https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2020 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2020 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Digital Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • CHANNEL PARTNERS ONLINE
 Channel Futures

Sales & Marketing


Autotask Community Live: Five Moves Worth Watching

  • Written by Joe Panettieri 1
  • March 26, 2010
I'm busy booking travel for channel partner and managed services conferences this April. Among my destinations: Autotask Community Live, scheduled for April 18-20 in Miami. Here are five key trends I'll be exploring at the conference, which is designed for VARs and MSPs that want to automate their businesses.

I’m busy booking travel for channel partner and managed services conferences this April. Among my destinations: Autotask Community Live, scheduled for April 18-20 in Miami. Here are five key trends I’ll be exploring at the conference, which is designed for VARs and MSPs that want to automate their businesses.

First, a little background for those who are new to MSPmentor and this industry. Generally speaking, Autotask competes in the PSA (professional services automation) market against folks like ConnectWise and Tigerpaw, and emerging European SaaS upstarts like Severa.

When it comes to MSP/PSA user and partner conferences, ConnectWise essentially blazed the trail by launching its first partner summit back in 2005. Autotask got in the game with Autotask Community Live in 2009, Tigerpaw Software is planning its first conference for October 2010, and this year’s ConnectWise Partner Summit runs November 4-6 in Orlando, Fla.

Changing Times

I often blog about head-on competition between the PSA providers. But increasingly, each company is moving in different directions. The latest examples involve Autotask’s buyout of VARStreet, and ConnectWise’s decision to launch an incubator arm (ConnectWise Capital), which so far has invested in LabTech (remote monitoring software) and CharTec (hardware as a service).

Onto the story at hand: What do I expect to see and hear at the Autotask Community Live conference? There are plenty of surprises in store — some of which I’m still trying to confirm. But here are some key themes I think VARs and MSPs need to track:

1. MSPs Working with Corporate IT:

When Autotask launched TaskFire, the move attempted to help managed services providers work more closely with corporate IT managers. How is that effort performing so far? I’ve heard anecdotal examples of success. But I want to hear more — a lot more — about how corporate IT and MSPs can potentially find common ground.

The conversation certainly isn’t limited to Autotask. Companies like N-able have been promoting channel programs that sell monitoring tools into mid-market customer settings. But the balancing act between MSPs and corporate IT is worth watching.

2. Expanding the Automation Discussion:

One of the big challenges facing the managed services market is simply stated: We all spend far too much time talking to the same small community of people over and over again. Established MSPs sometimes hop from one PSA or RMM tool to the next. So software vendors spend extensive time trying to recruit customers from one another.

Instead of continuing a bloody battle to engage and re-engage established MSPs, software providers are looking for Blue Ocean opportunities. That explains ConnectWise Capital’s investment in CharTec, and Autotask’s buyout of VARStreet.

In theory, the VARStreet deal allows Autotask to:

  1. help MSPs pick up incremental revenue and margin through product engagements they may have otherwise ignored;
  2. strengthen its relationship with multiple distributors; and
  3. appeal to a broader set of VARs and resellers that already have a strong product focus.

I must admit: I should have been paying more attention to how VARs are leveraging VARStreet and other tools like QuoteWerks and Quosal. Both MSPmentor and The VAR Guy are hearing more and more chatter on the topic, and readers are weighing in with the pros and cons of their tool choices.

I’ll be watching to see if Autotask really does pull new VARs into the automation discussion through the VARStreet buyout.

3. Email Security And Online Backup Converge:

I can’t go into details yet, but I think it’s safe to say we’ll see some new partnerships involving Email security specialists partnering up with online backup and business continuity specialists. The parties involved provide SaaS-centric offerings, which means they’re going to need to give MSPs a single dashboard for managing email and storage systems — at least, that’s my theory.

4. Keep an Eye on OnForce:

OnForce is an online marketplace that allows VARs to bid on customer engagements. It’s like an eBay of sorts for IT projects. OnForce and Autotask announced some initial integration work in August 2008. Then, ConnectWise issued — and retracted — a statement in 2009, indicating that OnForce and ConnectWise were working closely together.

So what’s next? Multiple sources across the industry tell me a closer working relationship between OnForce and Autotask is under way. I’m not sure if new components will be announced at this year’s Autotask Community Live, but consider this potential concept: What if Autotask customers had a single dashboard to bid on customer projects (OnForce), source products for those projects (VARStreet) and then manage those projects (Autotask)? Just my theory, of course.

5. Economic Indicators:

During a quick discussion yesterday with Bob Cagnazzi, CEO of BlueWater Communications Group (a fast-growing solutions provider), he told me that corporate IT budgets are loosening up, and CIOs are generally feeling better about investing in innovation. At the same time, big technology bellwethers like Oracle are showing initial signs of an economic recovery.

Great. But does that mean small MSPs are (A) hiring and (B) growing their customer bases? Autotask can likely provide some insights, since their SaaS system can easily track PSA user headcounts within individual service companies. I’ll ask CEO Bob Godgart for some updated metrics and economic perspectives during the conference.

Got Questions?

As always, if you have questions or issues you’d like MSPmentor to explore at upcoming conferences, please email me (joe [at] NineLivesMediaInc.com). I appreciate the dialog, and enjoy the chatter.

Sign up for MSPmentor’s weekly Enewsletter, Webcasts and Resource Center. And follow us via RSS; Facebook; Identi.ca; and Twitter. Plus, check out more MSP voices at www.MSPtweet.com.


Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Cloud MSP 501 RMM/PSA Sales & Marketing

Related


  • Pax8 Kicks Off European Expansion with Launch of Pax8 UK
    Cloud distributor Pax8 leverages its recent Wirehive acquisition to launch Pax8 UK.
  • Network monitoring and management
    Malwarebytes Enhances OneView to Help MSPs' Security Business
    Security is an increasing concern for MSPs, particularly amid COVID-19.
  • Woman Thumbs Up
    HPE, Synnex Channel Execs Look Forward to Former Intel CTO Returning as CEO
    One Intel partner calls Gelsinger an industry veteran and visionary.
  • RMM on keyboard
    Kaseya Unified RMM Solution Tackles Growing Number of Connected Devices
    The evolution of Kaseya VSA brings all device management into a single product.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • SADA SaaS Alliance Aims to Give Members ‘the Best Opportunity to Grow’
  • D&H Extends Financing Terms to Help Partners Amid COVID-19
  • VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger Replacing Bob Swan as Intel CEO
  • The Benefits of Co-Managed IT for Enterprises in the New Normal

Galleries

View all

New, Changing Partner Programs: AWS, Tech Data, Avaya, Verizon

January 11, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

The Importance of Being Security-Centric

January 22, 2021

Cyberattacks: Threat Hunters Conquer Unpredictability with 3 Measures

January 21, 2021

The Right Data Migration Tool Helps Schools Move to Cloud During COVID Crisis

January 19, 2021

Webinars

View all

Who’s Behind the Mask? Hacker Personas Explained

January 26, 2021

Your Network Perimeter Has Changed

February 18, 2021

How Managed Hosting Providers Thrive with the Alternative Cloud

February 24, 2021

White Papers

View all

Why Subscription Business Model

January 15, 2021

The Ultimate MSP Guide to Sales Efficiency

January 14, 2021

Eight Reasons Why MSPs Need IT Industry-Specific Sales Tools

January 14, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Virtual

March 2, 2021 - March 4, 2021

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How SOAR Eliminates Security Challenges and Elevates Service Provider Revenues

January 6, 2021

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

FASTCHAT: How Old, Unpatched Technologies Are Creating New Security Threats for MSPs and Their Customers

December 3, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

.@exabeam, @VulcanCyber, @ntti3, @Vectra_AI, @Lookout and @valtixinc give high marks to @POTUS' federal… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Judge sides with @AWScloud against #Parler; @SADAsystems gets AI-centric board member; @EnsonoIT, @navisite get… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

2021 may be the year of the #security-centric #MSP @BarracudaMSP #remoteworking #ITsecurity #dataprotection #RMM… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Adding #AIOps and #AI-driven WANs will help IT administrators move forward, says @MistSystems.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Microsoft taps @tybryson as corporate VP @msuspartner group @julwhite heading to SAP, @anderson to @Qualtrics.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

#MSPs can inject predictability into #threathunting @Sophos #cybersecurity #ransomware dlvr.it/Rr4ffV https://t.co/Bztc2Yxwvc

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@RiskBased report shows decrease in #databreaches, jump in exposed records in 2020. dlvr.it/Rr4fcW https://t.co/PYiDMiJFbt

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Legal experts say @VMware's #lawsuit against @nutanix's new CEO holds little weight. dlvr.it/Rr48FJ https://t.co/oLxPhgvgAt

January 21, 2021

MSSP Insider

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Channel Partners Online

Want more? Find more channel news and analysis on our sister site, Channel Partners.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Online
  • Channel Partners Events
  • MSP 501
  • MSSP Insider
  • IoT World Today
  • Webhostingtalk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X