Autotask Launches Managed Services Peer Groups
Autotask and Taylor Business Group, as expected, have launched peer networking groups for managed service providers and IT service providers that use Autotask’s professional services automation (PSA) software. But I continue to see a bigger-picture story emerging. It involves MSP peer groups, user groups and IT services franchises. Simply put, Autotask and ConnectWise are locked in a PSA battle for the hearts and minds of those various groups. And those audiences potentially are the huge winners. Here’s why.
First, the straight news. The Autotask-Taylor Business Group deal creates Autotask Business Improvement Groups (BIGS). Within the BIGS umbrella, there are two types of groups:
- Profit Makers BIGS, designed for MSP, VAR and service provider business owners
- Service Managers BIGs, designed for managers within larger IT service firms
According to a joint Autotask-Taylor Business Group press release:
The group members, led by Taylor’s professional facilitators, meet regularly to share details of each others’ financial performance, review benchmarks, exchange ideas, as well as share recommendations for improvement. More importantly, they hold each other accountable for monitoring outcomes and reporting back to the group on the varying levels of success.
Each Autotask BIG group consists of about 10 non-competitive companies. Members meet twice a year for one and one-half days in structured sessions moderated by TBG experts. The groups also meet via conference call on the months in between for deeper accountability.
I’ve been trading email with Larry Schulze, president of Taylor Business Group, and hope to gather some additional thoughts from him soon. (Larry, I’m sorry we haven’t connected yet.)
Autotask’s Twitter feed leaked news of the Taylor Business Group deal on June 5, and Autotask CEO Bob Godgart confirmed the news while we were discussing Computer Troubleshooters’ franchise move onto Autotask.
The Bigger Picture
Some clear trends are emerging in the managed services market. Increasingly, MSP software providers are engaging existing peer group organizations and/or forming their own peer groups.
For MSPs, peer groups help members to maximize their business performance through shared best practices. For software vendors, participation in peer groups can help to shape future product releases, bolster customer service and strengthen loyalty to an MSP software platform.
In some ways, lines are being drawn in the sand. Apparently, the BIGS initiative is an exclusive relationship between Taylor Business Group and Autotask — though I need to double-check that with Schulze.
Meanwhile, HTG — another major peer group organization — has essentially hitched its PSA wagon to ConnectWise. Both Autotask and ConnectWise attended the April 2009 HTG peer group summit in Dallas. But as the show played out, it became clear that HTG members were ultimately heading in ConnectWise’s direction.
Orlando Gathering
HTG will coordinate its next meeting with the ConnectWise Partner Summit (November 2009), which is expected to attract 900 MSPs, according to ConnectWise COO Santo Cannone. To the best of my knowledge, that’s the biggest MSP gathering of the year.
In a somewhat related move, ConnectWise has been on the road — globally — organizing and engaging ConnectWise User Groups, including recent stops in Dallas and Los Angeles, and earlier visits to Australia, where software providers are working overtime to transition VARs to MSPs.
For MSPs, it’s never been a better time to join a peer group or user group. You’ll drive your business forward through peer interaction. And you’ll receive plenty of attention from software companies that work hard to earn and retain your long-term business.
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Joe — This is less about vendors using peer groups to try to win new business, and more of a concerted effort on the part of all of us to help our customers be better business people.
The channel is built largely by entrepreneurs who have a lot of technical expertise, and little formal business training or acumen. As they grow, they hit the wall. And even if they are not interested in growth, as they hit tough economic times, they need more help than ever.
I won’t say this is completely altruistic on our parts. As vendors and partners to this community, our health and prosperity is dependent on theirs. When they grow, we grow with them. When they shrink or die, we lose a customer or partner.
Busines peer groups — more critically than product user groups — are proven mechanisms for helping businesses to succeed, and gain a bunch of support in the process. That’s why we’re promoting them to our customers… whether they chose to join the exclusive Autotask Business Improvement Groups to be with other Autotask customers, or join a group of other peers.
Bob: Thanks for offering your perspective. I do believe that Autotask and other software providers have the right motivation for helping to form these peer groups. But I also appreciate the fact that you (and other software companies) concede this isn’t a completely altruistic move.
There was a pretty interesting comment string on this blog entry… but a poorly trained technician (me…) accidentally deleted some of our comment archive on Saturday. I apologize to our readers because it was a great conversation.
One of the comments was a recap of my conversation with Larry Schulze, president of Taylor Business Group. His thoughts gave me a few podcast ideas. Stay tuned.