It’s that time again to take stock in the year we leave behind and look forward to the year ahead of us. While 2009 will go down as a very tough year for a lot of MSPs, there are some important signs appearing even now about what 2010 will look like.

This could very well be the most useful blog I’ve ever written (just kidding, but it is really important). Based on the volume of feedback I am getting from both sellers and buyers, I’ve touched a nerve regarding the valuation of managed service provider businesses.

The subject of valuation models for MSPs is coming up in discussion more frequently and I see a lot of people with hugely different valuation multiples; so many that I though I'd clear the air. The first thing everyone must understand is there are valuation models that favor buyers and there are models that favor sellers.

Last week's news that the Transportation Security Administration had mistakenly posted an internal document detailing sensitive security policies used by the TSA has caused many in government to re-evaluate their internal IT management and security procedures.

This happens more often than we hear about but I thought it was worthy of a mention. I just received an email from a member who is now working on a major managed services contract that came to them directly from the MSPAlliance website. This end-user had a unique requirement and searched the database of MSPAlliance members and found the one they were looking for. 

If you read one blog this week that prompts you to actually do something meaningful in your MSP practice, please make it this one. I have seen a lot of MSPs brag over the years about how well they are doing, how much money they bring in, and how cool their NOC is. This behavior stands in stark contrast to how they act when it comes time to either sell or value their company. 

One of the lessons I learned from last week's MSPWorld in Las Vegas was that MSPs are finally embracing the notion of partnering with other MSPs. No, this is not a new concept but it is the first time I witnessed it happening on a mass scale.

I have been watching a lot of pundits chattering on over the years about what the definition of managed services should be. Honestly, I think most of these definitions are pure guesswork and way off the mark, but that's beside the point.

This is a great article because it shows more of an "end-user" perspective of cloud and managed services.