This episode was recorded live in Berlin, Germany at the Pax8 Beyond EMEA conference. Rob Rae is the Corporate Vice President of Community and Ecosystems for Pax8.
An Interview With Rob Rae
Rob’s Thoughts on the MSP Events Industry
Rob acknowledges that the MSP event space has changed dramatically since he first started: “Because after IT Nation in November, there were no conferences until March. But today, there’s events all year round.
“And these are a big investment, both for delegates and vendors. I think now there are so many to choose from, things are changing. First, everyone has to elevate their game. Second, it’s introducing a whole new breed of tech providers to the space.
“So some events will disappear. You can’t just sit people in a boardroom and talk at them. They need to have fun and engage with their peers. Event attendees want more for that investment.”
How Business is Going for Pax8 Partners
Rob makes a habit of asking MSP owners how business is. And, he says, their response is fairly consistent. “It’s not just the partners here – I ask everyone. Because we’ve built up a relationship and I know them.
“But ultimately, I ask because I want to keep a finger on the pulse of the MSP space. The answer is resoundingly yes. Sure, we’ve had challenges with persuading SMBs to outsource IT, and the pandemic, but overall things are good.
“The one issue is with scalability. Our vendor partners struggle too. They have to make sure they offer enough support and are aware of how things are going. But overall, this is a great time to be an MSP.”
How Vendors are Chosen for the Pax8 Cloud Marketplace
There are two main criteria for Pax8 when it comes to choosing new vendors to include in their marketplace. “First, we want to offer technologies we don’t already have,” says Rob.
“Second, We want tools that our MSP partners are genuinely interested in. We also keep an eye on trending solutions. And to make sure we do that properly, we’ve introduced Rob Reck as our Chief Trust and Security Officer.
“So he’ll do third-party assessments on potential vendors to ensure they’re properly certified. We want our partners to have confidence in us, that we’ve chosen carefully. And that the vendors are taking security seriously – we’ve done our due diligence.”
The Importance of Community for Pax8 Partners
All MSPs and vendors should get involved in peer communities. But sponsoring their events now and then isn’t enough. Instead, says Rob, you need to invite them along to your events too.
“For instance, CompTIA have a booth today. We want to work with them as they expand into the European market, so we’re giving them exposure. We want to go to the MSPs where they’re at. And We want to listen and be present.
“And for vendors, they need to be active and positive. Work with the community to help people grow and change. If we all do that, then the whole community will win. No matter what you do, you can help people.”
How to Connect With Rob Rae
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Mentioned in This Episode
- Cybersecurity tech company: CrowdStrike
- Cybersecurity tech company: SentinelOne
- Security software: TruGrid
- Pax8 Chief Trust & Security Officer: Rob Reck
- Olympic track and field athlete: Carl Lewis
- Businessman and investor: Robert Herjavec
- Entrepreneur: Richard Branson
- IT certifications and training: CompTIA
- CompTIA ChannelCon
- MSP peer group: The Tech Tribe
- MSP owner and Pax8 Beyond EMEA speaker: Paul Croker
- Pax8 PR: Daniel Skipp
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Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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