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Of all the exciting announcements made at Pax8 Beyond 2024, the arrival of the next-generation Pax8 Marketplace was the most exciting. Don’t get me wrong, the announcements of Pax8’s new cybersecurity program and the integration of three new platforms into the Pax8 Marketplace generated a lot of buzz. But only one announcement had three separate applause breaks.
What Is the Pax8 Marketplace?
The Pax8 Marketplace is a cloud-services e-commerce platform that simplifies the way managed service providers (MSPs) buy, sell, manage, and deliver cloud solutions to their clients. The Marketplace offers a vast catalog of cloud-based software and services from leading vendors all in one place. When an MSP engages with a customer, they can use the Marketplace platform to find and purchase the cloud service the client needs, as well as to deploy and manage those solutions. But with the latest version of the Pax8 Marketplace, it can do much, much more…
What’s New in the Pax8 Marketplace?
Libby McIlhaney, Chief Product Officer for Pax8, said that the new features in the Pax8 Marketplace were developed based on feedback from the channel. Pax8 wanted to help its partners simplify the juggling act of being an MSP. “We’ve seen how challenging it is for you to manage increasing volume of support tickets, coordinating onsite visits, providing critical support, and continuously training your team,” said McIlhaney. “And you’re doing this while trying to acquire new customers and retain existing ones.” The new improvements were designed to bring balance between operational demand and executing strategic growth initiatives. It might not reduce the amount or degree of complication for tickets that come through, but it should simplify the vital sales and marketing end of your business.
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The Pax8 Marketplace announcement stole the show, drawing huge ovations
from excited MSPs in attendance. |
Notable improvements include:
- Enhanced UI puts vital data at your fingertips.
- Solutions Catalog helps MSPs easily discover, evaluate, and select the best cloud solutions for their clients. It encompasses a wide array of cloud-based software and services from leading vendors—all categorized and searchable in a user-friendly manner.
- Solutions Library enables MSPs to create solution bundles by combining various products and services. These bundles can be saved and reused, making it easy to offer consistent, tailored solutions to multiple clients.
- Multi-Cart Functionality allows users’ sales teams to create and manage separate carts for different clients or projects. This feature enables MSPs to work on multiple orders at once without needing to finalize one cart before starting another. In previous versions of the Marketplace, sales teams would have to delete the current order they were working on if they wanted to work on something else.
- Opportunity Explorer uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to identify potential upsell and cross-sell opportunities, suggesting products and services that align with client needs. Opportunity Explorer analyzes a wide range of data points, including client purchase history, current product usage, and market trends so MSPs can uncover hidden revenue opportunities and tailor their offerings to meet specific client demands.
- Improved Quoting Tool allows MSPs to create, customize, and share quotes directly from the marketplace interface without having to bounce between several applications. It supports branding and customization of quote templates, ensuring a professional presentation.
- Storefronts allow MSPs to create branded, self-service portals for their clients. MSPs can design and personalize storefronts to reflect their brand. Clients can browse, select, and purchase additional services directly from these portals. Storefronts can be tailored to different customer segments, ensuring relevant offerings are highlighted.
Judging by the crowd’s reception, it’s safe to say that Pax8’s community of partners is VERY excited about the new marketplace. McIlhaney had to pause until cheers from the crowd subsided at three separate points in her keynote: once when she announced the arrival of the Marketplace, once when she was done walking us through the Storefront feature, and a final time when she announced that partners who attended Pax8 Beyond 2024 would receive early access to the Marketplace (the Marketplace will be available to partners across the globe June 17, 2024).
New Cybersecurity Program Helps Partners
In response to the growing cybersecurity threats facing small to medium-sized businesses, Pax8 introduced a comprehensive security program based on the CIS Control Framework to help partners establish their security practices.
There are two key components of the Pax8 Security program: to strengthen MSPs’ business acumen and to become more knowledgeable on vendor solutions. The business track includes “business and category level education and enablement through virtual instructor-led training sessions,” while the vendor track “provides vendor-specific education and enablement and includes on-demand vendor training, professional services offerings, and Pax8-assisted sales calls.”
Pax8 worked with nearly major cybersecurity players like Microsoft, SentinelOne, and CrowdStrike—with the latter two firms pledging “custom-built, attractively priced product offerings” to help partners secure their clients.
Pax8 Welcomes SuperOps, Kalibr8, and MSPbots to the Pax8 Marketplace
Pax8 also announced the addition of three new solutions to their marketplace: Kalibr8, SuperOps, and MSPbots—each designed to address specific MSP needs. Kalibr8 is a cloud management platform that enables MSPs to optimize, secure, and reduce the cost of cloud usage; SuperOps is a professional services automation and remote monitoring and management solution that helps MSPs streamline business operations; and MSPbots is an automation platform for ticket processing and employee management.
Keypoint Intelligence Opinion
Many MSPs are helmed by brilliant technologists. Working with technology comes easy to them, just like dominating a basketball court comes to our vertically gifted friends. When it comes to sales and marketing and the other finer points of running a business, however, things don’t come as easily. This problem is exacerbated when MSPs are inundated by their day-to-day workload, as they cannot apply the extra time and energy that would allow them to overcome their natural shortcomings.
Pax8’s announcements at Beyond 2024 resonate deeply with the needs of MSPs, addressing core challenges that many face every day. The next-generation Pax8 Marketplace, with its advanced features like Opportunity Explorer and customizable storefronts, isn’t just an upgrade—it's a transformational tool that empowers MSPs to streamline operations and drive growth. By simplifying sales and marketing processes, Pax8 is enabling MSPs to focus more on strategic initiatives and client engagement rather than getting bogged down by operational complexities.
The introduction of a comprehensive cybersecurity program further underscores Pax8’s commitment to its partners. In an era where cyberthreats are ever-present, providing MSPs with the knowledge, tools, and vendor partnerships necessary to enhance their security offerings is invaluable. This program not only strengthens the security posture of MSPs, but also builds trust with their clients who can rest assured that their data and operations are well-protected.
Additionally, the inclusion of platforms like Kalibr8, SuperOps, and MSPbots into the Pax8 Marketplace expands the toolkit available to MSPs, allowing them to optimize cloud usage, streamline operations, and automate routine tasks. These solutions enable MSPs to deliver better services while also improving their own efficiency and profitability.
In essence, Pax8’s announcements are about empowerment. They provide MSPs with the tools and support needed to overcome operational challenges, enhance service delivery, and achieve sustainable growth. And that’s what Pax8’s announcements were all about—taking action to help their partner community thrive.
Read all about the Pax8 Beyond 2024 keynote here.
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