ConnectWise Launches Virtual Community To Boost Partner Engagement

“By bringing this community “virtual”, we not only enable that to happen 365 days a year, but we also are opening up a more direct line on the product side to our experts, which we know partners are eager for,” said Amy Lucia, chief marketing officer for ConnectWise.” As we evolve this and other value-added offerings over time, our partners will definitely encounter an unmatched experience.”

ConnectWise this week launched its ConnectWise Virtual Community platform that acts as a central space for its partners to connect, support and learn from their peers and experts.

“Part of embracing digital transformation means that we need to always be looking for ways to make it easier for partners to do business with us,” Amy Lucia, chief marketing officer for Tampa, Fla.-based ConnectWise, told CRN. “But it’s important that we don’t lose the personal connection with our partners in the process. Until now, we haven’t had a virtual space where all partners could go to interact with each other and ConnectWise colleagues.”

The virtual community was created in response to partner feedback as partners wanted a space to strengthen partner engagement, seek assistance from product experts and interact with education training consultants. Partners can also take advantage of best practices and product education resources.

“I’m excited for the new virtual community. I see it as more than just a message board or a series of posts— it’s a way to build upon the amazing community that ConnectWise has always been known for,” said Eric Hoffmaster, COO of Hackensack, N.J.-based Innovative Computing Systems, a longtime ConnectWise partner. “It gives us the opportunity to connect with partners, build relationships and help each other outside of the amazing ConnectWise events. The recent pandemic has changed our world for good, and having the ability to re-create our community experiences online is a great evolution. This new virtual community is bringing partners together from all over the world and giving them a way to share experiences and support each other, which has always been the foundation of the ConnectWise community.”

[Related: ConnectWise CEO Jason Magee On Growth, The New Asio Platform And Dispelling Rumors]

The virtual community offers two community collaboration spaces, ConnectWise Solutions and IT Nation. The ConnectWise Solutions space is where partners can exclusively discover best practices, product education, business knowledge and product innovation topics. The IT Nation space is designed to keep conversations going before, after and in between in-person events through virtual, real-time collaboration.

“We’re focused on serving our partners well with superior products and services,” Lucia told CRN. “When we do the right thing, more partners will come. During IT Nation Connect in November 2021, we made three promises to the TSP ecosystem. First, that we’d deliver more innovation, faster. Second, to make even greater investments in their growth. And third, to take measures to be easier to do business with.”

The virtual community allows ConnectWise do all three, she said, whether through real-time engagement, capturing feedback or sharing results. New features on the platform will be rolled out throughout the year, including product enhancement requests.

“By bringing this community ‘virtual,’ we not only enable that to happen 365 days a year, but we also are opening up a more direct line on the product side to our experts, which we know partners are eager for,” she said. “As we evolve this and other value-added offerings over time, our partners will definitely encounter an unmatched experience.”