Partnerships are what will drive this new wave of innovation – people and services as well as products, but with intent on much more than resolving the “pain points” of the past; this is about the customer experience going forward. And it’s also about the experience of everyone in the ecosystem.
Gavriella Schuster, VP commercial partnership at Microsoft helped kick off Ingram’s Cloud Summit X in San Diego this week in front of more than 1,500 attendees with an abbreviated history of the IT channel and the rapid change it’s seeing of late. She focused those comments in the context of the cloud’s impact on a channel that’s looked pretty static for the past 40 years.
Arnie Bellini is stepping down from the role he forged back in 1988, when he transitioned ConnectWise—then a managed services practice—into a business management platform for tech service providers. Under Bellini’s guidance as CEO and in the 31 years since, ConnectWise grew into an IT channel powerhouse that serves more than 25,000 partners in 65+ countries.
The Wall Street Journal’s homepage on January 17 featured a headline that included the words “IT Firm.” VARs and MSPs take note: a fellow solutions provider is caught up in a nasty, politically-charged debate being litigated on a national scale. Obviously, your clients are not paying you in large sums of cash handed over in plastic Wal-Mart bags. This story is preposterous in so many ways, and it’s far outside the realm of what’s normal for how VARs and MSPs operate. As absurd as the entire situation might be, this story does raise a few legitimate questions about IT service provider business models that are worth rehashing.
Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model is a must-read for leaders in the channel who come from a tech background and not from a business background. Here are some of the top takeaways for VARs.
In a sweeping interview for Channel Executive Magazine, seasoned IT executive and SRC Technologies President and CEO BJ Havlik shared the wisdom behind his new-solution onboarding philosophy. In doing so, he zeroed in directly on the relatively new client IT security training opportunity.
Years ago, business owners sought resellers who could provide technologies to streamline operations. Today, business owners need more from resellers than just technology. So, what can resellers do to stand out while staying ahead of changes in technology and consumer behavior?
To thrive in the new rapidly changing landscape, resellers should take a hard look in the mirror and ask two questions: Who is my competition? and What can I do to succeed in a rapidly evolving industry?
Software testing is not an easy task, as testers have to deal with repetitive tasks that require attention, record keeping and deadlines. QA testers are overwhelmed by the short deadlines and fast releases of software applications. It makes testing more challenging for them. When new features are added to an application, it needs to be tested from various aspects.
Moving from break-fix to managed services can seem overwhelming at first. However, once you dig in, you’ll find the work is well worth it. Managed service provider (MSPs) build steadier recurring revenue from clients than their break-fix counterparts.
MSP leaders often spent a good part of their careers working as a VAR and in the systems integration business, where revenue often comes in large but sporadic doses. Transitioning to a recurring-revenue MSP model can be tough for these people since monthly services income can feel more like a trickle than a fire hose—and it can create pretty painful cash-flow challenges.
Datto surveyed 1600+ managed service providers (MSPs) around the world to learn about their day-to-day lives, businesses, and IT Channel predictions. The result: a wealth of statistics covering everything from the technology MSPs are using and business challenges they’re facing, to where they get their news and how many industry events they attend annually. Download the report to learn all about today’s MSPs.
Have you lost your way reselling cloud backup services? This guide is for you. For every MSP, offering Backup as a Service is a guarantee for success. It helps build strong relationships with clients, Increase customer retention and make sustainable revenue. This guide contains marketing, sales and technical information to build a perfect Backup as a Service offer.
In early 2018, there were 542 identified ransomware families. That number is still growing! Do not wait for ransomware to get in the door, protect your systems and data now. Online Backup Active Protection is the only solution that fights back against ransomware instantly.
As the world’s leading provider of IT solutions delivered by Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Datto believes there is no limit to what small and medium businesses can achieve with the right technology. Datto offers business continuity and disaster recovery, networking, business management, and file backup and sync solutions, and has created a one-of-a-kind ecosystem of partners that provide Datto solutions to half a million businesses across more than 130 countries. Since its founding in 2007, Datto has earned hundreds of awards for its rapid growth, product excellence, superior technical support, and for fostering an outstanding workplace. With global headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut, Datto has international offices in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Canada, Australia, China, and Singapore.
For more than 30 years, APG Cash Drawer has been designing and delivering cash drawers with a variety of size, color, interface, and integration options. An APG cash drawer will provide years of smooth, trouble free service with virtually no downtime, no service required, and no headaches. Our cash drawers are so well constructed and so reliable that our customers install them and forget them - even in the most demanding environments.
EVO Payments, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVOP) is a leading payment technology and services provider. We offer an array of innovative, reliable, and secure payment solutions to merchants ranging from small and mid-size enterprises to multinational companies and organizations across North America and Europe.
Taylor Business Group is an executive coaching and peer group firm that focuses on IT Solution Providers and Copier Dealers. Founded in 2001, Taylor has brought efficiencies and higher profits to IT Solution Providers through a focused effort in delivering best practices to the Service Provider and Copier Dealer's service, sales and administrative functions.
The ASCII Group is a vibrant community of independent MSPs, VARS and solution providers in North America. The organization offers members leveraged purchasing programs, education and training, knowledge sharing among peers, discounts on business services, and more. Founded in 1984 by Alan Weinberger, ASCII is the oldest and largest group of independent IT solution providers, integrators and VARS in the world.
| RSPA stands for Retail Solutions Providers Association. We are the only association dedicated to the retail technology industry. |
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CompTIA's Smart Cities Advisory Council has identified these 4 critical skills needed for successfully implementing smart cities solutions. Check out this inforgraphic to discover these critical skills along with other hard skills, soft skills, and management skills.
Technology Buyer's Journey, Developed by the Channel Advisory Board and the Business Applications Industry Advisory Council. This graphic shows the journey of a technology buyer including the key elements that a buyer (end user company) experiences when making a technology purchasing decision.
There are plenty of reasons for solution providers to get excited about blockchain, but there’s also a lot to do before most can develop successful practices, according to members of CompTIA’s Blockchain Advisory Council. Blockchain, most notably associated with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, uses an open, distributed ledger of data that permanently records transactions through cryptography, timestamps and transactional data—all meant to prevent alteration of the data. But that’s just scratching the surface, according to Jim Gitney, CEO of Group50, an Upland, Calif.-based solution provider and co-chair of CompTIA’s Blockchain Advisory Council.
Join us for an informative session exploring how MSPs are able to easily increase profitability by streamlining service delivery operations. Christian Nagele, Datto’s Head of EMEA and Josh Coke, Datto Product Specialist, will highlight common MSP inefficiencies and how Datto’s Business Management solution changes the way business operates.
Small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) want to use technology to enhance their business but they lack the expertise to identify, implement and manage it. Managed service providers (MSPs) are capitalizing on the growing need to deliver IT services to SMBs. However, MSPs are constrained by time and staff to maintain growing customer IT needs, while also maintaining and/or expanding their profitability.
Learn about the latest trends and products for smart homes and how to successfully turn them into profit. You’ll also see various sales opportunities and how to market them.
Small in size, the APG Series 100 Cash Drawer does not compromise efficiency. It actually improves upon it because it increases the effectiveness of your workstation.
ACHIEVE CASH HANDLING EXCELLENCE
The SMARTtill® Solution is a new revolution in cash management, enabling retailers to reduce cash losses, reduce the cost of cash handling, and improve in-store productivity.
APG's Flip-Top Cash Drawer significantly reduces twisting and bending to access the drawer. it saves space, decreases transaction times and improves service, as the cashier need not turn away from the customer.
Good processes support your team, not stifle them, enabling them to operate at their highest levels. This is doubly true for managed service providers, where operational efficiency and effectiveness are critical to client retention, team retention, and profitability.
