at work the very next day. No high-level blue badges babbling mission fit and strategy folks – it’s bits and bytes.
The four extended content sessions are:
• Office 365 and Azure Active Directory
• Deliver Existing Apps from The Cloud
• Windows 10 End-to-End Deployment Part I
• Windows 10 End-to-End Deployment Part II
Click Here To Read More |
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| SoundLine Communications
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By Marty Molloy, SMB Nation -
SoundLine Communications is a leading hosted phone system and VoIP provider serving the United States and Canada. SoundLine features the lowest rates, the highest quality, and personal Washington State based customer service.
SoundLine supports the most customization and has the largest feature set on the market including full CRM support! With per line or per seat pricing, you can pay for exactly what you need and save up to 66% over the top 5 online providers!
SoundLine uses only the best networking equipment and data centers to ensure the best audio quality possible. All programming is handled by SoundLine staff so there is no time wasted learning anything new, just pick up your phone and go!
SoundLine has been providing hosted phone systems since 2008 and has over a 98% customer retention rate with no contracts! Inquire today to learn more or get started.
The SoundLine Communications Promise:
> Easily Leverage the Latest Technology
> Be Free of Contracts & Binding Service Agreements
> Quickly Reach Your Dedicated Support Team
> Become a Little Greener
> Experience a Deep Level of Customization at No Extra Charge
> 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Contact SoundLine Communications:
http://www.getsoundline.com/about-us/ |
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January 17, 2016
Issue 10-27
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