On Wednesday, the company introduced its MSP LaunchPad service, which it describes in its press release as "an 'out of the box' set of on-demand services and software for VARs that want to enter the high margin managed service provider business."

The new service by Jamcracker may help to define the role for VARs in the fairly nascent business of hosted IT services, where business models are still being defined. And it may similarly serve to better carve out a role for Jamcracker itself.

The purpose of the platform, says Jamcracker, is to enable VARs - which, in most cases provide their customers with software solutions based on license sales models - to begin providing managed services without having to deploy remote management tools, provisioning, subscription billing and administration systems or staffing a help desk operation.

Rather than losing customers to hosted service providers, it seems, VARs would be able to provide their existing customers, and new customers, with managed services.

In a bulleted list, the press release describes the MSP LaunchPad's "deliverables" as including "leading hosted service delivery tools," which include Kaseya and Level Platforms; a catalog of on-demand applications from Microsoft, IBM, McAfee, Cisco and other providers; an integration toolkit for bundling existing services; tools for order management, service provisioning, customer administration and billing; an automated "services-delivery workflow engine;" and 24-hour level 1 and level 2 customer support.

It doesn't appear that VARs need much at all in order to get started. But in the emerging IT services market, it's often the customers that are the final piece of the puzzle. Presumably, the VARs joining the program will be bringing the customers with them.

"With the $240 billion market for small-medium business IT services still in its infancy, VARs are increasingly expanding or crossing over into the MSP space," says Steve Crawford, vice president of marketing for Jamcracker, quoted in the press release. "However, VARs and MSPs often lack the infrastructure to move from a manual to automated service delivery model. LaunchPad was created to facilitate this transition and handle the operational and administrative complexities of running and growing a successful MSP business."

Jamcracker says the MSP LaunchPad is integrated with its Jamcracker Service Delivery Network, which provides the backbone and business administration tools for provisioning and billing.

Although it is designed for VARs, says the company, the LaunchPad can also provide resources for MSPs that want to scale their businesses quickly.

While the service was set to launch Wednesday, there does not yet appear to be an easily identified home for the program on the Jamcracker website. That may arrive later.