Technology Reseller v26

technolog y reseller.co.uk Q&A 21 Partners, by definition, come to you through one of your products – they start with your PSA or they start with continuity. I would say most European partners don’t even know we do networking, so a show like this is very important for us. It enables us to get 100 people in a room and they can see how our networking products are tailored specially for MSPs. That’s the third vector of growth; the revenue opportunity for partners – we get paid when they get paid. TR : And they appreciate the ability to cross-sell to their customers. TW: Absolutely. That’s their lowest selling cost. It’s unrealistic to think they are going to get all their technology from us, because we are not going to sell laptops, we are not going to sell phones. They will always be in a situation where they are multi-vendor, but it is somewhat nice for them to have eight vendors instead of 80. And if they are a trusted vendor, you tend to buy more from that brand, and that comes from our ability to service them well. TR : Do you divide you MSP partners up into different segments? TW: We don’t, from the perspective that every MSP is welcome. If you join us for continuity, quite typically you are going to have one device and one subscription and, almost by definition, all our new partners are small with us on the first day. We can obviously see how large they actually are and we can recognise the opportunity. But everyone is welcome and that community aspect really resonates with us. That said, large MSPs do need to be served differently to small MSPs, so we will start to match the right sales teams and the right support teams. For example, a very large partner might becomes so expert on the product they don’t want to go to basic tech support; they might want to go to the next level up because their techs are certified and use Datto. Or they might want a sales rep that knows more about their industry. So there is this idea of bespoke matching of sales and support to the MSP, but it is not a question of good, better and best as much as serve me where I am. This is true in so many businesses; consumers are demanding to be served in a better way and we have to get better at that because to date it has been a bit one-size-fits-all. TR: They have to be open too. TW: Yes, they do. But it’s more difficult for them. We can walk the walk more easily than larger companies, because they have conflict. Whoever is running the channel at a large enterprise company, whoever is responsible for MSPs, will be a small piece of that company. They will be trying to get promoted to the direct side; the direct side will be talking to the CEO and the board, so the channel becomes a second thought. It is always going to be like that wherever the channel is a smaller piece. Nobody is acting with ill intent; they just have to recognise what is their main source of revenue. Downstairs (in the exhibition hall) you will see lots of small vendors that are dedicated to the channel – that’s where the excitement is. TR: Where do you see the big growth for Datto in the next few years? TW: I would highlight three dimensions. The first is more partners. We’ve got new geographies opening up; we have just announced a big expansion in the Nordics. We are not yet meaningfully on the continent in Asia – this year, like last year, is very much focused on Europe in terms of expansion – but we will eventually get to Asia. More importantly to us, within the partner base, the biggest single dimension of growth for our company is to help partners find new SMBs. We love hearing partners say they want to get 20 new customers this year. That immediately energises our team – How can we help? Shall we do some lunches together? Do you want to lead with networking? Do you want to lead with continuity? Where are your problems? Do you want to talk to our marketing team and get them to put some content together? We love selling with partners to help grow their business. It feels the best. We are not throwing products at them so they pay us more; we are helping them to grow their revenue and then they source product from us, so it’s a win:win. That’s the second thing. The third is just technology and products. We are a builder of technology and we have confidence in our ability to build products. At shows like this and all the roadshows we hold we ask ‘What do you need? What are you looking for? What are your hearing?’. We get the pulse of the partner and then we can start to cross-sell. New Datto UK Sales Director Datto, Inc. has strengthened its UK operations with the appointment of Justine Harris as Sales Director, UK & Ireland. Justine joins Datto from Vodafone Business in the UK, where she was Interim Head of Global Sales, Cloud, and Security. Prior to that, she was Regional Vice President EMEA at Akamai Technologies, where she was responsible for strengthening Akamai’s channel ecosystem. In her new role, Justine will oversee the continued expansion of Datto’s business in the UK and Ireland by building strong and successful relationships with existing and new partners in the Datto community. She said: “The world of IT is moving fast. Small and medium-sized enterprises are increasingly looking for an expert partner at their side to help them navigate the complex challenges of data protection, cyberattacks and critical business processes. Datto’s solutions are the most advanced in the market and specifically tailored for MSPs, enabling them to take on the crucial role of strategic IT advisor to a growing number of SME clients. I am thrilled to join Datto during this transformational time of growth in the European channel.” Justine Harris Large MSPs do need to be served differently to small MSPs, so we will start to match the right sales teams and the right support teams