February 2013 – Network Management Group, Inc.

NMGI has landed on Nine Lives Media’s sixth-annual MSPmentor 501 Global Edition (http://www.mspmentor.net/top501), a distinguished list and report identifying the world’s top 501 managed service providers (MSPs). This year’s report has been expanded extensively to include:

New: MSPmentor 501 Global Edition
New: MSPmentor 100 Small Business Edition (top MSPs with 10 or fewer employees)
MSPmentor 200 North America Edition
MSPmentor 50 EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Edition
MSPmentor 25 AANZ (Asia, Australia, New Zealand) Edition
New: In-depth data tracking mobile device management (MDM), managed cloud services and other recurring revenue opportunities for MSPs.

“This prestigious award further validates the strides NMGI is making in providing total Managed Services to our business clients from Boston to Honolulu. We are honored to have been selected to both the Global 501 and Top 200 MSP’s in North America” said Steve Harper – Chairman and CEO. The MSPmentor 501 report is based on data from MSPmentor’s global online survey conducted October-December 2012. The MSPmentor 501 report recognizes top managed service providers based on a range of metrics, including annual managed services revenue growth, revenue per employee, managed services offered and customer devices managed. “MSPmentor congratulates Network Management Group, Inc. on this honor,” said Amy Katz, president of Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media. “Qualifying for our MSPmentor 501 Global Edition puts NMGI in rare company.” MSPs on this year’s global 501 list lifted their combined annual recurring revenues 24.5 percent to $2.54 billion. Together, those MSPs now manage more than 5.6 million PCs and servers, and nearly 400,000 smartphones and tablets, according to Joe Panettieri, editorial director, Nine Lives Media. MSPmentor, produced by Nine Lives Media, is the ultimate guide to managed services. MSPmentor features the industry’s top-ranked blog, research, Channel Expert Hour Webcasts and FastChat videos. It is the number one online media destination for managed service providers in the world. About Network Management Group, Inc. NMGI is a national provider of consultative services with an emphasis on computer networking, business continuity, and technology services for small and midsize businesses and organizations located throughout the United States. Network Management Group, Inc. designs, implements, and manages business technology solutions for our clients. Founded in 1984, NMGI is headquartered in Hutchinson, Kansas. For more information Contact: Tom Hammersmith Marketing Coordinator Network Management Group, Inc. (620) 664-6000 x132 For more information on Network Management Group, Inc.: http://www.nmgi.com About Nine Lives Media Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media (http://www.penton.com), defines emerging IT media markets and disrupts established IT media markets. The company’s IT channel-centric online communities include MSPmentor (http://www.MSPmentor.net), The VAR Guy (http://www.TheVARguy.com) and Talkin’ Cloud (http://www.TalkinCloud.com). Contact: Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media Joe Panettieri, Editorial Director 212-204-4206 or [email protected]

Sixth-Annual Report, Formerly the MSPmentor 100, Lists The World’s Top 501 Managed Service Providers (MSPs) HUTCHINSON, KANSAS — February 19, 2013 —

Sanchez Williams, Systems Engineer – Network Management Group, Inc.

Ever since Windows 8 was released in October of last year I have been asked several times when I believe companies should consider upgrading to Windows 8. Is it faster, better, and most importantly will it increase production are the most common questions I receive. Let’s start off with the most important one; will it increase production out of my current staff? Like all things technology this is best answered with “it depends.” For most users my experience with the product would lead me to answer no. In fact I would expect production to reduce and user frustration to increase substantially for the first few months of use while users get used to the new Metro Interface. The Metro Interface completely changes how users access their applications by placing a series of tiles on the main screen in lieu of a Start Button. The Metro Interface can be extremely frustrating and downright confusing to use. Even after forcing myself to use Windows 8 for several weeks I still didn’t have navigating through the Metro Interface down and would commonly bypass it to get my work done more quickly. Many people wonder why Microsoft switched to this interface and the short answer is they wanted the same Interface/feel through all devices (ie. Smartphone, tablet, laptop, PC) so that users can seamlessly move between them. There is an obvious emphasis on mobile devices which is what makes using it as an everyday workstation so awkward. The flip side to this design is that it works incredibly well with touchscreen devices, and not just tablets and smart phones. If you work in a factory that uses touch screens instead of a mouse and keyboard Windows 8 is spectacular. It is easy to navigate the Metro Interface with a touchscreen device and is quick and responsive. Internet Explorer is available in the Metro Interface as an “application” instead of just a web browser, making it easier to use and overall better looking when using a touchscreen. So did these major changes translate into a faster experience? Boot times are noticeably increased along with login times. During my testing it took about half the time to get from CTRL+ATL+DEL to a usable Desktop than it did in Windows 7. As far as the experience once logged in there wasn’t really a notable difference in speed or performance. This brings us to the final question and a great way to conclude, is it better? If you are a company that heavily uses touchscreens throughout your company that I would give it a solid yes. Windows 8 was clearly designed for use on a touch screen and both the feel and appearance confirm this. However, if you are using it for everyday office use I can’t say I would recommend it just yet, at least not on a large scale. I would get a test workstation or a Virtual Machine setup for users to play with and get comfortable before expecting solid production out of them.

Archives for February 2013

Nine Lives Media Names Network Management Group, Inc. (NMGI) to the MSPmentor 501 Global Edition

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