ConnectWise IT Nation Pushes Far Beyond MSPs

Written by The VAR Guy 1
November 10, 2011

Roughly 1,600 people are attending this week’s IT Nation conference, hosted by ConnectWise in Orlando, Fla. Known in its early years as a gathering place for managed services providers (MSPs), the IT Nation conference has significantly expanded its messaging to engage resellers and VARs as well. Here’s why.

The traditional MSP software markets are maturing. Offerings like PSA (professional services automation) and RMM (remote monitoring and management) software are widely used by MSPs. But as The VAR Guy has noted numerous times, PSA and RMM also have broader applications for the reseller and VAR markets. At the same time, basic remote monitoring and management capabilities are now old hat for many MSPs and some VARs.

The result: ConnectWise, and many of its software partners, are pushing beyond their core software markets to make sure VARs and resellers also hear the messaging. During an IT Nation keynote this morning, video presentations included channel partners from all backgrounds: Application developers, IT consultants, resellers, VARs, MSPs and more. And the actual keynote, delivered by Flash Foresight author Daniel Burrus, essentially focused on practical business advice for small business technology leaders.

At the same time, some larger companies are starting to discover IT Nation. Symantec, for one, is on hand to promote a new managed services provider partner program initiative. And Meaghan Kelly, VP of Startup Central at Hewlett-Packard, is on hand promoting HP relationships with such companies as Axcient, a cloud storage provider.

Meanwhile, dozens of cloud-related companies are on hand to help VARs and MSPs potentially generate new recurring revenue opportunities.

Still, there’s plenty of MSP chatter in the halls. Several HTG Peer Groups members, on hand for their year-end meetings, mentioned annual revenue growth of 20 to 30 percent to The VAR Guy.

That’s impressive. But clearly, there’s more than one way to succeed in the channel. ConnectWise continues to show MSPs some serious love. But the group hug also includes a more coordinated effort to embrace VARs and resellers at IT Nation as well.