Recent News & Press Coverage

ASCII is pleased to announce Cloudberry Labs is supporting the ASCII Community with unique incentives in offering their service to ASCII Community at large. Cloudberry Labs provides a backup and disaster recovery solution designed for Managed Service Providers. CloudBerry allows flexibility to work with a variety of cloud storage services including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Google Drive, Openstack and a number of others while providing full rebranding capabilities for the MSP.  

Recognized by CRN as one of The 20 Coolest Cloud Storage Vendors of 2016, CloudBerry is poised to help IT Providers better manage cloud based storage services and the ASCII Community will be a part of that.

“As the comfort level of cloud based solutions increases in the market, our partner community needs to have the tools and relationships in place to act accordingly. This relationship provides another means for ASCII members to improve client satisfaction, and ultimately, retention,” stated Jerry Koutavas, President of The ASCII Group.

Bethesda, Maryland – February 24, 2016 — The ASCII Group, a membership-based community of independent MSPs, VARs and solution providers, is pleased to announce the ‘Best of Show’ award winners from its 2016 IT SMB Success Summit in Austin, Texas.  The awards are voted on by the attending solution providers, and honor the industry sponsors in multiple Best of Show categories.  

“The ASCII Group continues to showcase best of breed technology for the SMB marketplace,” said Jerry Koutavas, President of The ASCII Group.  “With a commitment to quality products and sustained support for the channel, these companies enable our members to build revenue while supporting the needs of their clients.”

Pre-Day Summit

Best Education: ConnectWise

Best Technical Demo: Sophos

Best IT Workshop:  ConnectWise

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Main Day Summit

Best Rapid Pitch:  Vertiscale

Best Keynote Presentation:  Datto

Best Creativity & Innovation: IT Glue

Best Partner Incentives: Cytracom

Best Market Opportunity: StorageCraft

Best Security Solution: Bitdefender

Best Security Solution Top Contender: Passportal

Best Productivity Solution: IT Glue

Best Productivity Solution Top Contender: ConnectWise

Best Storage Solution: Data Deposit Box

Best Cloud Solution Top Contender: ConnectWise

Best Storage Solution: Data Deposit Box

Best Cloud Solution Top Contender: Mailprotector

Best Revenue Generator: Cytracom

Best Revenue Generator Top Contender: ConnectWise

Best Channel Program: Cytracom

Best Channel Program Top Contender: Datto

Top Distribution: Pax8

Best Partner Involvement: Datto, QuoteWerks & StorageCraft

Best of Show: IT Glue

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For 32 years, The ASCII Group has leveraged the power of community to benefit its members.  The Austin Success Summit was the first stop on an eight city conference tour drawing solution providers, leading technology vendors and industry experts.  Online registration is open for the seven remaining 2016 ASCII IT SMB Success Summits at www.asciievents.com. 

About The ASCII Group, Inc:

The ASCII Group is a vibrant reseller community of independent MSPs, VARs, and other solution providers.  Formed in 1984, ASCII has more than 70 programs that provide turnkey cost-cutting strategies, innovative business building programs, and extensive peer interaction.  ASCII members enjoy benefits such as marketing support; educational information; group purchasing power; increased leverage in the marketplace; and multiple networking opportunities. These programs enable ASCII members to increase revenue, lower operating costs, and grow service opportunities. 

ASCII is pleased to announce a partnership with KnowledgeWave, providing a b2b solution for end-user software training. KnowledgeWave offers an online training platform with blended learning opportunities including videos, webinars, and online classes. KnowledgeWave focuses on popular business software such as Microsoft Office, Google apps and the Adobe suite.

“Especially with the move to the cloud, software is updated often and we see end users all the time who need more software training,” said Eric Sokolowski, CEO of KnowledgeWave.

With a SaaS training model, your clients can provide always-on training options to their employees. And with the ASCII member discount, you can bring online training to the table as part of your services mix at a price that can’t be beat.

“Our partner community is always looking for differentiators. This relationship provides another tool in the toolkit to improve client satisfaction, and ultimately, retention,” stated Jerry Koutavas, President of The ASCII Group.

Are you a managed service provider or IT firm that’s ever struggled using ConnectWise or another PSA? Ever have business issues with billing, accounts receivables, or reconciling transactions in QuickBooks? 

Want to hear from an authority, on how your MSP can solve these perpetual problems? 

Join us as we talk about these things and more, with the ASCII group, and the team from ConnectBooster. Our presenter will be Rebecca Simons, the newly minted Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Strategic Growth for ConnectBooster. Do not miss out!

Join us Thursday, Feb 18 at 2 PM EST

Register here.

Focused Partnerships and Education on Helping Managed Service Providers Grow

With hundreds of events delivered over the years and thousands of connections made between Managed Service Providers and key industry leaders, the ASCII Success Summits 2016 are taking success to the next level. In eight different markets across the US, attendees will hear directly from fellow IT community members that are successfully driving managed services revenue in security and key vertical markets.

The Success Summits made their debut in 2000, and have become the premier event for IT solution providers because of the model that The ASCII Group has successfully built their events around. Attendees have the opportunity to learn, hear innovative industry presentations, tour a cutting-edge vendor solutions pavilion, attend an exclusive member meeting, and most importantly network with their peers.

A major highlight for the 2016 series is a rotating group of special guest speakers.  First, ASCII has secured Steely Dan founder and former Doobie Brother Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, who is a prominent speaker at security conferences around the world and will speak at several Success Summits. Jeff’s life story is beyond interesting, remember when Elvis asked Nixon if he could be in the DEA? A rock musician with high-level security clearance – ridiculous. Unless, of course, you are able to outthink our nation’s enemies, with steely resolve. Only one such musician has the confidence and talent to step onto this world stage – Jeff Baxter. A consultant to the Department of Defense with a high-level security clearance in the Pentagon, he now advises top military and civilian groups on biological warfare, next-generation technology and unconventional strategies. Baxter’s unconventional process to problem solving can apply to business in a variety of ways, and attendees will learn how to outthink their competition and what it truly means to think outside of the box in business.

Next, if you asked Ken Feinberg what his biggest challenge was in life, he would be quick to respond. Ken was tasked with the burden of determining restitution for the 9/11 victims. According to Ken, “What is an individual life worth? Do our lives have equal value? Struggling with these questions led me to my belief.  After September 11, I confronted the challenge of placing a value on human life by calculating different amounts of compensation for each and every victim. The law required that I give more money to the stockbroker, the bond trader and the banker than to the waiter, the policeman, the fireman and the soldier at the Pentagon. This is what happens every day in courtrooms throughout our nation. Our system of justice has always been based upon this idea — that compensation for death should be directly related to the financial circumstances of each victim. But now I found the law in conflict with my growing belief in the equality of all life.”  Hear his story on making the hardest business decisions on a national scale. 

“The Success Summits are a productive way for our members and the IT community to spark business together,” said Jerry Koutavas, President, The ASCII Group. “We continue to innovate and help inspire interaction amongst the 1,600 attendees while providing unmatched content and best practices they can apply in their businesses.” 

The Summit Series is designed for qualified industry IT professionals and Managed Service Providers, and is targeted towards those who are looking to increase revenue and enhance their current business model.  ASCII members receive free admission to the event. 

ASCII Success Summit Cities 2016:

Austin, Texas: Wednesday, February 17 & Thursday, February 18, 2016, Embassy Suites San Marco

Anaheim, California: Wednesday, March 16 & Thursday, March 17, 2016, Hyatt Regency Orange County

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Wednesday, April 27 & Thursday, April 28 2016, Crowne Plaza Milwaukee Airport

Baltimore, Maryland: Wednesday, May 25 & Thursday, May 26, 2016, BWI Airport Marriott

Miami, Florida: Wednesday, June 22 & Thursday, June 23, 2016, Eden Roc Resort Miami Beach

East Brunswick, New Jersey Wednesday, August 17 & Thursday, August 18, 2016, Hilton East Brunswick

Columbus, Ohio: Wednesday, Sept. 28 & Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, Hyatt Regency Columbus

Newport, Rhode Island: Thursday October 13 & Friday October 14, 2016, Hyatt Regency Newport

For more information on the ASCII IT SMB Success Summits 2016, please visit www.asciievents.com. 

IT Glue to showcase best practices on IT documentation at ASCII Success Summits in 2016

VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA, NOVEMEBER 19, 2015 –– IT Glue today announced it has finalized an agreement to sponsor all eight ASCII Success Summit events across the U.S. in 2016.

“We are delighted to be a part of ASCII Group’s community this year”, said Chris Day, CEO of IT Glue. “We’re looking forward to delivering inspiring content to our partners and prospects in the ASCII Group in 2016.”

The ASCII Success Summit tour kicks off in February in Austin, followed by seven additional events in Anaheim, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Miami, New York, Columbus and Newport. As a Platinum Sponsor, IT Glue will be presenting at all events either in an educational or panel format. IT Glue will also provide ASCII members with access to exclusive pricing as part of the sponsorship.

“We are thrilled to welcome IT Glue to our vibrant and growing community of MSPs/VARs” said Jerry Koutavas, President of ASCII Group. “We know how important documentation and process are to our members. It’s exciting to introduce a well-received and mature documentation platform to our group.”

ABOUT IT GLUE

At IT Glue™, we believe that great IT documentation creates trust between stakeholders, customers, partners and employees. We are profoundly changing the way people manage and interact with the information that drives success for their organizations. Our integrated platform consolidates all documentation into a single, blazing-fast, web-based tool. The result is typically a staggering 10{e768f282f5dcb751f531b7aee79cc64220f3ea6df4963eeedc0b0620053d18bc} reduction in labor costs, and an increase in service quality. We are now proudly trusted by over 1,000 MSPs globally.

To learn more about the ASCII Success Summits, visit our event site at www.asciievents.com

The ASCII Group, a membership-based community of independent MSPs, VARs and Solution Providers, is pleased to announce the winners for its annual ASCII Cup, where awards are given for the ASCII Cup winner, Top Contenders and Esteemed Noble Partners.  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.  Winners are voted upon by ASCII members at regional events, and the Cup and awards were presented at the ASCII Success Summit on October 22, in Orange County, California.

The humble beginnings of the ASCII Cup are unknown; some say it was discovered after packing up the last box of the final Comdex show, while others think it was discovered in the secret tunnels under a certain campus in Redmond.  Some even believe it has been handed down by the Knights Templar.  Regardless of its origins, the ASCII Cup has power.  As the legend goes, for those who are bestowed to guard it, they will prosper from its keeping.  For those who drink from it, they will flourish from its power. 

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.  The 2015 winners of The ASCII Cup, Top Contenders and Esteemed Noble Partners were announced at a private industry gathering at the Floe Lounge in the Irvine Marriott.

The ASCII Group is pleased to honor the recipients of this year’s ASCII Cup, for they exemplify the principles on which the Cup was established.

The 2015 ASCII Cup Vendor of the Year is StorageCraft.

Knighted as the Top Four Contenders for The ASCII Cup are Datto, eFolder, LogicNow, and Lenovo.

Knighted as The Distributor of the Year was ASI for getting the most votes throughout the year in this category.

Recognized as Esteemed Noble Partners are BlackStratus, HP, APC by Schneider Electric, Vertical Axion, and QuoteWerks.

“The ASCII Group and its community wholeheartedly congratulate StorageCraft 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,” said Jerry Koutavas, President, The ASCII Group, Inc.

Photos and video of the celebration will be made available on The ASCII Group and The ASCII Cup Facebook pages.

Get an insider’s view on where Cyber-security is heading, and how it will impact your role in delivering security services in the future.  Guest speaker Jana Monroe, ex-FBI Assistant Director, Cyber-Division, has been gaining accolades and recognition including the Security 500 Organization 2012 award as “One of Five Most Influential Chief Security Officers (CSO) in the United States”.  She’s also been included in Information Security magazine’s list of Top 10 cyber-security leaders in the United States. For full details on the MSP/VAR Greater Washington DC area event visit, www.asciievents.com

The ASCII Group, a membership-based community of independent MSPs, VARs and solution providers, is pleased to announce a new service aimed at helping members navigate the complexities surrounding sales tax and how it pertains to IT services.  Designed to assist VARs, MSPs and other solution providers, the service will offer answers on when they should be charging sales tax related to their service offerings in all 50 states. 

The ASCII Group identified a need within its community because of numerous sales tax questions that were continually being raised on member discussion boards.  With no simple answers being found, ASCII formed a committee of members to organize and categorize a comprehensive list of sales tax questions asked by fellow members that covered a broad range of sales scenarios related to managed and cloud related services.

A first of its kind in the industry, this support service will answer those sales tax questions for ASCII members in every state by giving answers from a renowned authority on corporate sales tax.  This recognized leader in the space has served many Fortune 100 companies and has answered thousands of questions related to sales tax.

In addition, ASCII will automatically get updates that it will immediately push out to the membership whenever a state changes or re-interprets a sales tax law.  This will ensure that members always have the most up-to-date answers on sales tax issues for every state they are doing business in.

“Interpretation of tax code is not easy.  The complexities of what we offer today in IT services have often outpaced how the code is written,” said Chip Evans, President, Computerware, Vienna, VA, ASCII Group Member since 1988.  “By having ASCII provide us with an ongoing resource to help us understand and verify how sales tax is applied correctly is huge; it allows us to continue to go beyond state lines and progress into more cloud and hybrid offerings.”

“As our members continue to expand their services locally and nationally, having a resource to mitigate their risk of improperly applying sales tax is simply one less thing our community of IT providers have to worry about,” said Jerry Koutavas, President, The ASCII Group. 

Full transcript here.