Managed services platform provider Nimsoft is in the process of developing a
software-as-a-service offering for its service provider partners to offer to
their customers.
The plans were among a handful for the
Redwood City,
Calif., company in 2008 that
CEO
Gary Read recently shared in an interview with Channel Insider. As
Nimsoft moves toward its SAAS offering in the second half of 2008, the company
will also likely introduce a certification program for MSPs (managed service
providers), Read said.
Also on the agenda for the self-described service-level management platform
provider are plans for a hosted service offering, or "service delivery
portal." The program is designed to enable partners to deliver MSP
and SAAS services to customers, but without the need to do software
implementation, installation, administration or maintenance.
"The end user would pay the service provider on a monthly basis,"
said Read. "We are in beta testing now and will soon make announcements
around that."
To find out how to master the mysteries of managed services, click here.
Virtualization also remains a priority for Nimsoft in 2008. The company has 80
customers using its technology for management of their virtualization
infrastructures. Read said Nimsoft will further develop its relationship with
VMware but also branch out to support other providers as well. On the
list are Citrix, Microsoft and Oracle.
That's because while VMware has been a leader in the space, other vendors are
gaining ground.
"In general, service providers will end up with a heterogeneous multivendor
environment for virtualization," Read said. "The only game in town
has been VMware, so everyone has wanted to align with VMware. But we are
starting to see it more and more that there are some concerns around it. The
pricing model is different for other platforms. We are starting to see that
people want to keep flexibility within their virtualized infrastructure."
Read said 2007 was a strong year for privately held Nimsoft, with total
bookings reaching $29.4 million, a record for the company. Most of Nimsoft's
business comes from enterprise customers and about a third comes from its MSP
partners.
Nimsoft realized a 131 percent increase in subscription revenue, primarily
driven by managed services customers. The company's MSP partners include CDW
Berbee, FusionStorm, Rackspace Managed Hosting and Ramesys.
Channel News and Analysis 
