The dance between user groups, IT franchises and MSP software specialists continues. The latest example involves SMB Technology Network — an organization representing roughly 650 solutions providers — stepping onto the dance floor with Virtual Administrator. Here’s the news, plus some bigger-picture trends.
Virtual Administrator is a Master MSP that offers Hosted Kaseya, SonicWALL GMS, Intronis (online backup and restore), and SpamSoap (filtering and archiving) solutions to VARs and peer MSPs. Virtual Administrator, which positions itself as an “on-ramp to the MSP market,” also offers a Trusted Advisor business coaching program for aspiring and established MSPs.
According to a joint press release, SMBTN members now have access to Virtual Administrator’s hosted and business coaching services. Plus, the SMBTN members gain Virtual Administrator’s preferred rates on Box.net (shared file storage) and other services.
The Bigger Picture
The SMBTN-Virtual Administrator relationship is the latest in a growing list of activities between user groups, IT franchises and MSP software specialists. Other recent examples include:
- Kaseya offering a SaaS-based platform to ASCII Group members
- HTG Peer Groups standardizing on ConnectWise‘s professional services automation (PSA) software
- Computer Troubleshooters Global, which includes more than 475 IT franchises, standardizing on Autotask‘s PSA software
The bottom line: In some cases, it’s too expensive for software providers to try to convert VARs into MSPs one company at a time. As a result, software providers and Master MSPs are seeking ways to win multiple customer engagements through large-scale business relationships with user groups, member organizations and IT franchise operators.
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Posted In: Master MSPs | On Premise | Professional Services Automation (PSA) | Remote Monitoring & Management Software | Software as a Service and Hardware as a Service
Tags: ASCII Group Kaseya | Computer Troubleshooters Glogbal Autotask | Hosted Kaseya | Hosted Sonicwall | HTG Peer Groups ConnectWise | Intronis | SMB Technology Network | SMBTN | SpamSOAP | Virtual Administrator
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At what point do individual IT shops just become franchises of the larger Master MSP’s? If one closes shop, can the larger MSP swoop in…or send another “franchise” in to their clients.
SDCochran,
I think you may not be understanding how Master MSPs like VirtualAdministrator view themselves. If you visit our site at http://www.virtualadministrator.com, you will see that all of our offerings are centered around doing pretty much the opposite of what you are concerned about.
Virtual Administrator is, has been, and will always be about empowering the smaller IT shops to become bigger and better. This is why SMBTN saw value in what we do. This is why we are widely considered the premier on-ramp to the MSP space.
And, with all due respect to Joe and his take on how this new partnership with SMBTN relates to some of the other happenings in the business, this is somewhat different in that this is not a partnership that specifically excludes any options for anyone involved. It was simply a win-win for SMBTN’s membership, having new options available to them as they make the MSP transition, and an opportunity for Virtual Administrator to reach more people in its mission to empower the individual business owners we serve on one-VAR-at-a-time bases.
I invite you to review our website, talk to our team, and then determine for yourself if you still have the same concerns.
Thanks for being an active participant in the MSP message – I look forward to further feedback.
Rich Forsen
CEO
VirtualAdministrator.com