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 Channel Futures

Sales & Marketing


The Next User Groups: MSPs

  • Written by Joe Panettieri 1
  • June 11, 2009
During the 1990s, I spent ample time at local user groups focused on Windows NT, Mac OS, NetWare and even IBM's  OS/2. Now, that old local user group model is getting new life in the managed services market. Here's how.

managed-services-user-groupsDuring the 1990s, I spent ample time at local user groups focused on Windows NT, Mac OS, NetWare and even IBM’s  OS/2. Now, that old local user group model is getting new life in the managed services market. Here’s how.

In addition to national and global MSP conferences, regional MSP events are popping up all over the place. For instance, N-able showcased one of its MSP Elite Partners at a recent event in Philadelphia. And companies like ConnectWise are connecting the dots between (A) regional meetings (B) newly formed local user groups.

According to a press release that hit the wires this week:

ConnectWise recently launched a series of regional user groups across North America, the United Kingdom and Australia. The highly interactive two-day events expand on ConnectWise’s commitment to create a partner community where solution providers can improve their companies through business education and best practices.

Translation: Successful and aspiring MSPs want local peer interaction, and vendors are trying to assist that effort.

For user groups to thrive, they need engaged audiences who are committed to some sort of industry change or movement. They need commonality and critical mass. The best user groups push far beyond technology and dive deep into business. And the user groups jump back-and-forth between face-to-face and online forums.

In a year or two, I suspect MSP user groups will take on a life of their own. MSP software companies won’t need to aggressively organize or promote regional user group meetings. The users will gather on their own — face-to-face and online. Google Maps will drive users to their local groups.

And one other thing: The success (or failure) or regional user groups will directly correlate to the success or failure of the MSP software providers themselves.

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

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4 comments

  1. Avatar Tim Beard June 11, 2009 @ 3:24 pm
    Reply

    We are attending our second Connectwise User Group Meeting next week. Ever since attending the first South Cental user group meeting, I’ve been anxiously awaiting this one! I’ve never seen so much sharing of business processes, ideas and suggestions in a focused user group as I did at the last Connectwise meeting. I came away with a ton of useful information. The dialogues and relationships that I experienced in person have certainly continued online, well past the initial meeting. Those online dialogues will certainly increase the value of this next meeting two-fold. I give Connectwise an “attaboy” for stepping up to the plate and implementing these groups.

  2. Avatar Eddie Hartman June 11, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
    Reply

    I am a fairly new ConnectWise user. In fact, I went to the first Partner Summit before we had ConnectWise installed. I was blown away by the business information presented to us by ConnectWise and by other ConnectWise partners!! I knew I could not miss a single event. When our User Group meeting was held in March, I was there. It was very new and interesting to see “competitors” in the same room freely sharing information and best practices with one another. Without a doubt ConnectWise has developed a sense of community and unity among their partners. The relationships I have developed have value far beyond the price of the software. Had I known all these auxiliary benefits, I would have purchased ConnectWise when I first looked at it in 2006.

  3. Avatar Arlin Sorensen June 11, 2009 @ 8:10 pm
    Reply

    Joe

    Not only is ConnectWise ramping up user groups, but through a very deep partnership with Heartland Tech Groups we are also going to the next level by integrating peer groups that will help drive the learnings from the ConnectWise Partner Summit and the ConnectWise User Groups into action. One of the breakdowns for many of us in the MSP and VAR space is that we are poor at actually putting to practice the things we learn at events, conferences and user groups. Lack of execution is a key failure point for many of us.

    HTG has been focused on driving execution through peer accountabilty for 9 years now, and with our deep relationship with ConnectWise, we will be focusing on how to really drive the use of their business operating platform to new levels for our HTG members. Through our alignment with Paul Dippell and the Service Leadership benchmarking tool, and very laser focused guidance around how to most effectively use ConnectWise, we are intentionally helping our members drive their companies to new levels of performance and growth. In fact, we have recently changed our mantra to “business and personal growth driven through execution”. We intend to be a disruptive force in the lives and businesses of our member companies. We are not content to just keep on doing the same stuff.

    So we are very excited about our slight shift in focus, our very strategic alignment with ConnectWise and Service Leadership, and the dedication of our members to make things happen and grow their businesses. Good things are ahead for partners who get involved in community. There are never before offered opportunities to get invovled in peer interaction that will change your business and your life!

    PS – HTG will be coming to Australia soon joining our US, UK and Canadian groups. Who knows where we will go next……

  4. Avatar Joe Panettieri June 11, 2009 @ 8:55 pm
    Reply

    Arlin: Thanks for the update. Please keep us posted on HTG’s Australia moves.

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