The ASCII Group wrapped up its 2019 IT Success Summit tour of nine cities with the awarding of the annual ASCII Cup to distributor Pax8 at the conclusion of the two-day event in Boston last week. Pax8 was also voted MSP Success Summit Distributor of the Year, marking the second straight year the distributor claimed both awards.
The ASCII Cup awards are presented each October to technology companies that have showcased channel goodwill and a commitment to helping ASCII members grow their IT businesses. The awards, which include the Top 10 Vendors, were presented at the last summit event of this year on October 25 and celebrated at the ASCII Cup Vendor of the Year Party.
The summits bring together IT solution providers and technology vendors in a two-day format that includes extensive networking, education, training, and best-practice addresses from ASCII members and thought leaders.
At each regional event throughout the year, ASCII Success Summit attendees voted for the vendors in 12 different categories. The winners at each summit are selected based on the votes by the MSPs, VARs, and solution providers in attendance. The winner of The ASCII Cup is determined by tabulating the results of all submitted ballots.
This year’s winner’s list is as follows:
- The 2019 ASCII Cup Vendor of the Year – Pax8
- First Runner-Up – Datto
- 3rd Place – Solutions Granted
- 4th Place – ID Agent
- 5th Place – Vertical Axion
- 6th Place – Mailprotector
- 7th Place – RocketCyber
- 8th Place – SolarWinds Passportal
- 9th Place – ConnectMeVoice
- 10th Place – GreenLink Networks
- ASCII SMB IT Success Summit Top Distributor of the Year – Pax8
Prior to the awards ceremony, the business at hand was two days of educational sessions. Jerry Koutavas, president of The ASCII Group, opened the event on Thursday, October 24, with a presentation on “Understanding What High Growth MSPs are Doing to Close Business.”
Sessions during the first day covered topics including the dark web, marketing, cybersecurity, Azure solutions, and more. In the peer business session, Leo Bletnitsky, president of LBA Networking, talked about the do’s and don’ts of mergers and acquisitions. The day concluded with a member meeting followed by a networking reception in the evening.
On Friday, Rayanne Buchianico, owner of ABC Solutions, an accounting, tax, and business systems consulting firm in Clearwater, Fla., kicked off the day with a presentation on “Key Financial Red Flags Most MSPs Miss.”
Angel Rojas, CEO of DataCorps Technology Solutions, talked with the audience about the home services market, including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.
Also throughout the day, sessions covered topics such as cybersecurity, managed security services, managed networking, SD-WAN, telephony, and email security.
Year-long keynote speaker and author Adam Steltzner, recognized as one of NASA’s leading—and most unique—innovators, talked about “The Right Kind of Crazy: A True Story of Teamwork, Leadership and High Stakes Innovation.”
The award winners for the Boston event were:
Day 1:
- Best Education – SOCSoter
- Best Partner Incentives – Solutions Granted
- Best Overall Presentation – Vertical Axion
Day 2:
- Best Rapid Pitch – Greenlink Networks
- Best Keynote – Pax8
- Most Innovative Solution – Mailprotector
- Best Market Opportunity – CaaB
- Best Partner Support – Datto
- Best Channel Program – ConnectMeVoice
- Best Revenue Generator – RapidFire Tools
- Top Distributor – Pax8
- Best Partner Involvement: audIT, Pax8, SolarWinds Passportal
- Best of Show: Pax8
In 2020, the IT Success Summits will take place in the following locations:
- Long Beach, Calif. – February 26-27
- Houston – March 25-26
- Washington, D.C. – April 22-23
- Chicago – May 27-28
- Cincinnati – June 24-25
- Toronto – July 29-30
- Atlantic City, N.J. – August 26-27
- Boston – September 24-25
- Orlando, Fla. – October 21-22
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