PartnerPedia Social Network: Launching In July
PartnerPedia — a new social network for managed service providers and VARs — is set to launch in July. The site is the latest online community that allow MSPs and IT service providers to network, collaborate and outsource work to one another.
However, PartnerPedia is different from vendor-driven IT communities, MSP association sites, and online marketplaces for VARs. Here’s why.
Let’s start with a look at PartnerPedia, which is expected to have a “soft launch” in early July with an official launch anticipated toward the end of that month.
I took a tour of PartnerPedia’s beta site on June 26. The user interface seems rich, and the network’s ability to link VARs with one another seems compelling.
Another big plus: PartnerPedia is built on various open source components (Linux, Ruby on Rails and the MySQL database, just to name a few). As a result, PartnerPedia should be able to rapidly expand its features and functions through easy-to-install plugins.
Simple Math Determines Success — Or Failure
Now, for the challenges. It’s always difficult to predict the success (or failure) of a social network. Basically, social networks thrive (or implode) based on viral invites. If initial members are happy, they pull in more members. If initial members aren’t impressed, social networks rarely get a “second chance” to energize those members again.
The other big challenge: Generally speaking, only 5 percent of social network members actively participate in forums and discussions, and only one percent of members actually lead and drive those discussions, according to our own experience at Nine Lives Media Inc. (parent of MSPmentor).
As I toured PartnerPedia, I was genuinely impressed. And I also saw how it differed from vendor-driven sites (such as Autotask’s user community), online marketplaces (such as OnForce), and association-focused sites (such as MSPAlliance).
During my initial tour of PartnerPedia, the system reminded me somewhat of LinkedIn; VARs can create complete company profiles, seek out other VARs and really network with one another.
In contrast, OnForce (the IT services marketplace where VARs can outsource projects to one another) feels more like an eBay of sorts; vendor-driven sites such as the Autotask user community are more highly focused on product-specific discussions and suggestions; and association-focused sites like MSPAlliance zero in on specific programs (such as accreditation, insurance or health care benefits) for specific audiences (MSPs).
Not to be overlooked, some MSPs and Master MSPs (such as Do IT Smarter) are launching online communities to stir collaboration and education.
PartnerPedia is expected to have a soft launch around July 7, with a more official launch penciled in for around July 22.
Joe,
Having managed the Ingram Micro Services Network (IMSN) for a number of years, I’ve had the benefit of watching new service or partner networks rise and fall over the last few years. I’ve come to see that running a service network is a lot like parenting: it’s not the creation that counts, it’s the maintenance. The sweet science isn’t developing a portal or application and cobbling together a bunch of members. Rather what makes partner network work is the on-going NDA/non-solication protection enforcement, the quality control, the member compliance management, the project managemnet capabilities, and the available of live “human” support 24X7. IMSN has been around for 15 years now, with over 10,000 technicians (employees of VARs rather than independent contractors) from over 850 solution providers. I encourage solution providers to look at the safe harbor and the business-class network we’ve built with IMSN before engaging with other on-line or start up service networks.
–Jason Beal, Director of Services Sales, Ingram Micro
Jason: Thanks very much for those key points. You are dead-on when you say it’s all about the maintenance.
Whether it’s a sophisticated approach like the Ingram Micro Services Network or a simple approach like this blog, if you’re not constantly maintaining and innovating, you’ll die.
Here’s a simple example: A few months ago, I mentioned a few of the MSP industry’s most promising blogs. Without naming names, many of those blogs have become ghost towns because they’re never updated. There’s no activity, no interaction.
But then you have other sites run by MSPs (such as http://www.smbitpros.com from the folks at http://www.everonit.com), where there’s good activity and discussion — because of constant updates and maintenance.
People underestimate how difficult it is to (A) launch a community and (B) maintain/build that community. Think of it this way: If you really had to, could you go on the Tonight Show every night and do Jay’s monologue — writing it all by yourself — while keeping your day job?
The blog example is a simple one. The Ingram Micro Services Network is a far more complex example, with key points like the non-solicitation agreement ensuring that members can have peace of mind as they interact with peers.
I think the world has been waiting for PartnerPedia — a site where any type of VAR, MSP or solution provider can join and network on business engagements. But that doesn’t mean PartnerPedia replaces more targeted sites efforts like IMSN, MSPAlliance, OnForce, etc.
Will PartnerPedia succeed? Too difficult to say. The biggest challenge I see is people simply don’t have time for “yet another” social network. PartnerPedia will need to gain critical mass fast with one or two killer features.
Hey thanks…we try! It is a lot of work to keep active, but we always find that we get tremendous benefits from doing so. I had three great conversations with CEOs of MSPs last week because of our blog – I love it.
I’ll be interested to see if this site catches on. I think Jason hit the nail on the head in regards to some of the challenges.
Mike
http://www.everonit.com
http://www.smbitpros.com
Mike: No need to thank me. Thank you for proving my point: A good blog, updated frequently, leads to search engine optimization (SEO) and business leads.