While more and more business systems and technologies are now affordable to SMBs, access is limited by a shortage of skilled experts to design, implement, and manage them. Moreover, since the range of underlying technologies has become so broad, no one person has all the skills needed. How can organizations access the required skills?
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.
Gone are the days of simply fixing your clients’ tech and waiting for the next frantic phone call. With the state of technology today, your clients can’t afford even a hint of downtime. For many businesses, this means that the break-fix model is no longer a viable solution for providing the necessary level of consistency and reliability customers need. Managed service providers (MSPs), on the other hand, are all about that consistency.
Transitioning from the break-fix business model to managed services might feel like an entirely different ball game. That’s because it likely is. But now that you have the right MSP mindset in place, it’s time to address the sales and marketing components. For managed service providers (MSPs), having a sales and marketing strategy isn’t optional. It’s critical. Both your sales and marketing help build brand awareness, facilitate long-term customer relationships, and drive growth in your business. Let’s take a deeper look.
Pretty much all segments of the IT service industry are growing, and projected to continue to do so for the next several years. When things are going well, it can be tough to convince yourself to go through the trouble of shifting your business model. But if you’re doing a lot of break-fix, it might be time to explore a transition to managed services. Here’s why.
The biggest shift in the transition from the break-fix business model to managed service provider (MSP), comes down to your pricing and operations. In other words, how much are you going to charge for your services, and how are you actually going to operate in order to provide these services. Consider the following.
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.
Looking for a new solution that will help your small business clients protect their data and boost your revenue at the same time? According to YouGov and Microsoft, 71% of cyber criminals target small businesses. This eBook will show you why Microsoft 365 Business is your best bet. You will learn what Microsoft 365 Business really is, why you should resell Microsoft 365 and how to pitch the solution to your clients.
Shif4 Payments is a leading national provider of touch-screen point of sale (POS) systems and payment processing services. As pioneers of the "as a service" model, Shif4 Payments offers an unprecedented "free" POS program that allows the company's sales partners to offer a full-featured POS system with no up-front costs.
IT Glue is an award-winning documentation platform that allows for efficient storage and retrieval of all the documentation you need to help your MSP run better. By integrating PSA and RMM data, we can help increase your efficiency, and reduce onboarding times by even more. By eliminating wasted time from your business, IT Glue gives you more time to focus on what matters - growing your business.
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.
Sennheiser is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of headphones, microphones, and wireless transmission systems. With 20 sales subsidiaries and long-established trading partners, the company is active in more than 50 countries and operates its own production facilities in Germany, Ireland, and the USA.
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.
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.
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While having the latest technology and high-end hardware is important, today’s most successful resellers are looking beyond their expertise and are aiming to align their business model and sales strategy with the success of their customers.
I often hear complaints about Millennials in the workforce. Much of what is said is negative in character and sometimes outright derogatory. Have you heard any of these? Millennials don’t have a work ethic. Millennials care only about themselves. Maybe you’re lucky if they show up for work.
As a tail end baby boomer, I subscribed to some of this thinking as well. They didn’t fit my mold or expectations so obviously they are tough to deal with. I would like to propose something that may not be as obvious…maybe we are the problem.
Learn the key differences between "Speaking to Present" and "Speaking to Sell" as well as beginner mistakes to avoid.
You know developing a documentation rhythm will benefit you, but with so much to document, where do you start? We get it. You’re swamped with information and data, and it’s all important for different reasons. That’s why we’ve developed 6 steps to get you started, and mastering, your documentation.
Does documentation ever seem like a daunting task that’s missing a clear starting point? We get it. With so much crucial information to document, it can be difficult to nail down how to do it. However, the key to mastering your documentation is to first master the use of documentation templates. Not only is a documentation template going to increase company-wide consistency and save you a ton of time, but it’s going to help you get started.
In the past few years, there has been a significant effort to curb debit and credit card fraud, especially through the integration of mobile and EMV payment processing. However, while these platforms tend to be effective shields against bogus payments, merchants should still seek to do more when it comes to ensuring they and their customers aren’t hit by fraud on a regular basis.
Sounds authentic – feels natural
We have three things in mind when we develop new devices: The user, the user and the user.
A MOBILE SOLUTION FOR GREATER FEXIBILITY
APG’s Stratis™ tablet holder is designed for retailers who want the look and feel of an integrated POS terminal while maintaining the flexibility of Thinbility POS. Designed to present the tablet to both the clerk and the customer with a smooth rail system, the adjustable clamping system allows for a variety of tablet sizes to be used. A hidden button releases the tablet converting it from a thin POS station to a mobile solution in seconds.
APG’s NetPRO® interface for cash drawers are available in both wired and wireless configurations and will communicate with retailer’s mobile POS devices for cash drawer control. NetPRO® cash drawers have the ability to collect transaction data, supplying the information necessary to identify security issues and to validate cashier training. NetPRO® cash drawer access alert features can activate security cameras, time and date stamp security video recordings, and broadcast alert messages to a store manager’s mobile devices.
At Datto, we use technology to reinvent the MSP experience, creating the best tools and programs possible to drive you—our partners—to succeed.
