Business of Tech: Daily MSP News & IT Services Analysis

Four things to know today

• European and Brazilian market data with insights

https://www.channelpartnerinsight.com/news/4025826/record-breaking-2020-european-channel-track-eur100bn-revenue

https://www.channelpro.co.uk/news/12030/european-it-channel-ends-2020-with-record-sales

https://www.zdnet.com/article/local-firms-increase-representation-among-it-sector-leaders-in-brazil/

• Back to the office.. now or too soon?

https://www.commercialintegrator.com/news/us-workers-building-safety/

• A profile of the Internet Association

https://www.axios.com/the-fractured-tech-lobbys-uphill-battles-a9ec75b0-c925-470a-aeec-390cd71f5b6f.html

AND

• The Worst of CES

https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/introducing-ces-worst-show-awards

https://www.gadgetguy.com.au/worst-in-show-awards-at-ces-2021-presented-by-the-repair-association/

About Business of Tech: The daily MSP news and analysis podcast for managed service providers and IT services leaders. Host Dave Sobel covers AI for MSPs, MSP pricing and profitability, MSP M&A and private equity, vendor partner programs, MSP cybersecurity and liability, and MSP operations — and answers the question every story raises: Why do we care? Produced by MSP Radio.

MSP Radio is supported by our partners:

ABC Solutions · CometBackup · Firetail · HaloPSA · LogMeIn · Mailprotector · Pax8 · Rythmz · ScalePad · TimeZest · Transit AI

Supporting the IT services community through insights, analysis, and transparency.

Get exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.

👉 https://businessof.tech/plus

Want the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?

📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe

Looking for the links from today’s stories?

Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:

🌐 https://www.businessof.tech

Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily MSP News & IT Services Analysis

💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079

YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftech

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Four things to know today

• European and Brazilian market data with insights

https://www.channelpartnerinsight.com/news/4025826/record-breaking-2020-european-channel-track-eur100bn-revenue

https://www.channelpro.co.uk/news/12030/european-it-channel-ends-2020-with-record-sales

https://www.zdnet.com/article/local-firms-increase-representation-among-it-sector-leaders-in-brazil/

• Back to the office.. now or too soon?

https://www.commercialintegrator.com/news/us-workers-building-safety/

• A profile of the Internet Association

https://www.axios.com/the-fractured-tech-lobbys-uphill-battles-a9ec75b0-c925-470a-aeec-390cd71f5b6f.html

AND

• The Worst of CES

https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/introducing-ces-worst-show-awards

https://www.gadgetguy.com.au/worst-in-show-awards-at-ces-2021-presented-by-the-repair-association/

Support the vendors who support the show:

👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/

Get exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.

👉 https://businessof.tech/plus

Want the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?

📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe

Looking for the links from today’s stories?

Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:

🌐 https://www.businessof.tech

Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:

💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079

YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftech

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Peter Melby is CEO of Greystone Technology. He’s spoken out about how private equity is bad for MSPs and for the MSP market. Now, he’s sold to one. Learn who he is, what his perspective is, and what did — and did not — change.

• What is your position on Private Equity, and why do you think it is bad for MSPs?
• So what changed in your perspective, particularly now that you sold to one?
• Did you sell out, did something change, or did you find something unique?
• COVID impact
• About the private equity firm specifically - and not all is the same
• How is this structure different from the typical PE playbook?
• A core business tenet
• What is your advice to MSP owners who are considering their own exit?

About Business of Tech: The daily MSP news and analysis podcast for managed service providers and IT services leaders. Host Dave Sobel covers AI for MSPs, MSP pricing and profitability, MSP M&A and private equity, vendor partner programs, MSP cybersecurity and liability, and MSP operations — and answers the question every story raises: Why do we care? Produced by MSP Radio.

MSP Radio is supported by our partners:

ABC Solutions · CometBackup · Firetail · HaloPSA · LogMeIn · Mailprotector · Pax8 · Rythmz · ScalePad · TimeZest · Transit AI

Supporting the IT services community through insights, analysis, and transparency.

Get exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.

👉 https://businessof.tech/plus

Want the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?

📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe

Looking for the links from today’s stories?

Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:

🌐 https://www.businessof.tech

Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily MSP News & IT Services Analysis

💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079

YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftech

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Peter Melby is CEO of Greystone Technology. He’s spoken out about how private equity is bad for MSPs and for the MSP market. Now, he’s sold to one. Learn who he is, what his perspective is, and what did — and did not — change.

• What is your position on Private Equity, and why do you think it is bad for MSPs?
• So what changed in your perspective, particularly now that you sold to one?
• Did you sell out, did something change, or did you find something unique?
• COVID impact
• About the private equity firm specifically - and not all is the same
• How is this structure different from the typical PE playbook?
• A core business tenet
• What is your advice to MSP owners who are considering their own exit?

Support the vendors who support the show:

👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/

Get exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.

👉 https://businessof.tech/plus

Want the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?

📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe

Looking for the links from today’s stories?

Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:

🌐 https://www.businessof.tech

Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:

💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079

YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftech

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three things to know today

• CES did happen

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ces-2021-the-worlds-largest-tech-show-trades-las-vegas-for-cyberspace-11610290800?mod=djemalertNEWS

• A roundup of stories on the journey

https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/14/22231451/bmw-access-subscription-shut-down-nashville-cancel

https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-removes-feature-that-allowed-its-apps-to-bypass-macos-firewalls-and-vpns/

https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/14/22231187/microsoft-salesforce-oracle-digital-vaccination-records

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-moves-closer-to-running-all-of-its-own-services-on-azure/

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/nsa-advises-companies-to-avoid-third-party-dns-resolvers/

AND

• Solarwinds – the roundup

https://www.zdnet.com/article/third-malware-strain-discovered-in-solarwinds-supply-chain-attack/

https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/12/solarwinds_tech_analysis_crowdstrike/

https://www.itp.net/security/95589-kaspersky-experts-connect-solarwinds-attack-with-kazuar-backdoor

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/solarleaks-site-claims-to-sell-data-stolen-in-solarwinds-attacks/

https://www.crn.com/news/security/microsoft-president-brad-smith-solarwinds-attack-violated-norms-and-rules-of-government-activities?itc=refresh

https://defensesystems.com/articles/2021/01/13/cisa-saml-warning.aspx

https://www.barrons.com/articles/the-solarwinds-hack-was-huge-jpmorgan-is-defending-the-stock-51610645288

About Business of Tech: The daily MSP news and analysis podcast for managed service providers and IT services leaders. Host Dave Sobel covers AI for MSPs, MSP pricing and profitability, MSP M&A and private equity, vendor partner programs, MSP cybersecurity and liability, and MSP operations — and answers the question every story raises: Why do we care? Produced by MSP Radio.

MSP Radio is supported by our partners:

ABC Solutions · CometBackup · Firetail · HaloPSA · LogMeIn · Mailprotector · Pax8 · Rythmz · ScalePad · TimeZest · Transit AI

Supporting the IT services community through insights, analysis, and transparency.

Get exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.

👉 https://businessof.tech/plus

Want the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?

📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe

Looking for the links from today’s stories?

Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:

🌐 https://www.businessof.tech

Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily MSP News & IT Services Analysis

💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079

YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftech

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three things to know today

• CES did happen

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ces-2021-the-worlds-largest-tech-show-trades-las-vegas-for-cyberspace-11610290800?mod=djemalertNEWS

• A roundup of stories on the journey

https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/14/22231451/bmw-access-subscription-shut-down-nashville-cancel

https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-removes-feature-that-allowed-its-apps-to-bypass-macos-firewalls-and-vpns/

https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/14/22231187/microsoft-salesforce-oracle-digital-vaccination-records

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-moves-closer-to-running-all-of-its-own-services-on-azure/

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/nsa-advises-companies-to-avoid-third-party-dns-resolvers/

AND

• Solarwinds – the roundup

https://www.zdnet.com/article/third-malware-strain-discovered-in-solarwinds-supply-chain-attack/

https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/12/solarwinds_tech_analysis_crowdstrike/

https://www.itp.net/security/95589-kaspersky-experts-connect-solarwinds-attack-with-kazuar-backdoor

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/solarleaks-site-claims-to-sell-data-stolen-in-solarwinds-attacks/

https://www.crn.com/news/security/microsoft-president-brad-smith-solarwinds-attack-violated-norms-and-rules-of-government-activities?itc=refresh

https://defensesystems.com/articles/2021/01/13/cisa-saml-warning.aspx

https://www.barrons.com/articles/the-solarwinds-hack-was-huge-jpmorgan-is-defending-the-stock-51610645288

Support the vendors who support the show:

👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/

Get exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.

👉 https://businessof.tech/plus

Want the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?

📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe

Looking for the links from today’s stories?

Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:

🌐 https://www.businessof.tech

Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:

💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079

YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftech

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three things to know today

• Microsoft may be moving more aggressively against its partners

https://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/partners-feel-betrayed-taken-aback-by-microsoft-s-direct-calls-to-customers

https://www.thirdtier.net/2021/01/13/microsoft-really-is-coming-for-your-clients-this-time/

• New Managed and cloud services data

https://smartermsp.com/demand-for-managed-services-shows-signs-of-recovery/

https://channellife.co.nz/story/idc-public-cloud-it-infrastructure-revenue-growth-remained-strong-in-third-quarter-of-2020

AND

• Three different kinds of internet blocks

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-election-social-media-idUSKBN29H1E7

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/14/poland-plans-to-make-censoring-of-social-media-accounts

https://news.yahoo.com/google-blocking-political-ads-well-160755035.html

About Business of Tech: The daily MSP news and analysis podcast for managed service providers and IT services leaders. Host Dave Sobel covers AI for MSPs, MSP pricing and profitability, MSP M&A and private equity, vendor partner programs, MSP cybersecurity and liability, and MSP operations — and answers the question every story raises: Why do we care? Produced by MSP Radio.

MSP Radio is supported by our partners:

ABC Solutions · CometBackup · Firetail · HaloPSA · LogMeIn · Mailprotector · Pax8 · Rythmz · ScalePad · TimeZest · Transit AI

Supporting the IT services community through insights, analysis, and transparency.

Get exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.

👉 https://businessof.tech/plus

Want the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?

📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe

Looking for the links from today’s stories?

Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:

🌐 https://www.businessof.tech

Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily MSP News & IT Services Analysis

💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079

YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftech

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three things to know today

•   Microsoft may be moving more aggressively against its partners

https://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/partners-feel-betrayed-taken-aback-by-microsoft-s-direct-calls-to-customers

https://www.thirdtier.net/2021/01/13/microsoft-really-is-coming-for-your-clients-this-time/

• New Managed and cloud services data

https://smartermsp.com/demand-for-managed-services-shows-signs-of-recovery/

https://channellife.co.nz/story/idc-public-cloud-it-infrastructure-revenue-growth-remained-strong-in-third-quarter-of-2020

AND

• Three different kinds of internet blocks

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-election-social-media-idUSKBN29H1E7

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/14/poland-plans-to-make-censoring-of-social-media-accounts

https://news.yahoo.com/google-blocking-political-ads-well-160755035.html

Three things to know today

• Lessons from inconsistent work from home data

https://www.commercialintegrator.com/business_resources/operations/wfh-productivity-survey/

https://www.channelpronetwork.com/article/work-home-art-and-science-post-perimeter-security

• Ecosystems get someone noticed

https://www.protocol.com/enterprise/ringcentral-underdog-zoom-microsoft

AND

• Parler wasn’t hacked, they just didn’t close the door.

https://www.wired.com/story/parler-hack-data-public-posts-images-video/

About Business of Tech: The daily MSP news and analysis podcast for managed service providers and IT services leaders. Host Dave Sobel covers AI for MSPs, MSP pricing and profitability, MSP M&A and private equity, vendor partner programs, MSP cybersecurity and liability, and MSP operations — and answers the question every story raises: Why do we care? Produced by MSP Radio.

MSP Radio is supported by our partners:

ABC Solutions · CometBackup · Firetail · HaloPSA · LogMeIn · Mailprotector · Pax8 · Rythmz · ScalePad · TimeZest · Transit AI

Supporting the IT services community through insights, analysis, and transparency.

Get exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.

👉 https://businessof.tech/plus

Want the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?

📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe

Looking for the links from today’s stories?

Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:

🌐 https://www.businessof.tech

Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily MSP News & IT Services Analysis

💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079

YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftech

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three things to know today

•   Lessons from inconsistent work from home data

https://www.commercialintegrator.com/business_resources/operations/wfh-productivity-survey/

https://www.channelpronetwork.com/article/work-home-art-and-science-post-perimeter-security

• Ecosystems get someone noticed

https://www.protocol.com/enterprise/ringcentral-underdog-zoom-microsoft

AND

• Parler wasn’t hacked, they just didn’t close the door.

https://www.wired.com/story/parler-hack-data-public-posts-images-video/