ConnectWise has announced it has made significant advancements in its robotic process automation (RPA) solution and ConnectWise Sidekick, both of which leverage workflows, bots and artificial intelligence (AI) within the ConnectWise Asio platform. These groundbreaking developments are revolutionizing the partner experience and transforming service delivery to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), freeing them from mundane, repetitive tasks and empowering them to focus on strategic initiatives. The highly anticipated unveiling occurred at the Automation Nation 2024 event, held at ConnectWise's headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

ConnectWise RPA and ConnectWise Sidekick are integral components of the innovative Asio platform, designed to enable greater automation, enhance efficiency and accelerate business growth specifically for managed service providers (MSPs). By incorporating RPA options and AI functionality for technicians and seamlessly integrating them within the Asio Platform, MSPs can optimize efficiency, reduce costs and generate additional revenue by implementing a fee structure that is not solely reliant on labor expenses. The solutions offer partners the flexibility to choose alternative problem-solving approaches based on the strengths of the respective technology.

ConnectWise RPA was initially introduced with a clear objective in mind — to boost team productivity and streamline operations by prioritizing daily tasks and addressing critical issues. However, ConnectWise's commitment to innovation and empowering the IT channel ecosystem has led to more advancements in its RPA technology. These enhancements include:

• Streamlined Search Experience: ConnectWise has implemented a well-categorized RPA bot system on the search screen, enabling users to quickly locate and utilize the appropriate bots. This not only accelerates problem-solving, but also enhances the overall client experience.
• Enhanced Onboarding Process: ConnectWise now provides warning messages for empty device configurations and missing parts during Microsoft onboarding. This proactive approach reduces deployment errors and effectively mitigates potential cybersecurity risks, ensuring a smoother onboarding experience.
• Improved Limitations: ConnectWise has addressed limitations by introducing enhancements such as increased site mapping capabilities. This improvement allows for more comprehensive and accurate data mapping, resulting in improved efficiency and accuracy in RPA operations.
• Streamlined Device & Client Management: ConnectWise has introduced device and company sorting features in RPA bot input forms. This streamlines the process of managing devices and clients, making it easier for users to navigate and manage their resources effectively.

The company also introduced RPA Pro and RPA Essentials, the ultimate solutions for IT professionals looking to maximize efficiencies tailored to their specific business needs. With these powerful tools at your disposal, partners gain access to a range of game-changing features, including:

• Partner-Created Custom Actions: Gives the ability to customize, design and implement custom actions, providing a dynamic and personalized approach to workflow integration.
• Easily Integrated Third-Party Actions: Allows partners to integrate actions from external applications that support API access, enhancing interoperability and extending the capabilities of ConnectWise Workflow Orchestrator.

"We are steadfast in our commitment to advancing our robotic process automation technology and AI capabilities, empowering our partners to enhance productivity and provide exceptional service to their clients," said Jeff Bishop, executive vice president and general manager of unified monitoring and management, ConnectWise. "By enabling our partners to automate daily tasks and operate more efficiently, MSPs can swiftly address talent gaps while delivering innovative services that drive business growth for their clients."

ConnectWise is not only dedicated to enhancing its RPA capabilities, but is also prioritizing improving the user experience (UX) for bots. As part of this initiative, bots are now categorized into distinct and well-defined categories, such as user management and PC management. Additionally, ConnectWise has implemented visual differentiators, utilizing icons to clearly distinguish between cloud, on-premise and endpoint bots. These efforts aim to provide users with a seamless and intuitive experience while interacting with bots.

"As MSPs continue to transition away from a distribution-driven world to one driven by marketplace subscriptions and cloud platforms, we are besieged with an abundance of information as well as user requests," said Rick Harber, founder and CEO, Decision Digital. "This problem can no longer be affordably solved with human horsepower. Instead, we must invest in tools that go beyond scheduled or triggered scripts. We must evolve and leverage workflows and robotic processes that automate these tasks with logic and intelligence. The introduction of ConnectWise RPA and workflow signals their intent to again be the leaders of the next great transformation in managed services. We are using them right now, and we are rewriting and streamlining processes as a result. And we are just getting started."

At Automation Nation 2024, the stage was set for an extraordinary showcase of innovation as ConnectWise introduced an array of innovative features and functions. With an impressive lineup of 15 to 20 new options in ConnectWise RPA, attendees were immersed in a realm of limitless possibilities. The event also offered a unique virtual community experience through the hyperautomation subset, allowing participants to engage in interactive activities like never before.

In other news, ConnectWise has announced the promotion of Gregg Lalle to senior vice president and general manager of IT Nation a newly created business unit, dedicated to the growth and success of partners globally. In his new role, Lalle will report to Alan Komet, executive vice president of business operations and programs at ConnectWise.

Lalle is an accomplished sales leader with a strong track record of success. As the former senior vice president of international sales at ConnectWise, he played a pivotal role in driving global sales growth for the company. With more than 15 years of experience at ConnectWise, Lalle has held various leadership positions, including director of EMEA & distribution, where he successfully expanded into new markets and established distribution channels. His expertise in sales, CRM and go-to-market strategy has been instrumental in propelling ConnectWise's overall success.

The IT Nation is a vibrant global community that fosters collaboration, shared success and continuous improvement. Through peer groups like IT Nation Evolve, conferences like IT Nation Connect, training and community events, partners gain unparalleled opportunities to connect, learn and grow. Through the IT Nation community, partners also get access to ConnectWise University courses that provide valuable business guidance and resources. Recent investments in partners worldwide, including a new business unit and Lalle's promotion, demonstrate a commitment to partner growth.

"Gregg's exceptional track record in leading global sales organizations, his unwavering dedication to supporting partners, and unwavering passion for fostering the growth and enablement of partner organizations worldwide, positioned him as the ideal candidate for this role," Komet said. "As we recognize that our community of MSPs is the lifeblood of ConnectWise, we are thrilled to announce our unwavering investment and commitment to our partners through Gregg's newly appointed position. This appointment signifies our dedication to fostering strong partnerships and driving mutual success within our vibrant ConnectWise community."

"We are fully dedicated to our partners and are making significant investments in IT Nation to empower their growth and success," Lalle said. "We deeply understand the intricacies of our partners' businesses and their evolving needs in the dynamic IT industry. As we look ahead to 2024, we are committed to further expanding our support and investment in our partners on a global scale."

"ConnectWise is actively attuned to our business needs and shows continuous commitment to fostering our growth," said Lee Johnson, CTO & CISO, Air IT. "With Gregg at the helm, we are confident in the future of the IT Nation and look forward to watching it continue to grow and evolve. Gregg has always played a key part in bringing the IT Nation community together, and we have no doubt this will now progress even further in 2024 and beyond."

"Gregg's unwavering dedication to the growth of MSPs is truly inspiring," said Colin Blumenthal, managing director, Sharp IT Services UK Ltd. "Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated his passion for helping businesses like ours thrive. We are thrilled by ConnectWise's commitment to investing in the IT Nation community, and we firmly believe that Gregg is the perfect choice for this role. His expertise and enthusiasm make him the ideal fit to lead us into a successful future."