As a new player providing IT Services Management solutions, we need to compete with veterans like Connecwise, Autotask & Tigerpaw. We have been able to do so by adopting the Microsoft xRM approach to how business applications should be written & delivered.

xRM is a platform that business applications are sitting on it (on premises or cloud applications). They coexist in CRM & Outlook via a seamless integration between CRM & Outlook. All applications have the same look & feel using the platform’s UI, Customization, SDK & security. Process driven applications (like incident resolution process) are built on Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) and integration between the different applications is done via Windows Communication Foundation (CF).

It took our programmers less than 2 working days to integrate Lab Tech as an application linked with QoS-IT and MS CRM. A workflow using Lab Tech’s .NET API and Microsoft’s Workflow Foundation retrieves the device’s list of each customer stored in the Lab Tech Control Center and creates HW Device records in CRM, matching the LabTech’s Locations. Each record stores the device specifications and its linked to the relevant CRM Account. With integration between Outlook & CRM, HW Devices are viewed in Outlook, providing fast access to Lab Tech’s web application from within Outlook.

… and you don’t have to purchase the complete QoS-IT application, you can download Lab Tech Sync for MS CRM Client for Outlook for $25 only, same as we offer on our web, Sync for N-able, Kaseya, LPI and GFI MAX.

Ged Ellis
QoS-IT Managing Director

Thank you,
Matt

The entire management team at LabTech and previous equity owners remain as the leadership and owners after the investment. This will help prevent Terry’s concern because ConnectWise and LabTech remain an autonomous entity.

Owners or Other PSA Tools will not be Disadvantaged

I realize that there are many PSA tools with their own strengths that will attract different partners. The ConnectWise investment will likely triple the size of development staff over the next 6-12 months. The additional staff will allow me to devote more development resources to interfaces with other PSA tools. At first look, most may think investment in LabTech will disadvantage current partners or technical firms considering LabTech that use another PSA tools, but in the end it makes LabTech much stronger and a much better alternative in the marketplace regardless of the PSA tool you choose.

Sincerely,
Matt Nachtrab
CEO, LabTech Software

For full disclosure we have used Autotask and are a Zenith customer.

Terry Rossi
PICS

“We are exclusive to the channell, whereas Labtech is developed for an IT administrator to manage 1 network, we are developed for an IT service provider to manage multiple networks.” – Lance Reynolds

—-
Eugene
http://www.mspchannelforum.com

Level Platforms has offered and will continue to offer the deepest integration possible with the leading PSA products. Currently we offer the most comprehensive two-way integration available with Autotask, ConnectWise, Microsoft CRM, Solutions 360 and TigerPaw.

We fully support Partners that choose any of these excellent products to ensure that they achieve the maximum benefits possible from our significant investments in interoperability and ease-of–use. For example to hear one of our Partners discuss our deep ConnectWise integration visit http://www.connectwise.com/lpi

Choice is a core principle of our business.

1. We are 100% committed to the open ecosystem and currently maintain certified best practices management policies for more than 400 products from over 100 vendors based on our belief that MSPs need to create a customized offerings that best support their target customers and technology directions. Notably this includes a full range of system, security, network, printer, UC/VoIP and SaaS/cloud applications with new integration releases weekly. Based on this vendor commitment we will soon be delivering a number of potentially game changing joint capabilities and product offerings with major vendors.

2. Level Platforms has been providing On Premise and Cloud options since 2007. Most of the major Master MSPs including Ingram Micro Seismic, Do It Smarter and ATS offer their services based on Level Platforms hosted product.

3. Although I’m not sure it is relevant our FUBU credentials are impeccable. We began business as an MSP in 1999 with services offered in five cities across Canada. Frustrated by the absence of effective tools and encouraged by the emergence of standards-based technologies facilitating agentless RMM, we switched 100% to software for MSPs in 2003 winning most of the major global Microsoft Awards along the way.

4. We are 100% committed to supporting MSPs. We never sell direct and refer all end user enquiries to our partners. Not only do we never compete with our Partners, all our product investment priorities and design decisions are based on the needs of MSPs, not end user IT departments.

This is a very large market that is in its early stages. While our 3000 MSPs comprise one of the largest global RMM platform communities, it represents only 1% of the 300,000 solution providers serving 30,000,000 SMBs. There is room for everyone.

I don’t think any organization in this industry can be considered more committed to choice than Level Platforms. We have a very comprehensive monitoring policy for Zenith’s BUDR, which by all reports is far superior to anything in the market, and Arnie and I have already discussed ways in which we could potentially work with LabTech. Whether MSPs use ConnectWise or any other great PSA products we are committed to offering the most comprehensive integration possible.

So yes, it is all about choice, and through choice ensuring that MSPs can serve their chosen markets today, and in an exciting but uncertain tomorrow.

Peter Sandiford
http://www.levelplatforms.com

Further, and IMHO, a sales pitch for managed services comprised of RMM tool details and whether or not your PSA is on-premise or hosted is one that any seasoned sales exec would welcome as competition.

Again, just my very humble opinion.

Andy Myers
Fractional CIO, Consultant
http://www.andymyers.net

I work with a lot of great companies. Many of them have some phenomenal ideas and tools they use internally to improve the status quo. Hopefully they can be motivated by deals like this to make their own investment in time and money to see some of these ideas to fruition instead of just shelving them.

I don’t expect any altruism from CW but I do like the notion that they are helping start ups! Looking forward to seeing what’s next.

Josh Peterson
the Taylor Business Group

1) ConnectWise integrates to more RMM and MSP tools than any other PSA solution and we will continue to expand those choices. We are committed to choice.

2) ConnectWise has 3 methods/clients to run ConnectWise. Browser, .NET and mobile. Again we are about choice. All of our clients operate on port 80 or SSL….and our iPhone client is available in 2 weeks. Choice, choice, choice.

3) ConnectWise does offer our solution onsite or in our Cloud. Again we are about choice. Autotask offers hosted only, TigerPaw offers on premise only. ConnectWise offers both.

So anyone who has concerns about ConnectWise’s strategy should know that we will ALWAYS have open APIs and will expand the choices for our Partners.

Kaseya is a great integration partner with ConnectWise and we will continue to work closely with them to squeeze out the most integration between our two products. We have even given Kaseya methods to use to enhance their APIs…which help both ConnectWise and Autotask. We think it is great to do whatever can be done to strengthen the IT Nation.

In case you were unaware, your hosted Kaseya solution will be offered by Kaseya directly in a few months. I think it is great that Kaseya is offering their own solution in a hosted platform.

Arnie Bellini
CEO, ConnectWise