Monday, November 14, 2011

How to Succeed with Managed Services: Part 8 - Delivering Managed Services

Autotask Academy and MSP University wrap up an 8-part webinar series with this capstone training session!

Part 8 - Delivering Managed Services

On Thursday, December 15 at 1 PM ET, Autotask's Len DiCostanzo and MSPU's Erick Simpson will focus on methods to provide the best service delivery experience for your clients, end-users, and your technical staff. Effective, efficient service delivery processes and procedures will increase client satisfaction and build continued loyalty among your clients.

In this webinar, you'll learn:
  • An overview of incident management
  • Communications and customer service tips to identify needs while keeping clients at ease and cooperative
  • How to set the proper expectations and what not to say
  • What to do when things go wrong, and when to escalate to the Service Manager
Register now!

To view the recorded sessions from the rest of the series, click here!

Autotask Announces Integration with FreshBooks’ Online Billing and Invoicing Software

Seamless Integration Allows End-to-End IT Business Management in the Cloud
 
Autotask Corporation today announced an integration between its SaaS-based IT business management solution and FreshBooks’ SaaS-based online billing and invoicing software. The integration, developed by Chicago-based itDuzzit™, allows Autotask users to significantly streamline the invoicing process by exporting billing items and information directly into FreshBooks and invoicing their products and services online. The FreshBooks integration also allows users to accept online payment by credit card, e-checks, bank transfer or PayPal®, further shortening the billing cycle.
 
The integration was developed using the Autotask and FreshBooks application programming interfaces (APIs) and will allow users to:
  • Seamlessly export Autotask invoices to FreshBooks
  • Automatically update Autotask account information in FreshBooks
  • Automatically create Autotask billing items in FreshBooks
  • Automatically update FreshBooks invoice numbers in Autotask
  • Invoice customers and accept payment online
  • Create payment notifications and reminders
  • Synchronize an unlimited number of Autotask-to-FreshBooks customers and transactions
“It is mission-critical that our clients are able to choose the tools and systems they use to work with their customers and to run their businesses. That is why we continue to develop our world-class API and why we are committed to making sure Autotask is an open platform for our users,” said Len DiCostanzo, Autotask senior vice-president of community and business development. “This project is a direct result of requests from our joint users and we are very excited to have the FreshBooks integration available for Autotask clients around the world.”

"Successful IT service companies manage their businesses with Autotask,” said Sunir Shah, Chief Handshaker and Head of the Platform at FreshBooks. “Billing with FreshBooks allows those Autotask users to streamline their invoicing processes while making the money they deserve from their valuable time and expertise.”

“Businesses shouldn’t have to spend hours each month manually synchronizing data across multiple cloud applications,” said Steve Mendoza, co-founder of itDuzzit. “The Autotask FreshBooks integration demonstrates how itDuzzit can automate the integration process and help companies save time, save money, and get the most out of their cloud applications.”

Autotask users interested in the Autotask-to-FreshBooks integration can find more information and sign up for a 7-day free trial by visiting http://www.itduzzit.com/home/solutions/autotask-freshbooks-integration/

Monday, November 7, 2011

Pricing For Profits: A Guide for MSPs and IT Service Providers

Nothing's trickier than coming up with the right pricing for IT services. Price yourself too high, and your prospects and customers will balk...price your services too low, and you'll leave money on the table - or worse, lose money.

If you're looking for actionable advice to increase profits on the services you already sell, then don't miss your chance to register for this next webinar coming up on Thursday, November 17 at 11 AM US ET.

During this information-packed session, Autotask SVP Len DiCostanzo will share his best tips based on his own success as a profitable MSP, and his work with hundreds of service providers around the world.

Len will be joined by Stefanie Hammond of N-able Technologies and Nick Pontacoloni of TechTarget who will share how their respective solutions can add to your revenue and profitability.

Register now to boost your confidence in crafting, selling and delivering profitable services. Walk away from this webinar knowing:
  • How to determine costs and profits for:
    • Managed services
    • Cloud services
    • Professional services
    • Break/fix services
    • Time and material services
  • Five key factors to consider when pricing your services
  • How to build inclusive Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for profit
  • How to use automation to scale service delivery and profitability

Get Into the Cloud Without Leaving the Ground

There is little doubt your prospects and customers are asking about the cloud. Do you have the knowledge and tools in place to remain their trusted advisor?

On Wednesday, November 16 at 1 PM US ET, please join Christopher Graham, Strategic Marketing Manager for Intel Hybrid Cloud Organization, and Rich Akullian, Online Marketing Producer for Autotask, as they share details about the partnership to help you grow opportunities and revenue.

Christopher will introduce the Intel AppUp(SM) Small Business Service, built on the Intel® Hybrid Cloud Platform. Register now to learn more about the subscription-based model for providing locally hosted server software on a pay-as-you-go basis. Small businesses get the benefits of services in the cloud, with the responsiveness and consistency of local applications, plus the peace of mind of having their data on site.

You can expect these key takeaways:
  • The impact of cloud growth on small business
  • An overview of Intel Hybrid Cloud Partners
  • How to incorporate these services into your business model
  • The potential revenue opportunities for MSPs
  • First steps to get started - including promotions and materials to help you sell
Register now!