ConnectWise acquires Continuum and ITBoost

Business automation software provider ConnectWise has announced the acquisitions of Continuum and ITBoost, as well as a strategic partnership with Webinfinity.

Together, these moves aim to put more problem-solving resources, tools for efficiency, and fuel for growth in the hands of partners while transforming ConnectWise into a technology and services platform for the entire technology channel – from vendors to distributors to technology service providers (TSPs) and their customers.

In addition, the company announced it is launching a security initiative calling for the entire industry to fight back against cybersecurity threats.

The convergence of ConnectWise's platform (PSA, RMM, CPQ), with the service-enabled RMM, security and NOC/SOC and Help Desk from Continuum, IT documentation from ITBoost, and partner relationship management (PRM) from Webinfinity, substantially increases value to TSPs.

ConnectWise becomes the only software platform that connects the TSP upstream to its suppliers and downstream to its customers, creating a unified business operating environment to accelerate TSPs success.

"By executing on these deals, we will be able to expand our scope and capabilities to assist the broader community of TSPs in all facets of their business," says ConnectWise CEO Jason Magee.

All four announcements will create new or increased efficiencies for partners while mitigating their risk and evolves ConnectWise into a holistic technology and services platform as it enters 2020:

• The partnership with PRM tool provider Webinfinity will simplify the relationships TSPs have with their technology suppliers, centralising touchpoints for areas such as deal registration, co-marketing, training and enablement, communication and more.
   
• The acquisition of ITBoost increases efficiencies for TSPs with an IT documentation system.
   
• The union with Continuum allows ConnectWise partners to use Continuum's AI-enabled services model to grow and scale in the critical areas of remote monitoring and management, security, and data protection without the requirement of increasing headcount.
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  Finally, since security is not a problem to be solved, but a risk to be managed, ConnectWise is launching a new security initiative - calling on the entire industry to fight back against cybersecurity threats. No matter their role, each and every company needs to do their part to help make the entire industry more secure.

ConnectWise and Continuum:

The combined platform represents an opportunity for ConnectWise to serve the broader TSP market by offering turn-key resources that allow TSPs to sell service offerings immediately, and low startup costs that enable the creation of new practice areas or even new services startups.

It also gives ConnectWise the opportunity to serve TSPs that operate using Continuum's fully integrated managed services model, preferring to outsource much of their low-level work, whether because they want additional help on nights or weekends, or because they need to access a different skill set than they possess.

This complements ConnectWise's current offering, which targets TSPs who take more of a "do it yourself" approach.

As a result, TSPs will have the freedom to adopt either model or a mixture of both, all while making more data-driven decisions and increasing their use of automation.

This deal also addresses a serious challenge increasingly faced by TSPs: finding the skilled talent necessary to grow at affordable economics, especially when it comes to cybersecurity skills.

TSPs, and the small and medium-sized businesses they serve, are prime targets for the increasingly complex cybersecurity issues facing the industry at large.

Through Continuum's managed detection and response offerings, TSPs can leverage features like login and Office 365 monitoring, dark web scanning, and SOC-supported cybersecurity for their own internal environments.

ConnectWise and ITBoost:

ConnectWise's acquisition of ITBoost brings an IT documentation tool to the ConnectWise product suite.

ITBoost greatly increases efficiencies and time savings for TSPs by allowing them to standardise and visualise critical data from their disparate business platforms and services. The documentation tool will be particularly valuable when paired with the NOC and SOC from Continuum, providing an easy way for TSPs to access the most up-to-date information needed to drive efficiencies to optimise and keep their businesses running smoothly.

ConnectWise and Webinfinity:

ConnectWise Engage powered by Webinfinity will make it more efficient for TSPs to work with the technology suppliers they have in their tech stacks.

Today, tech suppliers typically have a large number of resources that can be difficult for TSPs to access.

There are many touchpoints, complexities and "silos of chaos" that burden TSPs, making their day-to-day business very manual and less effective, scalable and profitable than it could be.

These challenges become even more magnified in the "as-a-service" world. Examples include product and services procurement, multi-vendor support issues, SKU management, content distribution, and training and education.

The average channel partner works with 20 vendors across a silo of online partnership management portals.

Making use of ConnectWise Engage powered by Webinfinity, ConnectWise partners will be able to centralize these touchpoints, enabling them to access multiple vendors through a single pane of glass.