The temperature was 90, but the networking and learning opportunities were even hotter at ChannelCon and Partner Summit 2024 in Atlanta, held July 30-Aug. 1.
More than 1,000 MSPs, vendors, distributors and other members of the tech industry connected and collaborated, attending more than 60 educational and content sessions across Community, MSP Success, Cybersecurity and Vendor Education tracks.
“ChannelCon has been a great experience. I got to meet a lot of people in the CompTIA Community and I’m taking in as much as I can. I’m learning a lot about cybersecurity and I have a lot to take back,” said Ethan Feldman, account executive at CybrHawk, and first-time ChannelCon attendee.
There’s a lot to digest from three days of making connections and gaining insights. In case you couldn’t make it—or even if you did—here are 10 things you may have missed.
Kara Swisher Offers Hot Takes on AI, Innovation and Regulation in Tech
Kara Swisher has had a front-row seat for almost everything that’s happened in the tech industry over the last 30 years—and doesn’t pull punches about what she thinks went right, wrong and what will happen next, which she did during a Q&A keynote session at ChannelCon 2024 in Atlanta with CompTIA president and CEO Todd Thibodeaux. Read more.
From Teambuilding to Peer Groups: How MSPs Successfully Scale Their Business
There are probably as many ways for MSPs to grow their business as there are MSPs. After all, every company has its own unique culture, customer base and goals. And that’s OK. But when it comes time to finding common ways to scale their businesses, MSPs also have a trove of knowledge, ideas and best practices from a very familiar source—each other.
During a panel session 4alled Scaling Your MSP in 2024, several MSPs touted the “power of peers” as a great way to ask questions, get answers and learn from other similar companies. Joining a group like the CompTIA Community offers a great opportunity to hear where others are succeeding and struggling, said Carrie Green, senior vice president of operations at Alt-Tech. “Where can you go to ask questions of others who are facing similar challenges? This is a great place to meet other people and get help,” Green said. Read more.
America’s Cyber Defense Agency Wants to Partner with You
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is the operational lead for federal cybersecurity and the national coordinator for critical infrastructure security and resilience—and they want to work with you. During a fireside chat at ChannelCon, the conversation between Wayne Selk, vice president, cybersecurity programs, CompTIA and Julius Gamble, regional director, Region 4, CISA, heavily focused on the need to partner with MSPs.
“We engage the field model to work with state and local government and private sector entities,” said Gamble. “We’re embedded within the communities and have cybersecurity professionals assigned to particular regions. If you’re a small- or medium-sized business and you need cybersecurity assistance, our agency offers that at no charge. We see these partnerships as central to securing the nation.” Read more.
John Harden Named 2024 CompTIA Community Member of the Year
John Harden, director of product management responsible for Auvik SaaS Management (ASM) and vice-chair of CompTIA’s SaaS Ecosystem Advisory Council, was recognized as the CompTIA Community 2024 Member of the Year for his impactful service and leadership within the association and the industry.
“John Harden’s unique talent and passion for tech innovation are true assets to the industry,” said MJ Shoer, chief community officer, CompTIA. “He leads by example, inspiring others to challenge the status quo and seize opportunities to challenge themselves. His distinct experience and skills are valuable to CompTIA and the greater IT community. We are proud to recognize John’s impact and exceptional service by honoring him with the CompTIA Community Member of the Year Award.”
Read more in the latest issue of CompTIA World.
The Ransomware Report: New & Notable Changes in the Landscape
Jonathan Braley, director of threat intelligence, the Information Technology - Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC) told a ChannelCon 2024 audience that ransomware attacks are difficult to stop during a session called, Exploring the Depths: Analysis of the 2023 Ransomware Landscape and Insights for 2024.
“Operators reside in countries where prosecution and extradition are unlikely, groups go into hiding after law enforcement intervention only to rebrand and remerge later, and affiliates who work with ransomware operators move to new operations as old groups shut down,” Braley said. “And, of course, organizations continue to pay ransoms.” Read more.
CompTIA Addresses Market Gaps in Digital Literacy, Career Introduction
CompTIA president and CEO Todd Thibodeaux updated attendees on what the organization is seeing in the tech industry and how it’s responding. For example there’s a big gap in career literacy right now, Thibodeaux said. People don’t know what it takes to work in tech jobs, so they avoid them. “This is for people considering tech, job changers, students, talking about any specific career. They want to know how much does it pay? How much training is there? Are there jobs in my area? There’s not a lot of good information out there, which is why we created a series where we take 30 roles and built fun, engaging modules for each one to demystify that job,” he said.
The new CompTIA Career Explorer site empowers students and professionals looking to start, shift, or elevate their career in IT. This free resource bridges the confidence gap, providing data-driven career content to bolster the tech workforce. Explore and share.
Less Is More: How Evolving Channel Relationships Can Yield Happier Partners
The relationships you have with your business partners is what makes our ecosystem work. But relationships change. In fact, the CompTIA State of the Channel 2024 report shows quite a bit of change is happening with regard to the number of partner programs solution providers and MSPs are participating in. But, if you’re a vendor, don’t fret. Carolyn April, vice president of industry research, CompTIA told a ChannelCon 2024 audience that fewer programs mean happier programs.
“It means you are getting more out of these relationships,” April said. “You don’t need to have a million friends, you just need a few very good friends.” To discuss these changes April led a panel representative of the vendor, distributor and MSP community in a session called, Power Panel: The Evolving Channel Relationships. Read more.
So You Want a Successful Channel Program? Talk Your Partners’ Language
Following proven best practices and continuous collaboration and communication can go a long way to establishing a reputation as a trusted, go-to partner for tech vendors looking to start or enhance their channel programs, according to members of the CompTIA Community Channel Development Advisory Council in a panel called A Guide to Unleashing the Power of Channel Programs.
“A big part of successful channel relationships is to be engaged. So many MSPs and vendors put in minimal effort on that,” said Henry Timm, CEO of Phantom Technology Solutions, an MSP based in Rolling Prairie, Ind. “We want to be the trusted advisor to our clients and we MSPs need to develop that with vendors as well. We need to build more in-depth partnerships with our vendors and their channel programs.”
Read more here and also download the Tech Vendor Guidebook for even more insights.
Annual Philanthropic Endeavors, Scholarship Winner Announced
Twelve nonprofit organizations in eight countries have been selected to receive financial contributions from regional groups and other member-led groups and initiatives of the CompTIA Community. A total of $150,000 was awarded to charities in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Belgium, Indonesia and the Netherlands. CompTIA Community regional groups and industry advisory councils have supported more than 70 organizations around the world with approximately $1.5 million in charitable giving over the past 12 years.
“This year’s group of charities truly show how technology can be used to create abundant opportunities for future success in today’s digital world,” said MJ Shoer, chief community officer, CompTIA. “Each organization has its own unique mission making positive impacts in their local communities and across the globe. CompTIA Community member groups are honored to provide them with funds to address the latest challenges and build a stronger technology industry for future generations.” Read more.
Additionally, Kavya Venkatesan from Old Bridge High School in Matawan, N.J., was announced as the 2024 CompTIA ChannelPro Cecilia Galvin Scholarship Winner. The scholarship is named in memory of Cecilia Galvin, executive editor at ChannelPro Network and a passionate champion of women in tech who passed away in 2017. The annual award helps a talented young woman with an interest in technology launch an education in IT. Read more.
Technology Vendor Fair Showcases Innovative Solutions, Services
This year, more than 170 vendors, distributors and other tech companies shared their latest innovative products, services and programs during the Technology Vendor Fair at ChannelCon. Vendors also participated in a recruitment challenge leading up to the event. Congratulations to the winners who brought the highest number of partners and prospects, helping to make this year’s conference a success!
1st Place: MSP Ignite
2nd Place: Compliance Scorecard
3rd Place: Mailprotector
4th Place: Vonahi Security
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