Recent News & Press Coverage
Stay informed with official news and updates from The ASCII Group. This section features company announcements, strategic initiatives, and industry coverage that reflect our continued commitment to the MSP community and the broader IT channel. Press inquiries: Contact alysia@ascii.com

2025 ASCII Cup Celebrates Innovation and Excellence in the Channel
RYTHMz Named Vendor of the Year by the MSP Community Washington, D.C.
- October 31, 2025 -
Washington, D.C. – October 31, 2025 – The ASCII Group, the original and premier community of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) across North America, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 ASCII Cup. This annual award honors technology companies that have made a lasting impact in the MSP channel through innovation, commitment, and engagement.
The 2025 ASCII Cup was presented in Philadelphia, PA, on October 30, following the final stop of the year for the ASCII Edge conference series. Inspired by Philadelphia’s iconic Rocky legacy, the evening highlighted the strength and perseverance that define the IT channel.
Throughout 2025, ASCII members voted at eight regional ASCII Edge events across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating technology vendors across 12 categories such as innovation, partner program excellence, and overall value. This peer-driven process ensures the companies recognized are those making the greatest impact on MSPs.
The 2025ASCII Cup award recipients are:
- 2025 ASCII Cup Vendor of the Year – RYTHMz
- First Runner-Up – Pax8
- Third Place – SonicWall
- Fourth Place – BLOKWORX
- Fifth Place – Microsoft
- Sixth Place – Kaseya
- Seventh Place – Monjur
- Eighth Place – DefensX
- Ninth Place – FutureSafe
- Tenth Place – SuperOps
“The ASCII Cup reflects the voice of MSPs,” said Jerry Koutavas, CEO of The ASCII Group. “Recognizing RYTHMz as Vendor of the Year, along with the other companies honored, underscores the vital role our industry partners play in helping MSPs succeed.”
“It is with sincere gratitude that we accept this recognition from The ASCII Group and its members. As a former member myself, I understand the profound impact this community has on an MSP’s journey,” said Steve Copeland, CEO and Founder, RYTHMz. “Our industry is at a pivotal moment—evolving from ‘Managed Services’ to ‘Managed Solutions.’ Through this shift, one truth remains: connectivity is your brand. RYTHMz is proud to help lead this evolution alongside our partners in the ASCII community, and we’re truly honored by this recognition.”
The celebration also honored the late Alan D. Weinberger, founder of The ASCII Group, whose vision for a vendor-neutral community of IT professionals continues to guide the organization today. For more than 40 years, ASCII has connected IT business owners with resources, programs, and a trusted peer network to help them grow stronger companies. The 2025 ASCII Cup reflects this spirit of collaboration and the vital role technology partners play in MSP success.
For photos and highlights from the 2025 ASCII Cup, please visit The ASCII Group’s Facebook page.
About The ASCII Group, Inc.
The ASCII Group is the premier community of North American MSPs, MSSPs and Solution Providers. The Group has members located throughout the U.S. and Canada, and membership encompasses everyone from credentialed MSPs serving the SMB community to multi-location solution providers with a national and international reach. Founded in 1984, ASCII provides services to members including leveraged purchasing programs, education and training, marketing assistance, extensive peer interaction and more. ASCII works with a vibrant ecosystem of leading and major technology vendors that complement the ASCII community and support the mission of helping MSPs to grow their businesses. For more information, please visit www.ascii.com.
Press Contact
Alysia Vetter
Chief Marketing Officer
Tel: 800-394-2724
Email: alysia@ascii.com
Web: www.ascii.com
ASCII Resident Expert Article: Protecting Your Country While Protecting Your Clients, Channel Insider, April 22, 2011, by Mike Semel
Think your small business customers are too small to be of interest to international spies looking to steal trade secrets and intellectual property? Think again. Corporate espionage is a real threat. Here’s how you can help.
Read More….
http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/Protecting-Your-Country-While-Protecting-Your-Clients-698867/
CompTIA Inducted into IT Hall of Fame, Channel Insider, April 19, 2011, by Alison Diana
The IT Hall of Fame has inducted the CompTIA A+ certification program into its IT Channel Wing, recognizing the contributions of Jean Alexander who spearheaded creation of the certification series.
Read More….
http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Careers/CompTIA-A-Inducted-into-IT-Hall-of-Fame-464047/
ASCII Resident Expert Article: Small Business, Big Resources: The Power of Community, Channel Insider, April 15, 2011, by Doug Young
Thousands of years of experience, real-world knowledge of new products, access to specialists to fill your skill gaps. Those are just a few benefits of leveraging a community of IT solution providers. Here’s what else you are missing out on.
Read More….
http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/Small-Business-Big-Resources-The-Power-of-Community-591606/
Intronis Wins Best Revenue Generator At ASCII Newport Beach Success Summit
Business Solutions Magazine, April 11, 2011
This prestigious award is presented to the technology company that is deemed to have the best revenue generator for the IT industry.
Intronis, the leading cloud backup and disaster recovery solution for IT service providers serving small businesses, today announced that the company has been named winner of the Best Revenue Generator Award at the ASCII Group’s Success Summit in Newport Beach, CA.
Read More….
http://bsminfo.com/article.mvc/Intronis-Wins-Best-Revenue-Generator-At-ASCII-0001
Online Physician Assessment And Product Evaluation Tool Helps Resellers Accelerate The Evaluation And Sale Of EHR Software To Their Physician Practice Customers
Business Solutions Magazine, April 5, 2011
ASCII Group’s newest partner, Hielix, is proud to offer ASCII members the Hielix EHR Roadmap, an online application which automates the most critical stage of EHR adoption: physician assessment and product evaluation, accelerating time to EHR revenue for resellers. The Hielix EHR Roadmap is an interactive web application that enables technology resellers to more efficiently support their ambulatory physician practice customers in practice assessment and electronic health record(EHR) selection. Hielix EHR Roadmap brings a new level of scalability to physician assessment, automating the process of evaluating the practice and balancing clinical requirements against EHR vendor capabilities.
Read More….
http://bsminfo.com/article.mvc/Online-Physician-Assessment-And-Product-0001
ASCII Resident Expert Article: Creating Five-Star Customer Service, Channel Insider, March 31, 2011, by John Hlavac
Are you making the most of every customer moment? Here’s how you can evaluate your customer service and do what it takes to get five-star ratings.
Read More….
http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/Creating-FiveStar-Customer-Service-364170/
ASCII Resident Expert Article: Don't Let Time Run Out on Your Opportunities, Channel Insider, March 18, 2011, by Jerry Koutavas
When the buzzer goes off, time is out, the game is over and there’s a winner and loser. Which side will your business be on?
Read More….
http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/Dont-Let-Time-Run-Out-on-Your-Opportunities-319400/
ASCII Resident Expert Article: The Difference Between Average and Top Performers, Channel Insider, March 10, 2001, by Ken Thorsen
Everyone has good ideas, but execution is the key differentiator in success. Is your team primed to execute?
Read More….
http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/The-Difference-Between-Average-and-Top-Performers-280491/
It's All in The Name: ASCII SMB IT Success Summit, Business Solutions Magazine, March 10, 2011, by Gennifer Biggs
Find out how ASCII is helping VARs and MSPs succeed in their everyday business with our Success Summits.
Read more….
http://bsminfo.com/article.mvc/Its-All-In-The-Name-ASCII-Success-Summits-0001
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