ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini
IT Nation, the annual ConnectWise user conference held last week in Orlando, continues to set the standard for channel events. The success and value of this event is more than its ability to put on a good show, but more in the continued and consistent focus on driving execution and operational excellence in channel businesses.
From the opening moments to the closing curtain, IT Nation repeatedly rang the message that business skills, planning and execution are the keys to success more than any one individual technology. ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini, in his keynote address, reiterated a theme he’s used over the years that his company is more about enablement than software.
“We are committed to doing everything in our power to anticipate industry shifts and provide our partners with a dynamic platform for growing their businesses,” said Bellini. “ConnectWise is more than a software company – we’re a skill-building company that offers support, education and a commitment to community, all tightly integrated around innovative software, that helps our partners achieve success right now and well into the future.”
Updates to the ConnectWise platform are intended to fulfill many user requests for better reporting, a consolidated management dashboard and integrated applications, such as the incorporation of sister-company Quosal’s quoting tool. Other improvements, though, are about expanding business acumen and decreasing back office burden.
ConnectWise unveiled its Virtual Administrator, a service in which users can contract ConnectWise professionals to setup, optimize and operate their professional services automation platform. At $895 per month, the Virtual Administrator service may seem steep to some solution providers. However, the expense is a fraction of what a full-time, fully loaded admin would cost to perform the same work.
ConnectWise has developed IT Practice Areas, a series of best practices based on common services operation scenarios to help expedite and optimize workflow implementations. And ConnectWise is acting as a facilitator of IT certifications, providing users with easy access to knowledge bases and skills that contribute to overall business success.
And ConnectWise launched the Modern Office Communicator, a live chat tool that enables solution providers to interact directly with any end user in their customers’ managed environment. The intent is to make it easier for ConnectWise users to diagnose and remediate problems, as well as develop deep and productive relationships with their users.
ConnectWise was recently named among the most admired channel programs by vendor channel executives in a poll by The 2112 Group. It’s commitment to solution provider development, as demonstrated each year at IT Nation, shows the reason why ConnectWise sets the standard by looking beyond the technology.
