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01732 759725 20 MSPS Gregg Lalle Jason Magee As partners advance through the programme’s four levels, they will gain access to increased benefits designed to accelerate sales and marketing impact. Clint Maddox, CRO of ConnectWise, added: “Cybersecurity will represent about 50% of a TSPs revenue by 2022 – but it can be challenging for TSPs to know where to start to get things off the ground, or continue their efforts. We’re introducing the Partner Program now because we realise most of our partners want to launch a new practice or do more to scale their existing offerings and we have the technical aptitude and resources to help them do that effectively.” TSPs and MSPs can find out more about the ConnectWise Partner Program for Cybersecurity by registering for the webinar, Take your Cybersecurity Practice to the Next Level , which is taking place on June 20, or by attending IT Nation Secure, being held in Orlando and virtually on June 21–23, 2021. www.connectwise.com ConnectWise launches new MSP partner programme Initial focus will be on helping MSPs grow and develop their cybersecurity practice top five priorities. Almost all SMEs (95%) say they would consider switching to a new service provider if it offered the right cybersecurity solution—and, on average, would be willing to pay up to 33% more in the process. Partner Development Manager Central to the programme is the introduction of a Partner Development Manager role dedicated to helping partners accelerate sales of managed cybersecurity services. ConnectWise CEO Jason Magee said: “Back in 2018, we told our partners that cybersecurity was the next big revenue opportunity. Partners told us they would value more proactive sales support on their journey to build leading cybersecurity practices, which is why our first priority with our new Partner Program is in this area. In addition to the Partner Development Manager, a key differentiator of our program is the investment we have made to help TSPs establish and grow their cybersecurity business.” Program participants at all maturity levels will enjoy a range of benefits, including a partner development manager, no-cost internal use licences, market development funds, co-op marketing funds and a free marketing concierge. ConnectWise, a provider of business automation software for technology solution providers (TSPs), has launched the ConnectWise Partner Program, developed to help growth-minded TSPs build, grow and sustain a profitable services practice. The programme, which will initially focus on helping TSPs and managed service partners (MSPs) to grow a managed cybersecurity practice, has three primary objectives: n to help TSPs build a more strategic, trusted relationship with their clients; n to provide a world-class experience for partners and their clients; and n to help partners introduce new value- added services to their clients, while accelerating partner business growth. ConnectWise has identified cybersecurity as an area of opportunity for TSPs that want to attract new clients and improve retention and satisfaction among existing ones. In its report, Creating Opportunity from Adversity: The State of SMB Cybersecurity in 2020 , ConnectWise reveals that cybersecurity is the top priority for 42% of SMEs, with 89% citing it as one of their Five ways to scale your MSP business Gregg Lalle, SVP International Sales and Strategy at ConnectWise, picks five strategic areas MSPs should focus on in 2021 1 Do more with less MSPs should take a hard look at what is being spent and where, evaluate current and future manpower needs, and identify which new software tools and platforms will be mission-critical to meeting evolving customer demand. For example, by automating routine tasks with good RMM software, MSPs can free up technicians’ time for more important tasks. 2 Cultivate the right customers Working with customers that fit your existing in-house skill sets is the key to diversifying into new verticals. By applying some smart thinking, MSPs will be able to expand their transferable skills and service specialities to carefully targeted new client groups. As well as assessing whether their skills are relevant to potential customers in new industry sectors, MSPs will need to evaluate how many more hours their teams can realistically accommodate and whether it’s better to have a few larger clients or multiple smaller ones. 3 Explore new offerings Diversification is a great way to scale without having to bring on net-new customers. With security now a top priority, MSPs that can expand their offerings to include cybersecurity will be well placed to grow their business. By offering an outsourced SOC that can monitor and manage threat detection and serve up SIEM services, MSPs can capitalise on opportunities without having to build products or services from the ground up or hire new workers. 4 Invest in people training Investing in training is key to acquiring the certifications and know-how tech staff will need to expand into new areas. Learning about new areas, like cybersecurity, is also a great way for MSP owners to lead by example and identify new business opportunities. Similarly, improving the skillsets of non-technical teams will boost the quality of service delivery. 5 Focus on workplace culture Now is the time for MSPs to assess their workplace culture. Garnering insights into how employees feel following 12 months of disruptive change will help flag what needs to be done to create a happier, healthier workplace that appeals to and attracts Gen Z and Millennial workers.