On October 9-11 in Montreal, SherWeb’s Accelerate event delivered a valuable experience to their partners. An important opportunity for partners and their SherWeb reps to collaborate and learn about building their businesses. One presentation actually polled the audience in real time to ask partners what functions they would like to see on their dashboard. That’s SherWeb listening!
TechnoPlanet was pleased to be a news media partner with eChannelNEWS at the event and to launch the Channel Partner Alliance (CPA) partnership with SherWeb. We met many VARs and MSPs who were pleasantly surprised to learn about the combined value of SherWeb and CPA. It simply makes sense for any VAR or MSP to become a partner in both organizations. You get great deals and top-end support on everything Microsoft (and more) plus build best business practices with the Mastermind peer-group program from CPA.
One of the keynotes was by Michael Calce (A.K.A. Mafia Boy), a former computer hacker back in 2000 when he got into some of the biggest web sites including Amazon, eBay, DELL, CNN and more. Today, he is reformed and helping companies to test the strength of their network’s security. He also works with companies like HP to improve security. It was particularly interesting to hear him recall when he was about to be arrested. Eating a panini now has new meaning for me :o). His presentation was well done and talked about the vulnerabilities of every company and everyone in today’s digital world. It is always good to have the message of cyber attacks hammered home, especially by a former hacker.
I am not a deep security expert but it seems that it is not about if, but when you will be hacked. As such, every channel partner needs to step up and get this right for them and their clients. We dedicated an entire news column on this topic called “The Daily Breach” that I encourage all to subscribe to and read often to stay on top of the game.
What is important for partners selling Microsoft is the need to beef up the basics of security with at least 2 factor authentication. SherWeb made this very easy to do. Failure on this first level can quickly spell disaster for both the end-user and the partner. Today, hackers are targeting MSPs so they better be on top of their game. When legal liability and insurance coverage are factored into this equation, the pain can be multiplied.
There were several vendors at the event showcasing their solutions including some security solutions. One of the big highlights for SherWeb at the show was VoIP. They have built out a comprehensive solution set. I had a chance to speak with their product team and they seem to understand what it takes to deliver the right VoIP solution. It can be an easy add-on revenue stream for any channel partner. No previous experience necessary as the SherWeb team is ready to help every step of the way (Still wondering if you should sell VoIP? Well, if you do not, then someone else will and once they do, they will have a foot in your customer’s door to start poaching more of other services you offer! Get there first!).
We will be having the pleasure of seeing the SherWeb team again in action at our upcoming ChannelNEXT19 event in Banff, Alberta on October 28-29. If you are out west and sell Microsoft solutions, then you should definitely come check them out (If you cannot attend the full 2-day event, you are welcome to the Expo portion of the event for free on Oct 29 between Noon and 3 pm, request a free expo pass). SherWeb can help you to squeeze out more profits from your current Microsoft book of business as well as help you expand in ways that may surprise you. If you also become a Channel Partner Alliance member, then you will automatically get more benefits at no additional cost! It’s well worth your effort…
More info visit SherWeb and Channel Partner Alliance.
Here is a quick 5 minute overview the Mastermind Peer-Group Experience coming to ChannelNEXT19 in Banff on Oct 28-29. SherWeb will be there… Don’t miss it!
