Richard Tubb's Blog, page 75
February 18, 2018
A First Look at the Datto and Autotask Story – The 2018 Tour
One of the biggest Managed Service Provider (MSP) industry stories of late-2017 was the news that Datto and Autotask were to merge.
Autotask is one of the market’s leading Professional Services Automation (PSA) and Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) companies and has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years, opening rapidly growing offices in a number of countries.
Datto is the leading provider of data protection solutions in the Small & Medium-sized business space, and as part of its phenomenal growth has recently added a line of impressive managed networking products for MSPs.
The Datto and Autotask merger
Datto was acquired in October 2017 by Vista Equity Partners, an investment firm focused on software, data and technology-enabled businesses. Vista already owned Autotask after acquiring them in June 2014. The result of the acquisitions will be a single company focused on providing MSPs with IT business management and data protection solutions.
We already know that after joining forces, Datto has announced a new executive team. Datto CEO and Founder, Austin McChord, will head the company. The existing Datto senior management team will be joined by Patrick Burns, Vice President of Product Management, and Adam Stewart, Senior Vice President of Engineering, both formerly of Autotask.
But what does the merger/acquisition mean for existing customers, IT Solution Providers, MSPs and the wider-industry?
We’re about to get our first look…
The Datto and Autotask First Look Tour
Senior VP & General Manager International at Autotask, Mark Banfield, has given me the heads-up on a series of events Datto and Autotask are putting together.
Datto and Autotask are hitting the road in 2018 to meet MSPs and to provide an opportunity to hear about the Datto and Autotask story.
Join fellow Datto and Autotask partners as the newly merged company showcases their latest solutions, offers attendees the chance to ask questions, and have a beer with the team afterwards.
Datto and Autotask First Look Tour Schedule
The Datto & Autotask Vision: the first look at this newly combined, MSP-centric company.
Product Update: Get up-to-speed on the newest releases and features your techs (and your bottom line) will love
Datto Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
Autotask Professional Services Automation & Endpoint Management
Datto Networking and SaaS Protection
MSP to MSP: Hear from fellow Datto/Autotask partners, share pain points, and return home with field-tested tips for success.
The Ransomware Opportunity: Dive deep into the growing epidemic and best practices for protecting clients in 2018 (and beyond).
Datto and Autotask First Look Tour Locations & Dates
26 February
Bruges
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28 February
Drachten
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02 March
Houten
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06 March
Helsinki
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07 March
Stockholm
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08 March
Oslo
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09 March
Copenhagen
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26 March
Dublin
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27 March
Edinburgh
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29 March
London
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19 April
München
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24 April
Manchester
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01 May
Johannesburg
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03 May
Cape Town
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15 May
Köln
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05 June
Paris
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07 June
Milan
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More dates are coming soon. Keep an eye on and sign up to register for any of the dates at www.autotask.com/firstlook.
I’ll be attending the 27th March event in Edinburgh and reporting back there. See you there?
What do you think?
If you’re attending any of the above tour dates yourself, drop me a line after the event to let me know your thoughts.
Is this a good thing for MSPs and the wider-industry? Leave a comment below or contact me and let me know.
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February 15, 2018
Doodle – The simple way to decide on dates, places & more
Every Friday I share one of my favourite finds of the week — a website, tool or an app that has impressed me.
My Friday Favourite this week is Doodle – The simple way to decide on dates, places & more.
What is it?
Doodle is an online tool that allows you to organise meetings and get-togethers by holding a poll of dates, places and preferences.
How can it help me?
Have you ever tried to organise a meeting or a get-together with friends and become frustrated at the back and forth messages. Where people want to meet. Who can’t make certain times or dates?
It’s like herding Cats, isn’t it?
Doodle is a free tool that allows you to invite participants to vote on their favourite times, dates, locations and preferences. When everybody has voted, you’ll have a clear indication of where and when you can meet to satisfy everybody.
Doodle is a tool that helps you to easily organise meetings by holding a poll of dates and places
Contacts you invite to vote don’t need an account to vote, and Doodle connects to Google Calendar and more to make availability choices easy.
How much does it cost?
Doodle is free to use, with Premium Doodle plans available for heavy users.
How can I get it?
You can create a Doodle poll immediately by visiting the Doodle homepage.
You can also visit the Doodle Facebook page, or follow Doodle on Twitter.
Thanks to David Eaton of co-operative web for the suggestion!
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February 12, 2018
The TotallyMSP Roadshow – Our Experiment in improving MSP events
Towards the end of last year, I hosted a new type of Managed Service Provider (MSP) event – the TotallyMSP roadshow.
The TotallyMSP Roadshow took place over four separate dates in Manchester, London, Dublin and Bristol. The roadshow was an experiment — an attempt to run a different type of event for MSPs. An event that didn’t feature a headline sponsor, wasn’t a thinly veiled series of sales pitches and was simply about bringing MSPs together to talk, learn and network.
The TotallyMSP roadshow was the brain-child of my friend Chris Tate of Datto. Chris is a former MSP himself, one who now helps Datto partners to build their MSP businesses. Like me, Chris has attended dozens of MSP events over the years, and like most of us in the MSP industry, sometimes came away from those events disappointed at the opportunities missed by the hosts.
When Chris approached me with the TotallyMSP roadshow idea, I agreed that if I were an MSP again, I’d like to attend an event that was more about connecting MSPs together and educating them.
Of course, somebody has to pay for these events, and wouldn’t it be nice if we could draw together a group of vendor sponsors who were MSP-friendly, play well together with one another, and appreciate that you can sell your products and services to MSPs through educating them on benefits, rather than repeatedly hitting them over the head with a sales hammer.
The TotallyMSP Roadshow Experiment
A selfie with the TotallyMSP Roadshow audience in Manchester
With that in mind, the experiment began! Over 150 MSPs and 6 vendor sponsors joined us for the TotallyMSP roadshow in Manchester, London, Dublin and Bristol for a new type of event.
Here’s what happened!
As host, I kicked off each day by thanking the MSP attendees for taking time out of their busy days to come along and join us. While the events were free of charge to attend, there is still a cost involved to MSPs in travelling to and spending half a day with us. As a former MSP myself, I wanted to acknowledge that investment from attendees.
I went on to explain that this roadshow was an experiment, that it was interactive, the audience could ask questions at any time. The day was to be about meeting fellow MSPs and having conversations. This networking aspect was very important to me, as I’m a massive believer in MSP collaboration for business growth.
Avoiding the Mistakes MSPs Make
To set the scene for the TotallyMSP roadshow day, I gave the first presentation and answered a common question — if I were to start an MSP again tomorrow, what mistakes would I strive to avoid? I shared the three most common mistakes I see MSPs making:-
Not documenting their business
Trying to be a jack of all trades
Not focusing on lowering their cost of support
… and offered some practical tips on how to avoid these mistakes.
I gave away some copies of my own book Mistakes MSP’s Make – The Five Most Important Mistakes IT Managed Service Providers Make Which Cost Them Time and Money to attendees and introduced the speakers.
AppRiver – Networking Analysis Tools and Automation
Cloud-based email and cyber-security specialists AppRiver talked about Networking Analysis Tools and automation, Office 365 and hosted Exchange solutions, opportunities in email encryption and web filtering, and what great partner support looks like to them.
AppRiver was a vendor many MSPs weren’t aware of before these events, yet one who offers a lot of solutions that MSPs could – and in my opinion, should – be offering to their clients.
I asked how many MSPs either sold web filtering solutions (some) or gave-away web filtering solutions to lower their cost of support (virtually none) and this prompted plenty of discussions about the line between MSPs doing what is right to keep their clients safe and secure, and maintaining profitability. This is especially important when the client doesn’t see the value in the solutions and doesn’t want to pay for them.
Datto – Data Protection Experts
Chris Tate from Data Protection experts Datto spoke at each event with a fantastic presentation looking at the history of cybersecurity — computer viruses on everything from mainframes and home computers to the early PCs, how we historically protected against those threats (does anybody remember Dr Solomon’s Antivirus?), plus the modern raft of ransomware and how MSPs need to change their approach to protecting clients.
Does anyone remember Dr Solomon’s Antivirus? The bad guys have always been present…
This was a nostalgic look at cyber-security with a very real message. The bad guys have always been present, even from the earliest days of computing, and they are now more sophisticated than ever.
Coming off the back of Datto’s announcement of their new range of Networking Continuity solutions for MSPs, Chris’ sessions provoked some interesting debate in the audience on how many of their clients had been affected by ransomware, how many of those clients had paid the ransom (clue — too many…) and how to protect those clients going forwards.
IT Glue – IT Documentation Specialists
IT documentation software specialists IT Glue were at each event and took the brave step of giving a live demo (brave!) of their MSP documentation platform with an audience member who had never seen the IT Glue software before. The demo allowed MSPs to see how easy it was for their staff to create client documentation and find important information on an ongoing basis.
IT Glue spoke a lot about the need to document your MSP business and your client’s infrastructures — something I hugely advocate myself. It really is a fundamental of modern Managed Services.
There was also a healthy debate on how MSPs currently document their businesses, ranging from:-
SharePoint (free for Microsoft partners, but difficult to manage)
Word documents (Better than nothing?)
Bespoke solutions (Time-consuming to set up and maintain, but useful)
Post-It Notes (No, really…)
This was a great example of a product, in IT Glue, proving its value to the audience without the IT Glue speakers ever hard-selling their solution. The application and benefits of the IT Glue platform were obvious, and IT Glue proved to be a hit on this roadshow.
While in Dublin, I also recorded an interview with Melissa Saar, the Partner Success Manager at IT Glue. Keep an eye on the TubbTalk – the Podcast for IT Consultants, for that episode!
Webroot – Next Generation Cyber-Security
Webroot talked about the changing landscape of cyber-security, specifically next-generation endpoint protection and smart threat intelligence services.
Some of the stories that Webroot shared about the current state of the cyber-security landscape were definitely eye-opening. It’s no longer enough to deploy anti-virus solutions that rely on regular updates to keep devices safe. Instead, cloud-based security that detects and protects against threats in real-time is required.
Suffice to say, Webroot’s presentation (along with Datto and AppRiver) highlighted to many attendees that they need to rethink their MSP businesses approach to Cyber-Security. The times, they are definitely a changing…
Keep an eye on my MSP Podcast for an upcoming interview with the security experts at Webroot.
RapidFireTools – Network Detective Solution
Richard Daly of RapidFire Tools joined us at each roadshow event and spoke, honestly and openly, about the Network Detective solution. Network Detective is a well-established tool that allows MSPs to non-intrusively detail network infrastructure, expose security threats and vulnerabilities, plus produce client-friendly reports on these activities.
Richard explained how many of their existing MSP partners use Network Detective to generate consulting opportunities, and that specific tools for Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server and even Datto devices, allow MSPs to differentiate themselves from competitors who rely on manual security checks.
This idea of MSPs creating their own managed cyber-security services was an intriguing idea to many attendees, who definitely saw a need for their clients.
Inbay – White-Label NOC and Helpdesk Services
London-based Inbay was a name new to many of the TotallyMSP roadshow attendees.
Inbay provides white-label Network Operation Centre (NOC) and Helpdesk services to MSPs to help those MSPs to scale more effectively.
Head of Global Sales at Inbay, Scott Tyson, delivered a highly valuable presentation on building a sales playbook — how MSPs can systematically and methodically tackle sales opportunities to grow their business.
Despite being about sales, Scott’s presentation was the epitome of education over blunt selling — with the audience being educated on how they could make more sales, rather than having a sales pitch pushed down their throat! As a result, there was a lot of interest from audience members in how they could partner with InBay and many MSPs who debated whether outsourcing was right for them, and how to choose an MSP NOC provider.
Question and Answer session
Thanks to Robert Gibbons of Think4 IT for the picture!
Where time allowed, on some of the roadshow dates we also hosted an open question and answer session with all the speakers lined up to answer questions from the audience.
I truly believe we could have had an entire day just for Q’n’A’s. This was a very popular segment! The audience asked questions of the presenters, the presenters asked questions of the audience, and the audience asked questions of each other. We covered everything from:-
how MSPs can more effectively partner with vendors
what frustrates vendors about working with MSPs
what one thing do MSPs wish vendors would do more of
what you should wear to client meetings
No, really! The last fashion-based topic proved to be quite the debate. 
February 8, 2018
Authy – Protect Yourself from Hackers with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Every Friday I share one of my favourite finds of the week — a website, tool or an app that has impressed me.
My Friday Favourite this week is Authy – Protect Yourself from Hackers with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).
What is it?
Authy is a free app that enables you to use Two-Factor Authentication with your favourite sites, such as Google, Facebook, Amazon and more.
How can it help me?
If you’re worried about your online accounts being hacked or taken over — or worse, have seen friends on Facebook or other social media sites already suffer this — then Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a great solution.
The traditional methods of relying on just usernames and (often, weak) passwords to secure your online accounts are no longer safe.
2FA is an additional layer of security that requires not only a username and a password but an additional code that is received by a device you own — in most cases, your Smartphone.
In short, 2FA is the best way to protect yourself online.
You can receive 2FA codes via SMS (text message) to your phone, but if you’re out of signal area, then using an app such as Authy can generate your secure codes without needing an Internet connection.
Authy is a free tool that generates these codes. You download it and get started using the range of 2FA guides that Authy provides for setting up 2FA for popular sites such as Facebook, Google, Amazon and more.
Authy is a free app that enables you to use Two-Factor Authentication with your favourite sites
If you’re *not* a techy and that seems complicated — it really isn’t. It’s no different to entering a PIN when you use your credit card.
Try it out, it’s easy and it’ll keep you safe online.
How much does it cost?
Authy is free to download and use.
How can I get it?
You can download Authy for Android, iOS, Windows, Apple Mac and the Google Chrome web browser.
You can find out more about Two-Factor Authentication by visiting the Authy homepage.
You can also visit the Authy Facebook page, follow Authy on Twitter, or follow Authy on LinkedIn.
Thanks to Matt Barton of MSP Comparison for introducing me to Authy!
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February 1, 2018
OneTab – Save Memory and Reduce Tab Clutter in Google Chrome
Every Friday I share one of my favourite finds of the week — a website, tool or an app that has impressed me.
My Friday Favourite this week is OneTab – Save Memory and Reduce Tab Clutter in Google Chrome.
What is it?
OneTab is an extension for the Google Chrome web-browser that allows you to reduce tab clutter.
How can it help me?
Do you ever find yourself with lots of web-browser tabs open at the same time? Overwhelmed by all the clutter? Chrome slowing down due to all the open tabs?
Once installed as a Google Chrome extension, OneTab allows you to press the funnel extension button and have all of the tabs reduced to a list of links on a single page — reducing tab clutter and saving up to 95% in memory resources.
You can visit any of the links you’ve reduced at any time. You’re just left with a less cluttered web browser!
OneTab is an extension for the Google Chrome web-browser that allows you to reduce tab clutter
How much does it cost?
OneTab is free of charge.
How can I get it?To install OneTab into Google Chrome in under 5 seconds, visit https://www.one-tab.com/ and install the extension.
OneTab for Firefox is also available for the Mozilla Firefox web browser.
You can also contact OneTab.
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January 28, 2018
Courage Over Comfort – Or Doing The Right Thing When You Feel Stupid
Courage Over Comfort. What does that mean to you?
To me, it means doing the right thing even when it makes you feel stupid.
For instance, around twenty years ago — well before I was a business owner — I worked for the NHS Information Authority as a database support contractor. My job often saw me manage very large databases containing very sensitive records stored by regional UK National Health Service (NHS) authorities.
One day I was working on the patient database for Devon NHS Partnership. It was some routine work deleting some corrupted records.
Routine, except that instead of deleting the corrupted records, I managed to type a command that deleted *all* the records.
That one time I deleted the entire NHS Devon patient database…
Yikes. Any fellow IT worker who has ever done this will know that horrible sinking feeling as you stare at the screen knowing you’ve messed up, and messed up big time.
To be clear, I’d deleted every NHS patient record in the Devon regional area.
As I sat, horrified at my mistake, I immediately considered my options. I was a contractor. I’d done something very, very stupid. Was I going to get fired for this? Could I fix the situation so nobody would ever know? How much time would that take?
Resisting every urge to try to fix the issue myself, I stood straight up, walked into my boss’s office, and told him what I’d done.
Courage Over Comfort
The boss calmly picked up the ‘phone and called a colleague, a fellow support technician who had been working on that very client site earlier that day. He explained what had happened, and my colleague turned his car around, drove the hour back to the site, and restored the data from a tape backup.
Neither my boss, my colleague who had to drive an additional two hours out of his way, or the local NHS authority whose records I had ruthlessly deleted were pleased. However, I wasn’t sacked. I wasn’t disciplined. I just felt very, very stupid.
When the issue was rectified and the database records were restored, my boss reassured me that I’d certainly learn a lesson from my stupid mistake. My colleague — the one who I’d stolen two hours of his life from — later told me (after he’d had a calming night’s sleep) that he’d made a similar mistake early in his career and that I’d done the right thing by owning up to the mistake immediately.
I still shudder when I think of that incident. I’m still embarrassed by it. However, I’m proud that I did the right thing and owned up to the mistake. I laugh at the stupidity of it now, but I learned the lesson — do the right thing, even if it makes you feel stupid.
Courage Over Comfort means doing the right thing even if it makes you feel stupid
The Shopping Trolley Incident
I was reminded of this lesson recently in a (thankfully!) more mundane situation.
I live in a lovely part of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the North East of the UK. I enjoy walking in the local area. Recently, though, I’d walked past a disused Supermarket shopping trolley that had been dumped nearby. I walked past this shopping trolley each day for three days, and each day I thought “I should take that shopping trolley back to the local Supermarket” — but each day I didn’t. Why? Because I’d feel stupid pushing a shopping trolley along a road.
Stupid, right? I’m a guy who regularly picks up litter on the street and deposits it into a nearby bin. I don’t care what people think of me in those situations (although I used to). Who cares what people would think of me for pushing a shopping trolley along the main road?
Well, apparently, I did, the man who deleted the entire NHS Devon Partnership patient database, — an act much more stupid than being seen pushing a Supermarket shopping trolley along a road — didn’t pick that dumped trolley up because he was scared of looking stupid in front of strangers.
Anyway, I took a walk the other day, carrying a rather heavy bag full of books my wife wanted to donate to the local Charity Shop. The bag was uncomfortably heavy, but I fancied the walk. As I walked, I had my headphones in, listening to a Podcast — The Virgin Podcast, to be precise, with host Dominic Frisby interviewing Brene Brown on the Power of Vulnerability.
As a side note, if you’ve never watched Brene Brown’s TED talk on The Power of Vulnerability, I highly recommend it. Brown talks about Courage Over Comfort.
I highly recommend the TED talk on The Power of Vulnerability by @BreneBrown
Indeed, Brown was talking about Courage Over Comfort as I lugged my heavy bag of books along, and I walked past that dumped shopping trolley, again.
The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on me. There I was, scared to do the right thing and push the shopping trolley back to the Supermarket, all the while carrying a heavy bag — which I could deposit in the said shopping trolley, to make my life easier — while Brene Brown was telling me to ignore feelings of discomfort and do the right thing.
The Universe was surely hitting me over the head with a proverbial hammer which said: “Do the right thing, despite feeling scared!”.
I walked past the shopping trolley.
Doing The Right Thing When It Makes You Feel Stupid
I then thought back to the NHS Devon incident. And I stopped in my tracks.
I walked back to the trolley. I dropped the heavy bag in the trolley (courage AND comfort?) and started pushing it back to the supermarket.
I passed four people on the way. Each person looked at me oddly. At least, that’s how I felt. I wanted to stop and tell them I wasn’t some nutter pushing a shopping trolley around — I was doing the right thing and taking it back to the store. But really, what did they care either way?
Fifteen minutes later, I was at the Supermarket. I returned the trolley to its home. I dropped the book donations off at the Charity Shop. And I walked back home via a route now blissfully unspoiled by a dumped shopping trolley.
What is your reaction?
Some of you reading this will think this is the stupidest thing you’ve ever read. Why would anybody be worried about being seen pushing a shopping trolley along the main road?
Others will read this and think “Forget that! I’d have left the shopping trolley where it was!”.
Others still will read this and think – “Oh My Goodness. Did Richard really just publicly admit to deleting the entire NHS patient database in one of the most stupid IT acts ever?”.
I figure that everybody has their own levels of discomfort they are willing to bear in doing the right thing. But that discomfort is set by you. You have a choice on picking courage over comfort.
My level of discomfort used to be picking up litter, worrying that people would think I was a tramp. That’s long since passed. Now it’s not even pushing a shopping trolley down the main road worrying that people might think I was a tramp. Anyway, I took the shopping trolley back despite that, and I think that’s a good thing.
The lesson I’ve learned is this. As a young man, I was scared to own up to a stupid but serious mistake for fear of what other people thought. I overcame this moment of fear and nothing permanently bad happened — although it may have, if I hadn’t been brave.
Twenty years later, I was letting the fear of looking stupid in front of strangers overwhelm me with something entirely inconsequential. If I had left the shopping trolley there, nobody would have known. Nobody, except me. I’d have known.
Courage Over Comfort in blogging
I’ll go a step further and share that I felt scared of publishing this story. “Who cares?”, “What if people laugh at me” and “Who is he to preach at us?” were just three of the thoughts that ran through my head. My obvious fear of being mistaken for a tramp is another .
But I remembered the adage “Courage over Comfort” and I also remembered the advice that I regularly give my friends and clients when they’re worried about sharing their blogs with the world. They have those same fears — “Who am I to share my thoughts with the world”, “Who wants to read my stuff anyway?”, “What will people think of me?” — and I look at them bemused and wonder what they’re worried about. “Publish it and be damned!” I tell them. So I’m taking my own advice.
It’s worth remembering to always do the right thing, even when it makes you uncomfortable. I’d say *especially* when it makes you uncomfortable.
Conclusion
Remember, Courage Over Comfort. Look for opportunities to build your courage over being comfortable.
Stretch your comfort boundaries in your own personal and professional life.
Courage Over Comfort. Look for opportunities to build your courage over being comfortable
I wouldn’t recommend deleting an NHS database, but look for your own dumped shopping trolleys to return — the small things that you avoid for fear of looking stupid.
Pick that piece of litter up in the street, despite worrying about what people think of you.
Ask that “stupid” question in the next team meeting at work, despite your concern over your colleagues’ reaction.
Go the local park or gym to work out, despite feeling fat and out of shape.
Because in twenty years time, I’m guessing that you’ll be glad you did the right thing despite momentarily feeling stupid. Not only glad, but you’ll be proud you did the right thing. You’ll be proud you chose Courage Over Comfort.
I’m intrigued to hear your thoughts. Please be brave and leave a comment below, tweet me @tubblog or email me at richard@tubblog.co.uk. 
January 25, 2018
Mynt – Smart Tracker and Bluetooth Remote Control
Every Friday I share one of my favourite finds of the week — a website, tool or an app that has impressed me.
My Friday Favourite this week is Mynt – Smart Tracker and Bluetooth Remote Control.
What is it?
Mynt is a compact (2.5cm wide) Bluetooth device that can be used as a smart tracker for objects, or when paired with a smartphone, used for a variety of remote control actions.
How can it help me?
A Mynt Bluetooth device can be attached to your keys, wallet, purse or bag. You can download a free app to your Smartphone and connect it to your Mynt device(s) to turn it into a smart tracker.
When you activate the device within the app, your Mynt chirps so that you can find it.
A Mynt device has a range of around 150 ft. If you lose an item outside this range, the Mynt app shows you the GPS coordinates of the place the device was seen. So if you leave your rucksack in the pub, Mynt will tell you this.
If you report an item lost within the Mynt app, then the Mynt community springs into action. Each smartphone with Mynt installed can detect a Mynt smart tracker device nearby. So the more Mynt users using the app, the more Mynt smart tracker devices will be detected by the network.
Mynt is a smart tracker that will help you find lost objects like keys, wallet or Smartphone
You can also use the Mynt device to find your Smartphone. Each Mynt device has a button that, when pressed, can help you find your paired Smartphone.
You can also programme your Mynt device to remote control your Smartphone. You can use Mynt as:-
a presentation pointer, advancing slides in Powerpoint
activate your camera shutter to take a remote control picture
control your music player
… and lots of other actions that are supported by a Bluetooth remote control.
The battery life of a Mynt device is 6-months, and unlike many trackers, the battery is replaceable.
How much does it cost?
A Mynt device costs £18.99 from Amazon UK, and $19.99 from Mynt in the USA.
How can I get it?
Buy a Mynt device from Amazon UK or Mynt USA, and then download the Mynt app for iOS devices, Android devices or Apple Mac OS X.
You can also follow Mynt creators @Slightech on Twitter or visit the Slightech Facebook page.
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January 21, 2018
Why Great Quality Content is Invaluable for IT Companies
This is a guest post by my friend Gudrun Lauret, a copywriter and expert in great quality content. Gudrun helps your content marketing work harder and better, and is a valued member of Team Tubb!
One of the biggest challenges small business owners face, no matter what industry they’re in, is having to do everything for themselves, including marketing and promoting their services to win customers and make money.
Unless you’re really lucky, customers aren’t just going to fall into your lap. Referrals are one good way of getting work, but they rely on strong relationships with people who can recommend you, and building those takes time.
A quicker way to find clients is through excellent content. You may be thinking: “But I’m a Managed Service Provider (MSP), how can that help me?” or “I work with a small niche group so they won’t need that.”
Unfortunately, there are lots of other IT companies also competing for your ideal customers, and they might get there first. You already know the value of having a website, but the content is what encourages visitors to stay on your site, learn more about you and decide to do business with you.
A quicker way to find new clients is through excellent content
What Exactly is ‘Content’?
To clarify, ‘content’ refers to any material you create to share online. It can take many different forms and is intended to give people helpful information. It is never a hard sell because today’s consumers will switch off immediately.
The content you share allows your audience to become customers, and ideally returning customers. If you get it right, they’ll also share your content as well, which helps you get in front of new people you might not otherwise have found.
So, if we agree that you need content and an online presence, what will make it ‘great’? It’s important to be consistent with your output so that people know your business is still active. It also shows that you’re keeping up to date with the latest trends and want to share your thoughts.
Your audience needs to feel educated and valued because you’ve gone out of your way to share something helpful with them. When you create content, you must always keep your audience in mind.
Tell them something new, that will make a difference to the way they do business or can prevent them making a mistake. The worst thing you can do is give them something that you think is interesting but makes them say: “So what?”
When you create content, you must always keep your audience in mind
What Makes Great Quality Content That Your Audience Will Appreciate?
The easiest way to create helpful content is to answer your customers’ frequently asked questions. What do they need to know about the services you offer, and what will be the outcomes for their business?
Focus on one question per piece of great quality content, and don’t assume your customers know everything (or indeed anything) about IT services – answer every question you can think of, no matter how basic it seems.
Give product or software reviews for tools that would be helpful for your audience. Be honest and impartial, and if you’ve been sponsored to write a post, make that clear. You can also compare two similar products to help your customers make an informed choice about which one to invest in.
If appropriate, create product demos so people can see how something works. Tell your audience about changes to legislation (GDPR has been in the news recently), software bugs and updates and anything else that could have an impact on their business operating effectively.
At all times, give them content that tells them something they didn’t already know or improves their understanding. If you want to tell them you’ve moved office or won an award, try to relate that back to them.
The easiest way to create helpful content is to answer your customers’ frequently asked questions
Types of Content
The three main types of content are written video and audio. When deciding what type to produce, you need to think about where your audience spends their time online, and how they consume their content.
However, if you feel more comfortable with one medium over another, start with that. Most social media platforms support audio and video clips, as well as written content in some form.
Don’t put off starting to produce content because you’re not ready to jump straight in front of a video camera. You can add different types of great quality content later on if you need to, and your audience will help you work out what they need.
Conclusion
To stand out in a crowded marketplace, you need to be seen to be giving helpful information to your customers – things that you know they want to know more about. Be consistent with your content creation, don’t assume anything about your audience, and make sure it’s easy for them to find in places they’re already spending time.
To stand out in the marketplace, you need to be seen to be giving helpful information to your customers
Remember, anything you share on social media should lead people back to your website so they can find out more about you and get in touch with extra information and pricing. Great quality content should be part of your overall strategy to promote your IT business.
This is a guest post by Gudrun Lauret, a copywriter and expert in making your content marketing work harder and better.
Read more on great quality content from Gudrun at www.gudrunlauret.com
You can also find Gudrun Lauret on Twitter and connect with Gudrun on LinkedIn.
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January 18, 2018
Google Files Go – Free Up Space On Your Smartphone
Every Friday I share one of my favourite finds of the week — a website, tool or an app that has impressed me.
My Friday Favourite this week is Google Files Go – Free Up Space On Your Smartphone.
What is it?
Google Files Go is a free app from Google for Android devices, that helps you free up space on your smartphone.
Google Files Go is a free app for Android devices, that helps you free up space on your smartphone.
How can it help me?
Do you ever find yourself running out of space on your Smartphone?
Once installed, Google Files Go runs in the background and periodically gives personalised file clean-up recommendations for unused apps, large or duplicate files, and low-resolution videos.
How much does it cost?
Google Files Go is free to download and use.
How can I get it?You can download Google Files Go for Android devices from https://filesgo.google.com/
Thanks to Chris Brogan of ChrisBrogan.com for recommending Google Files Go!
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January 17, 2018
Webinar – Operational Efficiency: 5 Quick Wins
My first webinar of 2018 kicked off as I joined Scott Tyson of Inbay and Alex Ford of IT Glue to discuss Operational Efficiency: 5 Quick Wins.
Operational Efficiency
What is operational efficiency? In a Managed Service Provider (MSP) it’s how capable your business is of delivering your service in the most cost-effective manner.
Cost-effectiveness should not mean reducing the levels of service though!
Operational efficiency comes when you’re delivering both a cost-effective AND effective service to your clients.
But how can you do this?
Operational Efficiency: 5 Quick Wins
In the webinar, Scott, Alex and I shared 5 quick wins for lowering your cost of support while still delivering effective service to your clients.
We also threw open the lines to answer your questions throughout the webinar, as provided time for a Q’n’A at the end of the webinar.
Download the on-demand recording of the Webinar
The webinar, which took place on 18th January 2018, is free for all to view on demand. Simply register at https://try.itglue.com/5-quick-wins to be sent a link.
I’m watching the webinar with @tubblog, @ITGlue and @Inbay discussing MSP Operational Efficiencies: 5 Quick Wins.
What are your biggest challenges when it comes to achieving operational efficiency?
Send us your questions about the webinar now and continue the conversation!
Tweet me @tubblog, Scott Tyson of Inbay @ST1972UK or @Inbay, and Alex Ford of IT Glue @AlexFord_ITGlue.
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