ConnectWise, a software company dedicated to the success of IT solution providers, has launched the WISE Awards, a program to recognize solution partners that achieve their success through ConnectWise software, services and community while making a difference and empowering others.
Winners will be announced at the inaugural WISE Awards Ceremony, scheduled for Nov. 9-11, at IT Nation Connect 2022.
Partners will be recognized across these categories based on their adoption and use of the ConnectWise portfolio over the past year:
- All-In Partner of the Year – Awarded to the partner company that strategically uses the most comprehensive selection of the ConnectWise portfolio of solutions and services.
- Business Management Partners of the Year – Awarded to the partner company finding success through ConnectWise Business Management solutions.
- Unified Monitoring and Management Partners of the Year – Awarded to the partner company finding success through ConnectWise Unified Monitoring & Management solutions.
- Cybersecurity Partners of the Year – Awarded to the partner company finding success through ConnectWise Cybersecurity Management solutions.
- Ecosystem Partner of the Year – Awarded to the partner company leveraging the most third-party solutions through the ConnectWise marketplace.
- IT Nation Partner of the Year – Awarded to the most engaged member of The IT Nation community.
- Partner Referral Award – Awarded to the partner company that has provided the most successful referrals to ConnectWise.
- ConnectWise Community Giveback Award – A $10,000 philanthropic acceleration award from the ConnectWise Foundation, presented to the partner company demonstrating a powerful impact in their local community through either philanthropic and community service efforts or in creatively helping local businesses bring meaningful, positive change in their community. The unique aspect of this award is that the recipient is determined by peer nomination and committee vote. Nominations for the Community Giveback Award may be submitted on the WISE Awards webpage.
“Our Partners are at the heart of our industry and inspire us every day by creatively using technology to do extraordinary things for their customers and communities,” said Amy Lucia, Chief Marketing Officer, ConnectWise. “The WISE Awards are an exciting new way for us to recognize and celebrate outstanding Partners who continue to make strides and go above and beyond to deliver exemplary service to the MSP community. We look forward to honoring the deserving winners at IT Nation Connect 2022 in November.”
The WISE Award winners will be announced at IT Nation Connect, the premier thought-leadership conference for TSPs designed to promote education, inspiration, and networking in the community. In addition to a premier experience at IT Nation Connect, winning partners will gain access to many unique opportunities, promotional materials and more.
To learn more about the WISE Awards, including participation and nomination criteria and what the winners’ package entails, visit the WISE Awards webpage.
In addition, CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry, and ConnectWise, have partnered to expand the nation’s cybersecurity and technology workforce through paid apprenticeships.
The two organizations announced their efforts during the Workforce and Education Summit at the White House, where Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh unveiled a Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint, challenging industry and labor partners to help expand registered apprenticeships in cybersecurity.
The crux of the partners’ effort involves pairing new IT professionals, certified by CompTIA, with eager IT businesses, self-identified through the ConnectWise partner community, for the registered apprenticeship.
“We focus so much on top-level cybersecurity experts that we forget the majority of this work is done by rank-and-file cyber professionals,” said Todd Thibodeaux, CompTIA president and CEO. “They work with end users, maintain and secure networks and defend against phishing and other threats to keep everyone and everything working securely. It is with these frontline positions where the most sizable staffing deficits exist, something we intend to address with this program.”
The effort comes as demand is soaring for technology workers generally and cybersecurity workers, specifically.
“We have thousands of partners across the IT industry who regularly tell us about the challenges of finding qualified talent,” said Jason Magee, CEO, ConnectWise. “With the backing of the White House, and in partnership with CompTIA as an established educator of IT professionals, we have a unique opportunity to move hiring forward by matching trained workers with a robust group of potential employers.”
U.S. employers deployed 714,548 job postings for cybersecurity job roles and skills during the 12-month period running through April 2022, according to data from CyberSeek™, a joint initiative between the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), CompTIA and Lightcast. Almost 40 percent of those job postings were listed in the first four months of 2022, indicating that demand is speeding up as more organizations look to strengthen defenses against a multitude of threats.
As a designated National Program Sponsor for Apprenticeship, CompTIA will use its education, training and certifications to equip apprentices with the skills and training needed for employment in technology occupations, including cybersecurity roles. More than 3.1 million CompTIA certifications are held by IT professionals around the world.
CompTIA and ConnectWise will offer training, certification and employment opportunities in five high-demand tech occupations: Tech Support Specialist, Network Support Specialist, Cybersecurity Support Technician, Tech Project Coordinator and Data Analyst. Training is based on National Guideline Standards created by CompTIA and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). These standards detail the competencies in technical and employability skills that apprentices need to join the IT workforce.
Additional details of the program will be shared later this year.
