Bigger, Faster … Better? Under Magee, ConnectWise Looks to Maintain Dominance in a Channel It Helped Build
… that community, and it’s what continues to keep the company’s name a part of every conversation around RMM/PSA. And that community is what ConnectWise is doubling down on in its strategy for continued dominance.
That heavy bet is paying off. Between March 1 and August 31 alone, the company added more than 1,000 new channel partners.
“Back when we started using ConnectWise, the … community was just beginning to form and materialize,” recalls Norman Dwek, CIO of MSP RCS Professional Services. “Today, it is a strong group of engaged consumers, and we benefit a lot from participating in the various meet-ups and events throughout the year including IT Nation and user groups.”
The Next-Gen IT Nation
From the beginning, the events ConnectWise puts on for its partners have been occasions to remember. Corie Leaman, director of IT Nation events, thinks back to the early days of ConnectWise’s user conference, previously called Automation Nation, and how it’s evolved since. It’s always had that “geeky, tech-y vibe,” so over the years, the company has just continually built upon that precedent. 2019 saw the full embodiment of what the company has always envisioned: an event that encompasses all of ConnectWise’s products.
Later this month, ConnectWise will host its mammoth IT Nation Connect conference, indisputably one of the largest events in the IT channel. In a way, the conference is emblematic of Magee’s ConnectWise. Some things will remain the same: Leaman cites the company’s dedication to educational content, and the company says it’s bringing back big names like Paul Dippell and Gary Pica, as well as providing access to ConnectWise executives and other familiar faces. But the new CEO is making a few changes now that the event is under his full purview.
For instance, Magee is shifting the opening keynote from first thing in the morning on Thursday to Wednesday evening. First of all, he laughs, he is definitely not a morning person. But more importantly, he says the keynote sets the stage for the entire event and specifically which takeaways partners should be focused on. In typical Magee fashion, he wants that momentum to start building as quickly as possible.
It also frees up some time for the company to do more innovative things. One of them is the presentation of the Channel Futures 2019 MSP of the Year Award, an honor that certain channel organizations are permitted to give an outstanding partner on the 501 rankings. The company has always dominated the 501-market share among the RMM/PSA vendors, but its showing in 2019 was a nine % increase over last year, bringing the portion of its users on the 501 to a full 67%.
“Thank you to those 338 MSPs who reported using our products — your success is our success,” said Magee. “We’re excited to see how this year’s 501ers will use their experience with our products and membership in our …