The ASCII Group Inc.‘s Success Summit concluded its 2014 tour in Atlantic City, N. J., October 22 and 23, at Bally’s Atlantic City. In addition, at the end of the two-day event The ASCII Group announced the winners for its annual ASCII Cup.†Datto Inc., a business continuity, disaster recovery, and data backup provider, received the top honors: The 2014 ASCII Cup Vendor of the Year.
The awards are presented each fall to technology companies that have showcased channel goodwill and a commitment to helping ASCII members grow their businesses more efficiently. ASCII Success Summit attendees vote for the vendors in 11 different categories: Best Software Solution, Best Hardware Solution, Best New Product, Best Cloud Solution, Best Revenue Generator, Best Channel Incentive, Best Channel Program, Best Partner Commitment, Best Customer Support, Best Distribution Sales Support, and Best in Show. The winners at each show are selected based on the votes by the solution providers; at the end of the year the winner of the ASCII Cup is determined from the results of all the shows.†
A membership-based community of†independent MSPs, VARs, and†solution providers, The ASCII Group designed the Success Summit to help attendees discover new ways to build and retain recurring revenue by leveraging key research on SMB IT purchases and the latest marketing techniques.
In Atlantic City, the pre-day workshop on Wednesday included presentations on hiring, creating a marketing plan, SMB security, quoting and e-commerce solutions, business automation, and communications. The day ended with a networking reception.
The Success Summit on Thursday featured the following presentations:
- “Research & Purchasing Trends: 2014 IT Industry Outlook and Trends to Watch,” Gary Bixler, CompTIA
- “Understanding Key Triggers to Client Intimacy and Retaining Revenue—Strategies from Five of the World’s Most Successful MSPS,” Raj Singh, Client Heartbeat
- “Marketing Research and Strategy: “Selling The Unconscious Mind Through Neuromarketing,”Roger Dooley, author and consultant
Other session topics included cloud, MSP success strategies, revenue enhancers, security and compliance, and minimizing downtime.
The day concluded with an awards ceremony and ASCII Cup celebration.
In addition to awarding Datto the 2014 ASCII Cup Vendor, other winners were:
- Knighted as the Top Four Contenders for The ASCII Cup: MAXFocus (formerly GFI MAX), HP, Lenovo, and LogMeIn
- Knighted as Distributor of the Year: D&H Distributing Co.
- Recognized as Esteemed Noble Partners: AVG, HIPAA Secure Now, JetStream Networks, RapidFire Tools, and StorageCraft
“The ASCII Group and its community wholeheartedly congratulate Datto as this year’s ASCII Cup recipient.†We would also like to recognize the Top Contenders, Esteemed Noble Partners, and all of the companies featured at our Success Summits, for remaining committed to delivering value and significance to the channel,” says Jerry Koutavas, president, The ASCII Group.
