2009 Channel Chiefs: Who's Who In PSA/MSP Platforms

As we expand our list of Channel Chiefs this year to look at the executives who deal with large numbers of solution providers in their day-to-day business, the people running professional services automation vendors and managed services provider platforms come high on the list. As hardware margins shrink, PSA and MSP platforms create new business opportunities for solution providers to offer new services in new ways. Herein are the people behind those efforts.

Autotask



CEO/Founder



In 2008, Autotask successfully doubled global sales by expanding its international footprint, launched and quickly grew its professional services unit and debuted Autotask Pro Plus, all while adding 11,000 new Autotask users. [read more]

ConnectWise

CEO







ConnectWise in the past year experienced 54 percent growth in its partner base and 34 percent growth in its user base, all while increasing revenues 35 percent. Also during the year, the company launched: DownStream IT, which allows solution providers to share functionality of ConnectWise at the client level, thereby integrating end-user IT systems resolution processes with their own; ConnectWise Network, which enables solution providers to pursue large or technically diverse new business opportunities with other ConnectWise partners nationwide; and ConnectWise Distribution, which allows solution providers to manage product lifecycles from inventory and purchasing to receiving. [read more]

Kaseya

Executive Vice President of Sales

Kaseya's efforts in the past year resulted in 45 percent growth in solution provider partners. Some of those efforts include the expansion of its emPower Program to further build and strengthen its solution provider customers' businesses by providing 24/7 support, and educational services. New program offerings include NOC Assist, which enables MSPs to extend their staffs by providing bundled private-labeled NOC services, and managed service resource program (MSRP), which makes up part of the marketing toolkit element of the program and is designed to help customers exceed expectations and effectively transition their businesses to the managed services model. [read more]

Level Platforms



Vice President of Partner Development





Level Platforms in the past year increased its partner base by 40 percent to more than 2,600 partners in 30 countries. Efforts to achieve that growth included expanding its team of dedicated partner development managers, with new training/knowledge transfer initiatives to help the PDMs become more effective; upgraded customer service training; and extended support capabilities. [read more]

N-able Technologies



Vice President of Sales





N-able in the past year focused on it solution provider partners with its first global partner summit, attracting more than 500 partners to the event. The company also enhanced the N-able Partner Center to include more high-value marketing and sales resources, as well as self-guided training and education materials, including white papers, best practices, customizable collateral and scripts. Continuing to evangelize managed services, N-able also held international road shows and more than 55 seminars and Webinars to educate solution providers and accelerate the adoption of managed services. [read more]