Author Archives: Megan Carnes

Have you had issues deploying a VM template with CloudBase-Init? Perhaps it works sometimes when you deploy the template but most of the time it fails with this error during the startup process like the screenshot below. Thrive utilizes a tool from our partner Abiquo that we use to provision virtual machines for our customers in a secure and repeatable way. Our tools utilize CloudInit for Linux and Cloudbase-Init for Windows to inject bootstrap information to automate the initial configuration.

The computer restarted unexpectedly or encountered an unexpected error. Windows installation cannot proceed. To install Windows. click “OK’ to restart the computer. and then restart the installation

The work around for the boot issue is a quick registry edit: While at the above screen don’t click okay – instead hit Shift+F10, type registry.exe in the command box that comes up and change the value of HKLM/SYSTEM/Setup/Status/ChildCompletion/setup.exe to 3 then reboot. However, we wouldn’t want to do that with every single templated machine that we deploy.

The problem comes down to a race condition of the specialize phase during sysprep and the way Cloudbase-Init was installed on this template. When installing CBI its common to not use the option at the end of the installer to immediately perform a sysprep operation but that skips some of the logic that it does. To work around that we need to edit the Unattend.xml file as well as change the cloudbase-init service.

1. After the Cloudbase-init installation is complete, run the following in an elevated command command prompt or use services.msc to disable automatic startup of the Windows service

1. 1.    sc config cloudbase-init start= disabled
2. Edit the unattend.xml in C:\Program Files\Cloudbase Solutions\ file to enable automatic startup mode of the cloudbase-init Windows service. This command _must_ be set as <Order>1</Order> and the existing unattended cloudbase-init node set to <Order>2</Order> so that the re-enable command runs prior to the unattended instance of cloudbase-init, which requires a reboot.

<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action=”add”>

<Order>1</Order>

<Path>sc config cloudbase-init start= auto</Path>

<Description>Re-enable auto start of cloudbase-init</Description>

<WillReboot>Never</WillReboot>

</RunSynchronousCommand>

1. Perform any remaining customization steps and application installs you need to do. For example we change the cloudbase-init config files to run particular plugins
2. Assuming you use the default install directories then create a batch file in C:\Program Files \Cloudbase Solutions\Cloudbase-Init\conf with the following”

1. 1. Cd C:\Program Files \Cloudbase Solutions\Cloudbase-Init\conf
   2. Ipconfig /release
   3. c:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /mode:vm /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml

1. 1. Now is a good time to snapshot your VM
   2. Launch an admin command prompt. Navigate to ‘C:\Program Files \Cloudbase Solutions\Cloudbase-Init\conf’ and execute the batch file to sysprep and shutdown your template
2. Clone this VM and convert to a template or ingest it to whatever tool you’re using. That will leave you with the base VM you can quickly apply Windows patches to in the future and just run the batch script to sysprep next time without having to rearm it.

Note: If you are using dissimilar hardware between where you built the template and when its eventually deployed you may also need to remove the following from the Unattend.xml file <PersistAllDeviceInstalls>true</PersistAllDeviceInstalls>

Here is an example modified unattend.xml

We hope this helps you in your journey to automating the cloud!

Reference Links:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/153f59d4-383c-4008-8f0e-3977dc3b14e5/sysprep-windows-could-not-parse-or-process-unattend-answer-file-for-pass-specialize?forum=win10itprosetup
https://bugs.launchpad.net/cloudbase-init/+bug/1407842 specifically the post from Curt Moore (jcmoore) on 2015-03-08
https://ask.cloudbase.it/question/693/reboot-loop-when-booting-a-glance-windows-image-with-cloud-init/

Welcome back to another installment of our “Thrive Employee Spotlight” blog series.

Our featured Thrive Employee is Adam Pfeifer. Adam is a Virtual CIO (vCIO) at Thrive.

Adam provides technical and strategic consultation and leadership for Thrive’s customers. He eases the burden of an in-house CIO and oversees the client’s entire IT infrastructure, ensuring everything in their business network is operating efficiently, smoothly and securely.

Adam lives in Goffstown, New Hampshire, with his wife and two children. Keep reading to find out about Adam’s sweet background!

Hi Adam! Can you tell us about your background and how you came to Thrive? 

I have more than 25 years in the IT industry. I joined Thrive when it was a startup company back in May 2001. Being the fifth engineer hired at that time, it’s been remarkable to witness Thrive’s tremendous growth and become an industry leader. Before Thrive, I worked for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as an IT Director.

Where did you go to school or get training? 

I graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a major in Management Information Systems and a minor in Business Administration.

What do you most enjoy about working for Thrive?

My relationships with my Thrive co-workers are what I enjoy the most. We are a solid team, working alongside with my colleagues’ to seamlessly and innovatively direct and guide our clients with their IT knowledge and initiatives.

Tell us what you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I am a hobbyist sugar maker! I own a maple sugar farm with over 250 trees making more than 20+ gallons of maple syrup each year.

Are you interested in learning more about Thrive? Click here!

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news, and continue checking our blog for more in our “Thrive Employee Spotlight” series. Until next time…

CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Erik Young, Vice President of Channel Sales at Thrive, to its 2022 list of Channel Chiefs. The prestigious CRN® Channel Chiefs list, released annually, recognizes top channel executives dedicated to the partner community, future business innovation, and channel growth. This is Erik’s third time to be named to the list of channel management movers and shakers, he was also named to the Channel Chiefs list in 2019 and 2021.

As Vice President of Channel Sales at Thrive, Erik is responsible for the success of Thrive’s Partner Program, including onboarding, client engagement, and management of the channel partner sales team and support team. He joined the Thrive team in 2017 and has been the driving force behind the company’s channel growth.

Erik has built a white-glove, partner-centric Channel Program at Thrive that allows the company’s trusted advisors to leverage Thrive as a true extension of their IT team. With over 20 years working in the space, his expertise is pivotal for Thrive to deliver and empower customers in a new landscape of security-driven decision-making.

“Thrive has taken the channel to new levels to empower all partners regardless of their technical competency,” said Young. “As a trusted cyber security advisor, we lead our partners to new areas of revenue that they traditionally haven’t been exposed to. This takes the partners up the technology stack and makes their relationships more valuable to the client. Thrive has expanded nationwide and has entered the UK channel markets with our master agents. We are also expanding globally with the channel.”

“CRN’s 2022 Channel Chiefs recognition is given exclusively to the foremost channel executives who consistently design, promote, and execute effective partner programs and strategies,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “We’re thrilled to recognize the tireless work and unwavering commitment these honorees put into fostering outstanding business innovation and building strong partner programs to drive channel engagement and success.”

CRN’s 2022 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2022 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs.

The Miami IT support company will help catapult Thrive’s NextGen Cybersecurity and Cloud Platform in South Florida

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – February 2, 2022 – Thrive, a premier provider of NextGen Managed Services, announces today that it has acquired Preemo, a responsive, award-winning technology services firm based in Miami, FL. The acquisition will provide South Florida businesses with comprehensive cybersecurity, cloud and digital transformation solutions to increase their technology (ROI) return-on-investment.

Preemo has been providing top-quality IT services and proactive, innovative solutions to South Florida companies for nearly a decade, currently serving more than 200 businesses across a multitude of different industries but specializing in the legal and private equity spaces.

“Preemo has a tremendous reputation built upon a customer-centric focus and premier IT support,” said Rob Stephenson, CEO of Thrive. “Thrive has a large number of customers in the Northeast United States moving or expanding to South Florida that will benefit from Preemo’s team of exceptional technologists. Their clients will benefit from Thrive’s 24x7x365 SOC, cybersecurity practice, and digital transformation products and services.”

“Over the past 13 years, Preemo has grown into a leader in the Southeast Florida market, delivering comprehensive managed IT services, public and private cloud, and cybersecurity solutions,” noted Ivan Mladenovic, CEO of Preemo. “Now, under Thrive’s umbrella, we will expand both our service offering and our geographic footprint, to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience for our clients in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. We’re thrilled about this new partnership and look forward to our strategic growth this year and beyond.”

Preemo establishes a strong presence for the company in the Florida region. Working with leading small to mid-sized enterprises across multiple industries, Thrive delivers comprehensive NextGen managed services and unmatched expertise to drive digital transformation efficiencies with advanced cybersecurity best practices.

For more information on Thrive, visit thrivenextgen.com.

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About Thrive

Thrive is a leading provider of NextGen managed services designed to drive business outcomes through application enablement and optimization. The company’s Thrive5 Methodology utilizes a unique combination of its Application Performance Platform and strategic services to ensure each business application achieves peak performance, scale, uptime, and the highest level of security. For more information, thrivenextgen.com.

Thrive: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stephanie Farrell

VP of Marketing

617-952-0289 | sfarrell@thrivenextgen.com

About Preemo

Preemo has been a trusted leader in South Florida for over a decade, providing proactive, innovative solutions for a variety of businesses, including law firms, medical offices, accounting firms, and manufacturing & distribution companies.

We’re excited to share our Vertical Spotlight Blog Series! Our vertical this month is Financial Services.

For this blog, we’re featuring Frank O’Brien, Strategic Account Executive, Private Equity (PE), to discuss our Private Equity Portfolio Engagement Services, which are available at every stage of the investment lifecycle. Thrive’s seasoned leadership team with 120 years of combined experience can help PE firms and PE-backed companies address technology advancements and risk mitigation, ensuring security, compliance, and performance.

At Thrive, Frank works to accelerate the growth of the private equity investment community through relationship management, identification of the customers’ technical needs, and his ability to align services and solutions. He utilizes his deep understanding of the financial industry and current trends to aid his clients in operating proactively and reactively.

Here are his insights on how Thrive’s Private Equity Portfolio Engagement Services can provide a competitive advantage for PE firms and their portfolio companies (portcos), creating enterprise value that will foster future growth.

What are the biggest technology enablement challenges that portcos are facing today?

Many of our portco’s are quite large with hundreds of employees and dozens of sites. Our goal is to get them to migrate to our Financial Operations Platform, so Thrive can provide better and consistent service, both technologically and financially. Right now, we’re looking to create a baseline for all of these portcos. Operationally, they differ greatly from one another (Some with CIO and CTOs at the helm and others do not). So, our interaction with each one varies, but the idea is to service the entire client base and improve that service level.

How does Thrive help these companies overcome obstacles, specifically with product and service uses?  How do you help them achieve technology enablement?

These PE businesses are constantly investing or divesting in new portcos. Therefore, our first action is to conduct an assessment of the portco’s IT environment, and then, we work against that baseline, specifically with regards to cyber security. We want to ensure there are no security gaps and to mitigate any potential breaches that can happen down the road, working closely with either the CFO, COO, CTO, or CIO. Ultimately, our goal is to become a trusted partner and IT advisor to them moving forward.

I understand that Thrive’s PE Portfolio Engagement program has various lifecycle stages, and every client is at a different part of the journey. Can you provide a high-level explanation of what this program looks like?

Working on behalf of our PE customers, Thrive’s first action with all our portcos is to conduct a baseline assessment. With this assessment, we can understand the portco’s current IT environment and make recommendations on how to improve it for the PE firm. Again, our primary focuses are around cyber security and data transformation, both areas in which Thrive excels.

These portcos can specialize in different verticals, but the key is for us to offer our baseline assessment findings and advise on any necessary changes to ensure the portco has a clean scorecard when presented to the PE firm.

What are the benefits for customers utilizing Thrive’s Portfolio Engagement Services? What is the competitive advantage?

The advantage to any company, not only portcos, is the breadth and scope of what an MSP like Thrive can bring to the table. We can provide a variety of disciplines, including our cyber security services, our Security Operations Center (SOC), and our dedicated systems, network operations,24/7 help desk support teams. It’s next to impossible to find another service provider to cover all these disciplines under one roof. Thrive never sleeps. We’re always awake, monitoring, managing, and patching your environment to be ahead of any potential threats.

For example, a company looking to have these offerings in-house, even one on a large scale with 1,600 employees and 100 sites, can find it difficult. To hire and bring on individuals that have this type of technology skillset is next to impossible. However, when you outsource it to a company like Thrive, we already offer all the resources you need and provide immediate access to them. We take care of all the blocking and tackling, allowing more time for the CTO or CIO to focus on strategic business matters. Additionally, we provide detailed reporting, so the PE firm, the investor in the portcos, will know what is happening and when it’s happening.

What are some examples of how Thrive’s Portfolio Engagement Services have helped companies optimize their business?

So, without mentioning names, the PE firm that I’m currently working with has just completed a new acquisition. We’ve done our baseline assessment and found the security gaps within the acquired portco environment. Now, because of our capabilities and manpower, we can access their environment to remediate those gaps, bringing the portco to a secure place for the PE firm. We’ll also ensure all the required regulations are met.

Overall, what I’m seeing so far from these portcos, is that they come to us behind the times in regards to technology. Their environments are outdated and not secure due to the end-of-life operating systems used. We not only conduct the baseline assessments but also present our findings to the PE firm, detailing exactly how to remediate the issues we’ve uncovered. As a result, the PE firm can be comfortable investing in the chosen portco because their environment has been vetted and secured from a technology standpoint. Moreover, the fact that Thrive has an integrated SOC, in addition to our other MSSP offerings, allows us to outshine the other service providers these PE firms can use.

So, if there are portcos that are behind the times and choose to not upgrade their internal operations to secure their environment, what would be the result? What if they decide to not better their technology with Thrive?

Besides profitability and functionality and all of those technology offerings that support the portco in case of an outage or a security breach, I think the reputational value is what the PE firm would be concerned with. For instance, if a portco is breached and investors hear about this happening, it’s going to result in a reputational punch that the business may not be able to recover from. These PE firms would be thinking — if you can’t manage your IT, how are you going to successfully manage my and client’s money. Reputational value is so important that you do not want to be in the news as having been breached if you are a financial firm — period. Portcos need to ensure they make their IT environment a priority to see longevity in the marketplace going forward. This is where Thrive can step in and help with our portfolio engagement services.

Are you interested in learning more about Thrive’s NextGen IT for Financial Services? Click here!

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news, and continue checking our blog for more in our “Vertical Spotlight” series.

Welcome back to another installment of our “Thrive Employee Spotlight” blog series.

Our featured Thrive Executive is John Holland, Chief Revenue Officer.

John oversees all sales, marketing, and customer success efforts at Thrive. He works with each of Thrive’s regions in New England, New York and the Mid-Atlantic to streamline sales processes; in turn, easing the process of delivering superior NextGen managed services to Thrive’s clients. His focus points at Thrive include increasing organic growth in revenue through geographical expansion, the further development of Thrive’s channel sales team, and establishing the Thrive brand as a key player in the MSP space.

John has lived in and around the greater Boston area for his entire life, but he currently resides in Bedford, Massachusetts with his wife, Kara, two daughters, Grace and Faith, and the family dog, Daisy. 

Hi John! Can you tell us about your background and how you came to Thrive? 

I have worked within the IT space for over 25 years, leading sales organizations and building the most effective solutions for our customers and prospects sold directly and through channel partners. Before working at Thrive, I was the SVP of Sales at TierPoint for over nine years, where I became part of the company through the acquisition of Xand, a cloud and data center provider. I came to Thrive based on many of the relationships I built through the years with employees at Xand (who are now at Thrive), including its founder and our current CEO, Rob Stephenson.

Where did you go to school or get training?

I attended Boston College High School like many other Thrive employees. I attended Saint Anselm College, where I majored in Business. Most of my training came from working with amazing sales engineers and mentors.

What do you like most about working at Thrive?

It may sound cliché, but it truly is the people. A great deal of the people who work at Thrive I’ve known and worked with for many years. They are the main reason why I came here. I believe if you get the right group of people who are passionate about their work, you can build a great company no matter what that company does.

Tell us what you like to do in your free time.

My time is mostly spent with my family and watching my daughters grow up (too fast, if you ask me). I like to travel and explore new life experiences while breaking away for a round of golf with friends. I make sure to watch the hometown teams win more championships. What’s a Sunday without sports?

Are you interested in learning more about Thrive? Click here!

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news, and continue checking our blog for more in our “Thrive Employee Spotlight” series. Until next time…

The InCare Partnership will extend Thrive’s NextGen Cloud & Cybersecurity Managed Services Platform to Clients in the Southern United States

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – January 6, 2022 – Thrive, a premier provider of NextGen Managed Services, announces today that it has acquired InCare Technologies, a nationally recognized information technology managed services provider known for its work with healthcare, local governments, education, and other SMB businesses. The acquisition provides Thrive with a strong regional provider in the South, enabling it to better deliver and support its managed Cybersecurity, collaboration, and Cloud services across the country.

Based in Birmingham, Alabama, with offices in Tennessee and Mississippi, InCare Technologies provides award-winning managed services which include proactive IT support, Cybersecurity, networking, total technology outsourced management and more.

“InCare Technologies is one of the best-run MSPs that we’ve had the privilege of working with.  Their operational maturity, management team, employee technical acumen and commitment to customer service make them the perfect partner for Thrive to anchor our Southern expansion,” said Rob Stephenson, CEO of Thrive. “Thrive’s ServiceNow platform, sophisticated 24x7x365 Security Operations Center (SOC) practice and Public, Private & Hybrid Cloud solutions will undoubtedly benefit InCare’s loyal clientele and attract future prospects within the region.”

“Since our inception, InCare Technologies has been dedicated to helping our customers stay productive and secure as they look to streamline their IT operations,” said Brian Walker, CEO of InCare Technologies. “By partnering with Thrive, we’ll advance that cause even further by improving the way we service our clients via advanced technologies, innovation and improved efficiencies. Our team has been impressed by Thrive’s people, processes, and platform, but most importantly by their commitment to customer service and their own employees.  This makes them a perfect match to continue our legacy and workplace culture as a leader in our market.”

Working with some of the top companies across multiple industries, Thrive delivers comprehensive NextGen managed services and unmatched expertise to drive digital transformation efficiencies with advanced Cybersecurity best practices.

For more information on Thrive, visit thrivenextgen.com.

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About Thrive

Thrive is a leading provider of NextGen managed services designed to drive business outcomes through application enablement and optimization. The company’s Thrive5 Methodology utilizes a unique combination of its Application Performance Platform and strategic services to ensure each business application achieves peak performance, scale, uptime, and the highest level of security. For more information, thrivenextgen.com.

Thrive: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stephanie Farrell

VP of Marketing

617-952-0289 | sfarrell@thrivenextgen.com

About InCare Technologies

InCare Technologies is an SMB-focused managed service provider headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with offices in Montgomery, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; and Memphis, Tennessee. InCare offers leading-edge IT managed services and local support; InShield, a comprehensive cybersecurity service; and InCare 360, the ultimate in managed services, comprising all aspects of a company’s IT needs.

Welcome back to another installment of our “Thrive Employee Spotlight” blog series.

Our featured Thrive Employee is Kristy Randazzo. Kristy is the Senior Finance and Operations Manager at Thrive.

Kristy oversees integral directives for Thrive’s Finance and Operations Departments. She has helped to streamline complex acquisition and consolidation efforts, as well as key financial transactions. She also works alongside accounts payable in vendor relations.

Hi Kristy! Can you tell us about your background and how you came to Thrive? 

I joined Thrive as part of the Apex IT Group acquisition in January 2021. During my time at Apex, I served as the Finance Manager and was responsible for bookkeeping, accounts payable, accounts receivable, vendor management, as well as human resources. I loved this role: pulling disparate pieces of a puzzle together to create a unified vision. It also gave me the opportunity to assist with the professional development of my peers. During the transition to Thrive I was concerned about losing that “small company” feel. However, I have found that Thrive is not just another big, corporate MSP – the collaboration between teams makes it feel more like a family.

Where did you go to school or get training? 

I am a graduate of Camden County College in Blackwood, New Jersey.

What do you most enjoy about working for Thrive?

It has been refreshing to find that many of my new colleagues at Thrive share similar values. I am excited for the future, knowing that Thrive is doing something good and empowering people to be great within their roles.

Also, Thrive has given me the opportunity to have a voice and be heard. Not just as an employee, but as a human. I truly think that Thrive does this for everyone. It is a pleasure to work among talented, positive, and encouraging peers

Any recent exciting projects at Thrive that you can tell us about?

I am thrilled to get our vendor management automated and streamlined! It is exciting to see progress toward gains in efficiency and ease of use.

Are you interested in learning more about Thrive? Click here!

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news, and continue checking our blog for more in our “Thrive Employee Spotlight” series. Until next time…

Thrive has been named to the HFM US Technology Awards 2022 shortlist in the categories of Best IT Managed Service and Best Cloud Service.

The HFM US Technology Awards celebrate the best and brightest technology firms serving the US hedge fund sector, demonstrating excellent client service, innovation, and strong and sustainable business growth over the previous 12 months.

The Thrive team brings years of experience meeting the strategic IT needs of hedge funds and alternative investment companies. By combining NextGen Cloud, cyber security, and digital transformation capabilities with experts that are positioned in New York, Boston, and across the Northeast, Thrive is the trusted partner hedge funds need to outperform the competition.

Congratulations to all shortlisted for the HFM US Tech Awards 2022!

The awards ceremony will be held on January 20, 2022, in New York City.

For more information on Thrive’s NextGen IT solutions for hedge funds, click here.