Manny Rivelo, the newly appointed CEO of ConnectWise, envisions a transformative future for MSPs and the SMBs they support. In a discussion with ChannelPro, he articulated his rationale for joining the company and shared his strategic outlook for the future.
Drawing from his extensive leadership experience at tech giants like Cisco and Forcepoint, Rivelo highlighted ConnectWise’s energetic community and strategic vision as key elements that attracted him to the role.
“After I left my last job, I was going to take some time off. In 30 years, I’ve never had more than a week off,” Rivelo explained. “I was approached by various companies but the ConnectWise opportunity continued to stick out. The company has a great culture with great people. Also, it’s got a vision for the delivery of the Asio platform, which was purpose-built to help MSPs serve SMBs.
“And now, six weeks later, here I am.”
Community Building and Collaboration
Rivelo clearly is passionate about community. Further, investing in conferences like IT Nation and service leadership programs provides critically important insights from MSPs, he noted. That feedback informs the development of product enhancements and new solutions tailored to MSP success.
“My job is to listen to that community and drive the delivery of the platform that we’re bringing to market. That leads to better experiences [for the MSPs], and ultimately makes end users’ lives better,” Rivelo asserted. “MSPs need to know that they are being heard and that their feedback matters. At ConnectWise, we are committed to keeping an open dialogue with our partners to meet their needs and help them succeed.”
Asio: AI and Automation Ready
When asked about harnessing new technology, Rivelo said ConnectWise is focused on offering an integrated platform that supports new functionality.
“We’ve invested over $70 million in engineering on the Asio platform. We’re not complete, but we’re very far along in delivering what MSPs want: a single point of engagement. A single place for the most important functionalities: PSA, security services, backup, and a lot more.”
Quick Summary
- Drawing on his experience at Cisco, Rivelo said collaboration and community-building are key to his success strategy.
- ConnectWise’s pro-growth strategy is comprehensive. They will build, buy, or partner to offer needed functionality.
- Even as the company invests big in its Asio platform, there are no plans to eliminate Manage or Automate.
- ConnectWise is committed to further integrating AI and automation to streamline MSP operations.
These services could be provided natively or through a third-party ecosystem that plugs into the platform, he said. “They are provisioned in an elegant way, where all the data and user interfaces are common, and you can apply machine learning and automation.”
For example, to remediate an endpoint with a vulnerability with a patch, it be done through automation, he explained. “You could open a ticket, remediate the issue, contact your customer, and close the ticket. You can handle complex workflows with the push of a button. That saves time, improves the experience for both technicians and the end customer, and lowers business costs.”
Although message boards are buzzing about the possibility of ConnectWise Manage and Automate being deprecated, Rivelo strongly denied that.
“They will continue into the future, and we’re committed to supporting those products,” Rivelo insisted. “We are developing ‘on ramps’ to help customers transition to our Asio platform in an elegant and seamless way. That includes feature parity which makes it compelling to move when they are ready.
“At IT Nation, we’ll share more about how these products evolve, but rest assured, we’re not abandoning anyone. On the contrary, we’re ensuring a smooth transition path to the new platform.”
Acquisitions and Market Position
In recent months, ConnectWise completed the strategic acquisition of Axcient, a business continuity and disaster recovery vendor, and Skykick, a cloud management company. The deals were intended to bolster the ConnectWise portfolio, allowing it to deliver more integrated solutions to MSPs.
When asked about future acquisitions, Rivelo was candid. “Look at the past, there have been eight to 10 acquisitions, in that ballpark. Over time, we will continue to look at where we want to build, buy, or partner. If we can own it because it’s a necessity, we will do that. If it’s something that our partners can deliver because they can offer differentiation, we will partner and offer it through the platform.
“Look at the recent buys, those were partnerships first. They became acquisitions when it became obvious that our partner community believed that we could own and be directly successful with. That’s why we brought them in-house. Things can start out as a partnership and lead to acquisition. Or stay as a partnership. It all comes down to the value that we’re delivering.”
When asked about the possibility of ConnectWise itself being acquired, Rivelo is pragmatic.
“When you read that ownership is private equity backed, you might think they’re just trying to drive profitability. But that isn’t the case. They are spending on acquisitions and see the value creation that we can offer the whole community. There will be a time when they want to transact this, but I wouldn’t worry about that to be perfectly honest. What I worry about is building an incredible company. Our company tied to the community and solving their problems.”
Candid Advice for MSPs Seeking Growth
Rivelo is bullish about the IT channel’s current trajectory and the opportunities that represents for MSPs. “There are things that small businesses can’t do, and will never be able to do. MSPs provide a vital role in enabling them to do their jobs, and do them safely,” he said.
Regarding how MSPs can gain traction in the marketplace and scale up, Rivelo provided several thoughtful suggestions.
“Focus on core services and look at how to enhance them by getting more out of your employees. This is where automation and AI come in. Make operations as efficient as possible to free up time and resources.
“Also, consider offering new services to your customers, especially in areas like security, which many struggle with. Simple services like backup and disaster recovery are crucial and can add great value. There’s a huge opportunity to grow. Especially if you do a great job for your customers and layer in new services with special pricing or packaging to encourage adoption.”
Looking Ahead
Rivelo expressed optimism regarding the company’s path forward and confidence in the ConnectWise team. “We’re only here to serve the MSP community, and we will continue to listen intently to that community and deliver solutions for them to drive their business. That’s our job.”
