XChange ’08: Autotask, OnForce Partner Up

At the Everything Channel conference (Aug. 17-20, Dallas), Autotask and OnForce expect to announce an integration partnership, MSPmentor has learned. The deal will allow Autotask customers to easily outsource IT projects and tasks to OnForce — the marketplace for computer repair services and IT consultants, according to several sources in the know.

The expanding OnForce relationship is the latest step in Autotask CEO Bob Godgart’s outsourcing management strategy. And the deal also reinforces a trend toward open APIs (application programming interfaces) across the MSP industry.

Instead of being locked to a single MSP platform, Autotask service providers will be able to coordinate customer tickets and other project information across multiple platforms and service provider marketplaces, including OnForce and the Ingram Micro Services Network (IMSN).

In some ways, the Autotask-OnForce relationship solidifies the growing use of APIs that integrate multiple MSP platforms and professional services automation (PSA) systems to one another.

Over time, this API work could allow MSPs to standardize their services around a single managed services dashboard containing plugins or widgets for a range of monitoring, administration and SaaS services.