Traditionally, of all managed services options, IT was likely to first consider managed network solutions (MNS). It was a natural evolution, partnering with other outside experts who could manage the day-to-day operations of the corporate network while IT in turn could reduce costs and focus resources toward initiatives driving business value for the organization. Then, as network security threats became a growing issue, more enterprises began adopting managed security services. Yet security has been inherent within managed networks all along, beginning even in the network design phase. More...

We are familiar with the traditional drivers of managed services, the quest for ways to lower costs and outsource routine network management so IT can divert resources to strategic initiatives. Yet companies are considering the talent within the managed services provider (MSP) partnership to be one of the determining gauges as to whether a managed services relationship is fruitful.  

Consider these elements: More...

In the old days, IT professionals were reluctant to outsource or seek a partner to help manage company networks. One of the main reasons was the perception of losing control. Today, managed services are much more pervasive across companies of all sizes and that has a lot to do with transparency and trust.

Interestingly, an online customer portal can help ease the concerns of the biggest companies. IT professionals need to know their networks are secure and in good hands. They need to know when threats arise and when they are abated. They need to know how their networks are performing and how they can be optimized. Essentially, IT needs to know they are benefitting from the expertise and assets of its managed service provider. More...

Before you can make an informed decision about return on investment (ROI) for a Unified Communications implementation, it is essential to know the scope of that investment. Obviously, it is more than just the up-front cost of the equipment you buy for a premises-based solution, or the ongoing cost of a hosted solution. More...

We told you back in January it was coming, and we are pleased to report that Sprint Complete Collaboration is here and immediately available. Our hosted and fully managed Unified Communications solution is now ready to deliver the seamless collaboration that can enhance the agility and boost the productivity of large and mid-sized enterprises. More...

As enterprises consider outsourcing some segments of their networks and applications, they look to hosted services. Or do they look to managed services? It isn’t always immediately clear what is “hosted” and what is “managed.” Especially since there is some overlap between the two in the ways enterprises purchase and use these services. More...

The term “mission critical” was designed with companies like Energia Logistics Ltd. and the Sea Launch program in mind. The international company provides launch services to commercial satellite operators around the world, among them DirecTV, Dish Network, XM Satellite Radio, and Intelsat. It depends on Sprint Managed Solutions to handle the all-important network communications and security surrounding each launch and the months and years of preparations that go into it. More...

The distinction between hosted and managed services is a persistent question, and one that the recent Sprint-Nemertes Research webinar, “The Bona Fide Value in Managed Services” answered quite well.

If you didn’t get a chance to attend the webinar, you can still catch the archived version here. This webinar offered insight from several different angles on the managed services question, with the objective, industry-wide viewpoint of Johna Johnson of Nemertes Research, the user viewpoint of Joseph Carpico of Energia Logistics, and the Sprint view from our own Mike Cole. More...

More and more IT organizations are embracing the managed services alternative, and if you are wondering why, there’s an excellent chance to find out on Thursday, December 1. That’s when a webinar will look at the business case for managed services and hear from a company that’s enthused about using them. More...

It’s been said that technology changes at the speed of light. Take cloud computing, for example. Gartner just released its Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2012 report, and the cloud moved from the No. 1 spot to the No. 10 spot over the course of this year. More...