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.
The ASCII Group Appoints Ted Roller as Chief Community Officer
Washington, D.C.– January 14, 2026 – The ASCII Group, North America’s original and vendor-neutral community for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), is pleased to announce the appointment of Ted Roller as Chief Community Officer, a newly created executive role focused on strengthening member engagement and expanding ASCII’s community across the United States and Canada.
In this role, Roller will lead initiatives designed to deepen member connection and engagement, working closely with MSPs to help shape the future of the ASCII community. His focus will be on ensuring ASCII continues to reflect the real-world needs of MSP business owners and remains a trusted resource for peer insight and collaboration.
Roller brings more than 25 years of experience in the IT channel, with a career spanning MSP ownership and senior channel leadership roles. Earlier in his career, he owned and operated an MSP that was recognized locally as one of the Fast 50 fastest-growing companies, providing firsthand experience with the operational and strategic realities MSPs face.
He has since held senior channel leadership positions at LogMeIn, Intronis, Mailprotector, CloudRadial, Zomentum, and FlexPoint, where he helped build partner programs, strengthen community engagement, and support growth through indirect sales models. In addition, Roller has contributed to industry education as faculty for CompTIA and has been recognized by organizations including MSPmentor, The Channel Company, and SMB Nation.
“Ted’s background as both an MSP owner and a channel executive makes him uniquely qualified to lead our community efforts,” said Jerry Koutavas, CEO of The ASCII Group. “His role will be instrumental in strengthening member engagement and expanding ASCII’s reach as we continue to support MSPs across North America.”
“ASCII has always represented something different in this industry,” said Roller. “It is a community built on trust, openness, and shared experience. I’m honored to join the team and look forward to helping shape the next chapter of member engagement and community leadership.”
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
Jessica Turner
Senior Digital Engagement Manager
Tel: 800-394-2724
Email: jturner@ascii.com
Web: www.ascii.com
The ASCII Group Announces Best of Show Award Winners from Fort Lauderdale 2018 IT Success Summit
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 2018 IT Success Summit in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The awards are voted on by the attending solution providers, and honor the industry sponsors in multiple Best of Show categories.
Pre-Day Winners
Best Education – Solutions Granted
Best Partner Incentives – Star2Star
Best Presentation – Duo Security
Main Day Winners
Best Rapid Pitch – RapidFire Tools
Best Keynote Presentation – Pax8
Most Innovative Solution – Mailprotector
Best Market Opportunity – Technology Marketing Toolkit
Best Partner Support – Datto
Best Channel Program – Datto
Best Revenue Generator – GreenLink Networks
Top Distributor – Tech Data
Best Partner Involvement – Datto/Pax8/Cytracom
Best of Show – Datto
ASCII is Your Advocate in the Industry - New Member Case Study
Read the latest ASCII member case study here, featuring David Stinner from US itek.
PODCAST – PODNUTZ PRO: Have You Heard of The ASCII Group?
Jerry Koutavas, President of The ASCII Group chatted with Marvin Bee @podnutzpro about the benefits and features of our IT community.
Checkout their conversation as they highlight the true savings of membership, real member stories and more.
Listen to the podcast here:
http://bit.ly/2tl9IFg
The ASCII Group Announces Best of Show Award Winners from Orange County 2018 IT Success Summit
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 2018 IT Success Summit in Orange County, California. The awards are voted on by the attending solution providers, and honor the industry sponsors in multiple Best of Show categories.
Pre-Day Winners
Best Education – Vertical Axion
Best Partner Incentives – Carvir
Best Presentation – Duo Security
Main Day Winners
Best Rapid Pitch – RapidFire Tools
Best Keynote Presentation – Pax8
Most Innovative Solution – Mailprotector
Best Market Opportunity – Pax8
Best Partner Support – Datto
Best Channel Program – Datto
Best Revenue Generator – Cytracom
Top Distributor – Pax8
Best Partner Involvement – Datto/Pax8/Cytracom
Best of Show – Pax8
Q&A Corner: What is the true value of your MSP business? With ASCII CEO, Alan Weinberger
Each month, ASCII CEO Alan Weinberger interviews an industry expert on a hot topic within the channel.
Check out the latest Q&A Corner @ChannelProSMB – ‘What is the true value of your MSP business?’ featuring George Sierchio of Cogent Growth Partners.
Read it here: http://bit.ly/2CBEoBb
6 Things Partners Need to Know About The Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts
CRN sat down with Alan Weinberger, lawyer, chairman and CEO of The ASCII Group to learn about what the latest legislation will mean for the channel.
Read the article here: http://bit.ly/2kRCDcv
ASCII Members in the News (Industry Articles & Info) Winter
Channel Executive Magazine:
The Distributor’s Relevance In The Age of The Internet
Featuring ASCII members Stanley Louissaint and Mike Bloomfield.
When Channel Vendors Sell Direct Featuring ASCII members Zina Hassel and Dave Gillam.
TechDecisions:
When It Comes to Cybersecurity, Winter is Here
By Mike Bloomfield, President, Tekie Geek, Member of The ASCII Group since 2016.
The Perfect Customer According to This IT Service Provider
By Frank Bravata, President & CEO Cyber Brigade, Member of The ASCII Group since 2011.
How to Be the Perfect Customer for IT Providers By Albert J. Gyomber, President of Technology Visionaries LLC., Member of The ASCII Group since 2010.
TechTarget | SearchITChannel:
Digital transformations of business: What’s the MSP’s role?
By Paul Parisi, President & Founder at Savior Labs, Member of The ASCII Group since 2016.
The ASCII Group Awards Datto the Coveted 2017 ASCII Cup
Bethesda, Maryland – October 26, 2017 — The ASCII Group, a membership-based community of independent North American MSPs, VARs and Solution Providers, is pleased to announce the winners of its annual ASCII Cup, with awards given to the ASCII Cup winner, Top 10 Vendors, and Top Distributor. The awards are presented each October to technology companies that have showcased channel goodwill and a commitment to helping ASCII members grow their IT businesses. Winners are voted upon by ASCII members at regional events, and the Cup and awards were presented at the ASCII Success Summit on October 26, in Washington, D.C.
ASCII Success Summit attendees vote for the vendors in 10 different categories: Best Education; Best Technical Demonstration; Best IT Workshop; Best Keynote Presentation; Best Partner Incentives; Best Market Opportunity; Best Productivity Solution; Best Revenue Generator; Best Channel Programs; and Best Distributor. The winners at each Summit are selected based on the votes by the solution providers in attendance; at the end of the year, the winner of the ASCII Cup is determined by tabulating the results of all nine events. The 2017 winners of The ASCII Cup, Top 10 Vendors and Distributor of the Year were announced at a private industry gathering.
The ASCII Group is pleased to honor the recipients of this year’s ASCII Cup, for they represent the principles on which the Cup was established.
The 2017 ASCII Cup Vendor of the Year is Datto.
Top Vendor #2 for ASCII Cup 2017 – Pax8
Top Vendor #3 for ASCII Cup 2017 – Cytracom
Top Vendor #4 for ASCII Cup 2017 – IT Glue
Top Vendor #5 for ASCII Cup 2017 – RapidFire Tools
Top Vendor #6 for ASCII Cup 2017 – Vertical Axion
Top Vendor #7 for ASCII Cup 2017 – Carvir
Top Vendor #8 for ASCII Cup 2017 – Mailprotector
Top Vendor #9 for ASCII Cup 2017 – ChannelOnline
Top Vendor #10 for ASCII Cup 2017 – Solutions Granted
Distributor of the Year for ASCII 2017 Cup was Pax8.
“The ASCII Group and its community would like to congratulate Datto on winning the 2017 ASCII Cup. We would also like to recognize the Top 10 Vendors and the Distributor of the Year, and thank all of the companies that were featured at our Success Summits this year, for remaining committed to the channel and delivering value to our members,” said Jerry Koutavas, President, The ASCII Group.
Photos of the celebration will be made available on The ASCII Group and The ASCII Cup Facebook pages.
For more information, please visit www.ascii.com.
About The ASCII Group, Inc:
The ASCII Group is the premier community of North American MSPs, VARs and solution providers. The group has over 1,300 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 reach. Founded in 1984, ASCII provides services to members including leveraged purchasing programs, education and training, marketing assistance, and extensive peer interaction. ASCII works with a vibrant ecosystem of major technology vendors that complement the ASCII community and support its mission of helping MSPs and VARs grow their businesses. For more information, please visit www.ascii.com.
Press Contact
Alysia Vetter
Director of Marketing & Communications
Tel: 800-394-2724 x 131
Email: alysia@ascii.com
Web: www.ascii.com
The ASCII Group Announces Best of Show Award Winners from Miami 2017 IT SMB Success Summit
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 2017 IT SMB Success Summit in Miami. The awards are voted on by the attending solution providers, and honor the industry sponsors in multiple Best of Show categories.
Pre-Day
Best Education – Solutions Granted
Best Technical Demo – Rapid Fire Tools
Best IT Workshop – Solutions Granted
Main Day
Best Rapid Pitch – Duo Security
Best Keynote Presentation – Pax8
Best Partner Incentives – Comodo
Best Market Opportunity – Datto
Best Productivity Solution – IT Glue
Best Revenue Generator – Datto
Best Channel Programs – Datto
Top Distributor – Pax8
Best Partner Involvement – Cytracom, Pax8, CNET
Best of Show – Datto
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