Writer, spicy food lover, digital nomad, travel addict. Chief Channel Officer & partner advocate. All opinions my own, thank you very much.
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Articles by Kris Blackmon
Scale Efficiently with Smart Operations: Reducing Manual Effort and Increasing Margins for Partners
If there’s one thing managed service providers (MSPs) need more of, it’s time. How many hours does your team spend every month on tasks like manual provisioning, troubleshooting, and chasing down configuration errors? The pressure to scale, onboard new clients, and maintain security grows with every new tenant, yet the complexity never seems to shrink.
Deliver Trust with Secure Cloud and AI: How Partners Govern Data and Enforce Compliance
Resources Blogs Deliver Trust with Secure Cloud and AI: How Partners Govern Data and Enforce Compliance Kris Blackmon Kris Blackmon is Partner Marketing Director at AvePoint. She previously worked as head of channel communities at Zift Solutions, chief channel officer at JS Group, and as senior content director at Informa Tech where she was director of the MSP 501 community. In addition, Kris also chairs in CompTIA's Channel Development Advisory Council.
Accelerate Onboarding with Cloud Migration: How Partners Can Build Trust from Day One
Resources Blogs Accelerate Onboarding with Cloud Migration: How Partners Can Build Trust from Day One Kris Blackmon Kris Blackmon is Partner Marketing Director at AvePoint. She previously worked as head of channel communities at Zift Solutions, chief channel officer at JS Group, and as senior content director at Informa Tech where she was director of the MSP 501 community. In addition, Kris also chairs in CompTIA's Channel Development Advisory Council.
The Next Big Opportunity for MSPs
As we look to the rest of 2025 and beyond, one of the most significant opportunities for managed service providers (MSPs) lies in the intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, Gartner has predicted that the rise of generative AI will lead to an expected 15% increase in security software spending. This presents a remarkable opportunity for MSPs since, according to Canalys, mroe than 90% of cybersecurity solutions will be delivered by MSPs in 2025.
3 Key Services MSPs Should Offer
We all know that our world runs on data. From the TikTok videos we’re shown to the marketing metrics we track, data runs our day-to-day lives in every aspect. For businesses, data helps drive decision-making, fuels innovation and provides a competitive edge. Now, as businesses ramp up utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (gen AI), which rely heavily on accurate and up-to-date information, data is even more crucial for businesses.
Personalizing the Partner Experience in the Age of AI
Personalization has been an elusive goal for marketers aiming to engage the partner community, and today, in the age of AI, it’s an ever-growing mandate. These days, if it isn’t personalized, it isn’t noticed. In fact, McKinsey reports that 71% of consumers have expressed a preference for personalized interactions, with 76% expressing disappointment when those interactions don’t deliver.
8 Critical Steps to Driving Channel Growth
Kris Blackmon With channel partners planning for 2024, it’s important to recognize a fundamental shift in the customer buying journey. Buyers are becoming more self-reliant, reducing their need to engage with sales to learn about a solution. With easier ways to comparison shop, sales has even less time to instill confidence in prospects. Therefore, over-investing in sales at the expense of marketing is a costly mistake.
Through-Partner Marketing Your Partners Will Love
It isn’t rare for vendors and suppliers to create marketing campaigns and materials for partners and then wonder why those partners don’t actually use them. These vendors spend considerable resources on this collateral, host it in a partner portal, and then watch as they languish. In many cases, it’s clear: The marketing assets are about the vendor, not the partner.
Creating a Culture of Inclusion for the LGBTQ+ Community
Every year, during the month of June, the LGBTQ+ community celebrates in a number of different ways. Around the globe, various events are held during this special month to recognize the influence LGBTQ+ people have had — and continue to have — around the world. Historically, LGBTQ+ employees in the tech industry are hesitant to be their authentic selves at work. The atmosphere in tech — and by extension, the ICT channel — is unpredictable at best.
2020 MSP 501 List Revealed: Welcome to a Whole New Era
Systemic change is never easy, as is perfectly evidenced by the events of 2020. It takes courage, community and massive communication to enact real change. Luckily, Channel Futures, Channel Partners’ sister site, had all three when our team decided to evolve the judgment criteria for the 2020 MSP 501 list. While we enjoyed widespread support for this change, we also received our fair share of criticism and complaints. But that’s OK.
Cybersecurity Tools and Education for a COVID Era
ConnectWise released new cybersecurity tools and education at its IT Nation Explore event last week to help partners position security during COVID. Company executives say MSPs need to take a more personal approach during this uncertain and frightening time for customers. “No MSP should look at this event, frankly, as a sales conversation,” says Brian Downey, VP of Product-Security at ConnectWise. “It’s something they can truly do to help their clients.
Channel Partners Virtual: Digital Events for the Modern Channel
The lesson that 2020 is teaching us seems to be that we all need to get comfortable with change. It’s a brave new world across the board, and no business has been left untouched. That includes us at Channel Partners and Channel Futures. Get ready for Channel Partners Virtual. The Pandemic Pivot Back in March, we had to postpone the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, the world’s largest channel event and one of the highlights of the year for our team.
JS Group's Janet Schijns on How to Sell Reality Without Selling on Fear
Janet Schijns, CEO of channel consultancy JS Group, talks sales and marketing tactics in a COVID world. JS Group’s Janet Schijns, CEO of the channel consultancy, was a social selling advocate long before the coronavirus pandemic kept us from those face-to-face sales calls. But it’s inarguable that the sales and marketing tactics – like networking and referral programs – many partners have used for years don’t have much of a place in this COVID world.
“This Is Not a Time to Crawl Under a Rock”
Weller touches on COVID opportunities, learnings from the 2008 recession and advice for partners right now. Datto’s Tim Weller has seen the channel weather crises before. As COVID-19 continues to throw businesses into turmoil, depress the economy and increase uncertainties about the future, many partners are looking for any guideposts to give direction.
Liongard’s Joe Arapat Tells How
Alapat's wisdom on how to grow a services practice seems, in today’s climate, great advice on how to survive. Liongard CEO Joe Arapat has some things to say about how MSPs should scale a business. The former MSP owner sat down with me to talk through what partners should focus on and where they go wrong — and his advice is just as applicable in a COVID world as it is in whatever will pass for normal when we come out the other side of this mess.
It’s 501 Somewhere
An editor and a channel expert walk into a bar and talk security over drinks. When it comes to the managed security landscape, few MSSPs can claim the expertise that Jason Ingalls, CEO of Louisiana-based Ingalls Information Security, regularly displays on Channel Futures. In this installment of our talk show, It’s 501 Somewhere, Ingalls talks about how the security landscape has shifted amid the coronavirus and the resulting work-from-home paradigm shift.
High-Profile Consultants Offer Advice to Hopeful 501ers/NextGen 101ers
Applicants to the MSP 501/NextGen 101 have some powerful incentives to get their applications in early this year. So powerful, we thought, that we got a few of our high-profile consultants involved. Thanks to the global coronavirus pandemic, businesses worldwide are having to rethink the way they run their organizations. The channel is no exception. What are the new strategic imperatives in a COVID-19 world? What KPIs should partners be measuring?
High-Profile Consultants Offer Advice to Hopeful 501ers/NextGen 101ers
Partners that apply to the MSP 501/NextGen 101 by May 15 can win valuable business consultations. Applicants to the MSP 501/NextGen 101 have some powerful incentives to get their applications in early this year. So powerful, we thought, that we got a few of our high-profile consultants involved. Thanks to the global coronavirus pandemic, businesses worldwide are having to rethink the way they run their organizations. The channel is no exception.
The NextGen 101 List to Honor Partners Building MSP Practices
Every year, partners from around the world compete for a place on the prestigious MSP 501 ranking list. This year, we’re introducing a new component, the NextGen 101 list. Earning a spot on the 501 is one of the highest honors in the managed services channel. It gives winners valuable proof for customers and vendors alike that they exemplify the gold standard of MSPs. Over the years, the MSP 501 has become one of the most sought-after awards in the channel.
The NextGen 101 List to Honor Partners Building MSP Practices
Informa Tech Launches its First-Ever List for Development of Recurring Revenue Streams Every year, partners from around the world compete for a place on the prestigious MSP 501 ranking list. This year, we’re introducing a new component, the NextGen 101 list. Earning a spot on the 501 is one of the highest honors in the managed services channel.
Org Revenue vs. Managed Services Revenue
Channel Futures' Kris Blackmon answers a frequently asked question about revenue. Every year, you have questions. We have the answers. The annual MSP 501 application attracts some of the biggest and most successful MSPs in the world. Filling it out takes time, because it gives us a comprehensive understanding of your business. Fill out an application. You might celebrate with your peers at the MSP 501 awards dinner in September.
New Survey Measures Impact of COVID-19 on Partners
We are living in unprecedented times. Like nearly every industry, the channel is going through a paradigm shift due to the impact of COVID-19. The economic downturn and uncertainty over the global pandemic are pushing entire sectors to shift from office to remote work. This has caused thousands of businesses to re-evaluate 2020 budget forecasts, and has forced employers to make hard decisions about how much of their own workforce they can continue to support at pre-COVID levels.
New Survey Measures Impact of COVID-19 on Partners
We are looking for partner feedback to help us understand what’s happening in your business during the pandemic. We are living in unprecedented times. Like nearly every industry, the channel is going through a paradigm shift due to the impact of COVID-19. The economic downturn and uncertainty over the global pandemic are pushing entire sectors to shift from office to remote work.
Channel Partners Conference & Evolution: Here’s What You Can Expect
Thanks to the coronavirus, we had to postpone our spring show. The result is a first-ever combined show that promises to be our best ever. In March, Channel Partners had to make the very difficult decision to postpone our flagship spring event, Channel Partners Conference & Expo, thanks to escalating concerns over the spread of coronavirus.
Channel Partners 2020 Is Coming. Are You Ready to Become a Champion?
This year's event will offer unique experiences to help you build your business. 2020 is kicking off with a bang for the channel, and over here at Channel Partners and Channel Futures, we’re gearing up for our annual spring conference, the Channel Partners Conference and Expo. Held at the Venetian and Sands Expo in Las Vegas, March 9-12, Channel Partners is the world’s largest channel event, drawing an anticipated 6,400 participants, including 300 key vendors, distributors and master agents.
Channel Partners 2020 Is Coming. Are You Ready to Become a Champion?
2020 is kicking off with a bang for the channel, and over here at Channel Partners and Channel Futures, we’re gearing up for our annual spring conference, the Channel Partners Conference and Expo. Held at the Venetian and Sands Expo in Las Vegas, March 9-12, Channel Partners is the world’s largest channel event, drawing an anticipated 6,400 participants, including 300 key vendors, distributors and master agents.
We Are a #501er!
Watch the video, then keep your eye out for the 2020 MSP 501 application, coming soon. Those who earned a spot on the prestigious 2019 MSP 501 – the IT channel’s largest and most comprehensive ranking of leading managed service providers worldwide – didn’t hesitate to show off their pride in the video below. We played it at the MSP 501 Awards Dinner last fall at Channel Partners Evolution, but it’s making its website debut now.
The New MSP 501 2020 Methodology Explained
The managed services market looks far different than when the MSP 501 debuted. Now, the methodology does, too. Since the inception of the MSP 501 14 years ago, winners have been ranked on the previous year’s annual revenue. About five years ago, in light of changes in the market driven by cloud and SaaS applications, we revised the methodology to weight different revenue streams differently depending on their long-term strategic health.
Champions Don’t Just Happen. They’re Made - One Strategic Step at a Time
We’ve been saying it for years: The pace of change in the technology channel is increasing every day, and those who don’t stay ahead of the curve are destined for obsolescence. The problem is, we’ve heard that so many times, on so many subjects, we’ve become deaf to the warnings. And most of what we hear is at such a high level that it becomes irrelevant to most channel partners’ businesses. Do these sound familiar? Resale is dead, and if you haven’t made the switch to an MRR model, you’re doomed.
Bigger, Faster … Better? Under Magee, ConnectWise Looks to Maintain Dominance in a Channel it Helped Build
Can a CEO with a down-to-earth style and sky-high ambition deliver the attention MSPs demand? Jason Magee is lounging lazily in his chair, a vodka – neat, three olives – in hand. We’re out of the office after a full day of interviews, sitting in the back room of Del Frisco’s during happy hour, about to conduct a video interview over drinks.
Announcing the Inaugural European Partners 51 Award Winners
We are proud to reveal the first-ever winners of our European Partner 51 list Channel Futures is so pleased to announce the inaugural Channel Partners/Channel Futures European Partners 51 winners. The EP51 is a special program under the MSP 501 umbrella that specifically honors partners in the EMEA region. Winners will be honored at our first-ever European event, Channel Evolution Europe (CEE), 2-3 December 2019 at the Victoria Park Place in London.
Announcing the Inaugural European Partners 51 Award Winners
We are proud to reveal the list of our first-ever European Partners 51 winners. Channel Futures is so pleased to announce the inaugural Channel Partners/Channel Futures European Partners 51 winners. The EP51 is a special program under the MSP 501 umbrella that specifically honors partners in the EMEA region. Winners will be honored at our first-ever European event, Channel Evolution Europe (CEE), 2-3 December 2019, at the Victoria Park Place in London.
Brand-Building Is Hard, So MSPmentor Janet Schijns Is Coming to Explain It All
Confused about how to define and publicize your brand? Check out our upcoming webinar with expert Janet Schijns. Message houses. Brand personas. Social media promotion. Company voice, tone, value propositions. Building a brand is necessary in today’s noisy, digital world, but just because we have to do it doesn’t mean we know how. On Tuesday, Oct.
Ask the MSPmentor: Tina Gravel on Compensation Models
Got questions? Ask them in the 501er Community group, and our team of MSPmentor industry influencers will get you answers. Channel Futures and the MSP 501 initiative recently launched a new program, the 501er Community. This community is designed to engage MSPs in a dialogue about best practices stemming from the MSP 501 data, as well as provide networking events and educational opportunities. As part of this program, we have engaged more than a dozen industry leaders as MSPmentors.
ConnectWise: Why Partners Should Focus on Business Value in Times of Transition
Arlin Sorensen has been dispensing channel wisdom for decades. Now you can hear it in person. Many managed service providers have their tech down cold, but struggle a bit when it comes to actual business practices. This can be especially true during times of transition — say from VAR to MSP or MSP to MSSP. The same best practices won’t work anymore. Benchmarks change, sales compensation changes, billing practices and procurement and fulfillment all change.
What It Takes to Be an MSP 501er
Hear from three MSP 501 Special Award Winners about what it takes to excel in managed services today. Every year, managed service providers (MSPs) from around the globe compete to earn a spot in the prestigious MSP 501 worldwide rankings. The 501 companies on the annual list from Channel Futures represent the best and brightest that the channel has to offer. They’re willing to take risks, agile enough to respond to business challenges and laser-focused on customer success.
Best-Selling Author Mary Abbajay: Successful Partners Focus on Culture First
Confused on culture? Don't miss this talk by best-selling author Mary Abbajay at Channel Partners Evolution. Research and organizational scholarship consistently point to organizational culture as a major factor in the success or failure of businesses and organizations; yet, all too often organizational culture is left to chance — or worse, shrugged off as an impossible hurdle to overcome. High-performing organizations don’t leave their culture to chance.
Datto, ConnectWise, SolarWinds MSP Pack the CompTIA ChannelCon Expo Hall
Did you miss ChannelCon '19? Here are some highlights from the show floor. Thousands of partners, analysts and vendors converged on Vegas (where else?) this week for CompTIA’s annual ChannelCon event. The conference gave attendees four days of top-notch content, networking and arguably the best (and most surprising) keynote speaker the channel has seen in awhile in Shaquille O’Neal.
BitTitan Unveils Voleer to Give MSPs Automated Templates for Easy Deployments
BitTitan's library of automated templates helps MSPs transition from one-time sales to recurring revenue. BitTitan, the managed services automation provider, has a new IT automation platform, Voleer, which the company says will help managed service providers (MSPs) with the transition from one-time to recurring revenue by providing access to a library of ready-made templates for services such as security assessments and cost optimizations.
MSP 501 Profile: Fidelis Says It’s All About Process
This week in our ongoing series of MSP 501 winner profiles, we shine a spotlight on No. 303, Fidelis Inc. Company Name: Fidelis Inc.
Channel Futures Participates in Auvik's Annual Summer Treat Wave
Want free stuff? Check out Auvik's Summer Treat Wave, and how Channel Futures wants to help you enjoy your summer. MSPs work hard, and Auvik Networks thinks they should be rewarded. We agree. That’s why Channel Futures has signed on to participate in Auvik’s annual MSP Summer Treat Wave, where participating MSPs get 10 full days of free gifts plus a chance to win a grand prize package worth $1,600.
MSP 501 Profile: Digital Boardwalk’s Triumph over the Great Recession
This week in our ongoing series of MSP 501 winner profiles, we shine a spotlight on No. 386, Digital Boardwalk. Company Name: Digital Boardwalk MSP 501 Rank: 386 CEO: Tim Shoop Location: Pensacola, FL Primary Services: Twitter: @Digiwalk In 2007, Digital Boardwalk’s CEO, Tim Shoop, was struggling to keep his eight-year-old IT business, New Vision Computers, above water.
Datto Execs to MSPs: It’s a Mistake to Try and ‘Evolve’ into an MSSP
At DattoCon19, Rob Rae and others explained why MSPs should outsource their advanced security. Technology, and the business of technology, is always about one question: What’s next? It was cloud, then big data, then IoT. Today in the channel, no one seems to be confused about the answer: cybersecurity. No conference or event of the last two years in the channel hasn’t placed a huge emphasis on security, and it was the same last week at DattoCon19 in San Diego.
Datto Names TPx Communications 2019 MSP 501 Partner of the Year
In 2018, TPx Communications wasn’t on the MSP 501. In fact, the company wasn’t quite done executing its managed services pivot. Three years ago, TPx acquired a company that specialized in unified communications, with a supplemental IT services business. For TPx, it was all the right elements at the right time to make a move on managed IT.
Channel Futures Reveals 2019 MSP 501
We at Channel Futures are thrilled to congratulate the superior companies that have earned a spot on the 2019 MSP 501. We welcome you all to this year’s list of the top managed service providers worldwide. These MSPs have distinguished themselves among the largest pool of applicants the MSP 501 has ever received. Last year was a record-breaking year in terms of the number and quality of submissions, and 2019 saw a 35% year-over-year growth rate in applications from 2018.
Social Tips from the 2018 MSP 501
The MSP 501 Class of 2018 has parting words of advice for best managing social media strategy. The application period for this year’s MSP 501 has closed, and we’ll be revealing the Class of 2019 next week. But our 2018 501ers still have some wisdom to share! We recently reached out to them for some advice on social media marketing and selling. It can be difficult for MSPs to carve out time for a dedicated social media practice.
It’s 501 Somewhere: Datto’s Rob Rae on MSSPs, EMEA & Backing Up the Human Brain
Our one-on-one interview drops on the day the MSP 501 application period closes. Leading up to Friday’s close of the application period for the MSP 501, I met with Rob Rae, VP of business development for Datto, for drinks in Carlsbad, California, where he was attending an industry event. Over the course of a happy hour, we talked about the international channel, the MSP 501, the uselessness of the term “digital transformation” and what Datto thinks about someday backing up the human brain.
A Decade of ConnectWise Events
ConnectWise events are some of the most popular in the channel. Whether a blockbuster event aficionado or a fan of the more intimate conferences, MSPs flock to ConnectWise’s IT Nation events every year for education, networking and the chance to see Arnie Bellini outline the company’s strategy for the coming year. The evolution of ConnectWise’s massively popular annual events mirrors that of the company itself.
2018 MSP 501 Now Open for Submissions!
Are you ready to stand and be counted among the top 501 most capable and innovative MSPs in the industry? Submit your application for the 501 today! The wait is finally over. We are now accepting applications for the 2018 edition of the MSP 501, the IT channel’s largest and most comprehensive ranking of leading managed service provider (MSP) organizations worldwide. Now in its 11th year, the 2018 MSP 501 is brought to you by Channel Futures and our sister site, Channel Partners.
The Sales & Marketing KPIs that Actually Matter
The MSP 501 breaks down the metrics that partners should really be paying attention to. Entrepreneurs don’t usually open their own businesses just for the joy of optimizing their sales funnel. They have a great idea or specific skill set they want to take to market, and then they just have to cobble together some sort of sales and marketing strategy out of things the business gurus write on their blogs or in their advice books.
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