VISIONs of Greatness – Greatness. Defined.

What does it mean to be great? Is greatness, like genius, something elusive, forever beyond the reach of our definitions? Is it futile to even attempt a definition of greatness? Maybe. But that’s not going to stop us from trying.

So you want to be great?

Welcome to the club. A lot of people desire greatness, but to actually become great, you’ve got to do a lot more than want it – you’ve got to live it. Day in, day out. You’ve got to put in the work. That’s because at the end of the day …

“It’s not about money or connections – it’s the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone when it comes to your business.” – Mark Cuban, Entrepreneur & Investor

And working hard means working hard at every part of your business, your craft, your goal. Not just the big, fun stuff, but all the boring little details, too. After all …

“Greatness is a lot of small things done well.” – Eric Thomas, Motivational Speaker & Author

If that sounds hard, that’s because it is. So if you’re going to pursue greatness, make sure you pick something you love, because …

“You can only become great at that thing you’re willing to sacrifice for.” – Maya Angelou, Writer & Activist

… and it’s not worth all that sacrifice if you don’t love it.

It’s also not worth the pain. That’s right – there’s pain on the path to greatness. And failure, too. Plenty of failure. But hey, don’t stop when the going gets tough, because here’s the thing …

“Greatness begins beyond your comfort zone.” – Robin Sharma, Author & Speaker

OK, but what if you go for it … and fail? What if you put everything you have into your dream, and things don’t work out? What if –

Look, those thoughts are scary. They’re also human. Every great person in history likely started their journey to greatness with serious doubts. With fear. So embrace those doubts and make friends with your fear, because …

“Greatness comes from fear. Fear can either shut us down and we go home, or we fight through it.” – Lionel Richie, Singer & Songwriter

As for the possibility of failing, that’s just part of the deal. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. So, when you feel that fear bubbling up, just remind yourself …

“No one ever achieved greatness by playing it safe.” – Harry Gray, Business Leader & Philanthropist

In the pursuit of greatness, you can plan, strategize, and learn as much as you can to mitigate risk. But risk can never be eliminated. Greatness requires a leap of faith. It requires courage.

But the best thing about greatness – the thing that makes greatness, well, great – is that it’s usually worth it: the risk, the work, even the pain.

That’s because true greatness is bigger than you. It’s bigger than any one of us. True greatness makes the world a better place. Is the moon landing great? Of course. But so is an act of kindness. So is sitting beside a hospital bed for hours …

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Wise words from Dr. King. Service IS great. Helping others is great. Caring is great.

This brings us to a crucial point: greatness isn’t about how much ‘success’ you have – how much money you make or how many people know your name (even though greatness tends to lead to success). It’s about who you are and how you treat others.

“Most people define greatness through wealth and popularity and position in the corner office. But what I call everyday greatness comes from character and contribution.” – Stephen Covey, Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Character and contribution. That’s it, right there. Greatness comes from within, and it manifests in how we affect the world around us – and the people we encounter. And it’s in all of us, too, this capacity to be good, to do good. To be great and do great.

So don’t wait to be great or make plans to be great.

BE great. In your thoughts, in your intentions, in your actions. Greatness starts with the small things. And it starts … right … now.

Go.

If you enjoyed this piece, look out for the next “VISION of Greatness” from The 20. And don’t forget to register for VISION ’23, the MSP event of the year!

VISION is just a few weeks away – secure your seat before spots fill up!

What is a SOC?

It’s good to be nervous about the recent explosion of cybercrime, but it’s even better to be prepared. If you’re a business owner, now is the time to invest in your organization’s security posture, but deciding how much to invest, and which tools, strategies, and solutions to invest in, can be difficult, confusing, and stressful. You want to be responsible and keep your business safe, but your budget is limited, which means you’ll have to make tough choices about where and how to spend it. This is especially true for small-to-medium sized business (SMB) owners, who can’t afford the same protective measures as corporate giants. This article is written with you in mind.

One security solution you might have heard about as an SMB owner is a security operations center (SOC — pronounced “sock”). The following discussion will help you answer two questions:

1. What is a SOC?
2. Should I establish a SOC for my SMB?

We can’t definitively answer the second question for you, as your business’s particular needs are just that — particular (i.e., unique to your situation). But we can provide general guidelines that will assist you in making an informed and responsible decision.

What is a SOC?

Defining a SOC

The term “SOC” is sometimes used to refer to a facility that houses a team of information security experts. But this definition is quickly becoming obsolete, as there are virtual SOCs which do not exist at a single location. A better definition equates a SOC with the cybersecurity personnel themselves, along with the processes and technology they employ to monitor and manage an organization’s security posture in real time (and generally on a 24/7 basis).

The overarching purpose of a SOC is to bolster an organization’s cybersecurity by identifying, mitigating, and preventing risks before they escalate into larger, business-disrupting problems. In our day and age, being proactive about cybersecurity — as opposed to reactive — is a must, and establishing a SOC means fully embracing the proactive philosophy.

Who is in a SOC?

The exact makeup of a SOC will vary, with larger SOCs containing more people and more specialized roles. But, generally speaking, a SOC team will include analysts, engineers, and managers.

Analysts’ primary responsibility is to detect potential security threats and assign them a level of urgency in order to trigger the appropriate response. Your SOC’s analysts are your first line of defense against malicious actors who want to penetrate your organization’s network.

A SOC’s engineers design, implement, and maintain the tools that constitute your organization’s security architecture. This means ensuring that your systems receive regular updates, as well as recommending any changes that seem necessary in light of the ever-evolving security landscape. Security engineers are also responsible for documenting security processes and protocols, which allows the rest of the SOC team to carry out their duties effectively and efficiently, as well as ensures that your organization remains compliant with relevant governmental and industry regulations.

Overseeing the entire SOC are security managers. A security manager’s duties are many, and include coordinating the activities of analysts and engineers, hiring/training new staff, working closely with management (e.g., the chief information security officer) to align security strategies with business goals, and spearheading responses to major security incidents.

Some SOCs will have personnel with highly specialized roles (e.g., compliance auditors and forensics investigators). Also, depending on the size of a SOC, a single person may take on multiple roles.

How does a SOC work?

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

A SOC protects your organization by proactively scanning your organization’s entire digital infrastructure — networks, databases, servers, endpoints, applications, websites, etc. — ideally on a 24/7/365 basis.

Most SOCs exhibit a “hub and spoke” architecture, where computer-generated log data from various systems in your organization is continuously collected and analyzed for anomalous (i.e., suspicious) activity. The amount of data we’re talking about here is vast, and the modern SOC employs a security information and event management (SIEM) system to corral all of this information and organize it in a way that makes it amenable to human analysis.

The power of SIEM software comes from its ability to sift through huge batches of data in mere seconds, and employ machine learning to define “normal” network activity. The latter is especially crucial for preventing “threat fatigue,” which arises when a SOC is overwhelmed by simply too many alerts, many of which are false alarms. With an effective SIEM solution, a SOC can rely on technology to weed out false positives, freeing up team members to focus on actual threats.

Incident Response

When a SOC does come across a legitimate threat, it’s all systems go. After the urgency of the threat is established, a sequence of responsive measures is initiated to shrink “breakout time” as much as possible (“breakout time” is the time it takes an intruder to move from the first compromised machine to other parts of your network). These measures can include isolating endpoints, deleting files, stopping harmful processes, and deploying backups to negate ransomware.

Prevention Techniques

In addition to detecting and responding to threats, a SOC is also tasked with preventing incidents from occurring in the first place. One way a SOC achieves this is by analyzing breaches and performing

“root-case analysis,” which allows security personnel to trace a cyberattack back to its source. Finding out where intruders were able to penetrate your network enables your SOC to shore up gaps in your security posture and prevent similar events from occurring in the future. A SOC can also prevent future attacks by proactively searching for weaknesses in your network and system. “Ethical hacking,” for example, involves members of your SOC attempting to breach your network to learn what will and won’t work when actual hackers make similar attempts.

Does Your Organization Need a SOC?

A SOC can do wonders for your organization’s security posture, which raises the question: why would any company choose not to have a SOC?

That one’s easy — a SOC is pricey! Paying the salaries of the personnel alone will set you back a good amount (security experts can command 6-figure salaries).

That said, times have changed, and the chances of experiencing a cyberattack have gone up exponentially in the past few years. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 791,790 cybercrime complaints in 2020, a 69% increase from 2019. These complaints caused more than $4.2 billion in losses. We live in dangerous times, and taking extra precautions to keep your business safe isn’t paranoid in the current climate — it’s sensible. Establishing a SOC for your business gives you something that’s hard to put a price tag on: peace of mind.

However, certain businesses need a SOC for more than peace of mind. If your company is in one of the following industries, a SOC isn’t just a good idea, but a necessity, as it will be vital to protecting highly sensitive client information and intellectual property:

• Payment Card Industry
• Healthcare
• Manufacturing
• Financial Services
• Government Agencies
• Education

To be clear, even if your business is not in one of the above industries, you should not automatically conclude that you don’t need a SOC. For instance, if you have ongoing security issues or if you’ve suffered a serious breach in the past, investing in a SOC might be a wise business decision. Another reason to seriously consider opting for a SOC is compliance. If you’re facing a bevvy of strict regulations, or if maintaining compliance is something your organization is struggling with, a SOC can help you put those issues to bed.

At the end of the day, deciding whether to set up a SOC is a complex cost-benefit analysis. Whatever decision you make for your business, it’s important to keep in mind the following: a SOC relies heavily on technology, but the strength of a SOC ultimately comes from people. Your organization’s security posture is something that needs to be actively maintained, as the threat landscape is in a state of continual flux. So, if you do opt for a SOC to keep your business protected, you want to focus on building a team of committed professionals who continually strive to keep abreast of trends in the cybersecurity world. Anything less isn’t worth the investment.

The 20 Honors Top Managed Service Providers and Vendors at VISION 2021

Full press release here

 The 20, leading MSP consortium, honored top managed services providers and vendors with VISION 2021 awards. Presented at its eighth annual VISION conference, these awards recognized managed service providers and vendors for their outstanding achievements over the past year. 

“Year after year, our community of MSPs continues to blow us away with their dedication to innovation, growth, and excellence. It’s an honor to recognize their commitment to The 20’s model, and showcase their continued performance and success,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20. 

“It is also a tremendous privilege to honor the vendors propelling the growth of our MSP members, and give them the recognition they absolutely deserve,” added Conkle. 

The 20’s VISION 2021 Awards include:
 

• MSP of the Year – Red Box Business Solutions
• MSP Business Growth – E2 IT Consulting 
• Most Engaged MSP – Peterson Technology Group & Byte-Werx
• Support Desk Favorite – Wolfguard IT
• Ambassador of the Year – Gary Blawat of INGRAIN IT
• Best Revenue Booster –  Egnyte
• Most Disruptive Solution – Kaseya
• Most Helpful Vendor –  Nerdio
• Product of the Year – BLOKWORX 
• Partner of the Year – BLOKWORX 

The VISION 2021 Conference featured best-in-class thought leadership, actionable content sessions, channel trends, interactive peer panels, and  peer networking – all focused on growing your IT services business. Keynote speaker, Nick Vujicic, a world-renowned speaker, New York Times best-selling author, coach and entrepreneur, shared his life obstacles and how to turn them into opportunities. Hailed as the most important MSP event of the year, VISION brought together top MSPs and IT service providers for three impactful days of speakers, sessions, and networking focused on business best practices, thought leadership, and growth. 

VISION ’21: The Year of the Return

Reignite Your Passion for Your IT Business at the Premier MSP Event of 2021

Last year was tough on growing businesses. But if you’re an MSP owner, the future looks bright. Indeed, one reputable research report predicts that the MSP market will grow from $242.9 billion in 2021 to $354.8 billion by 2026. This is hardly surprising; more and more businesses are turning to managed IT services to negotiate the growing complexity in their IT infrastructures. And as remote work — and the cybersecurity challenges that come with it — becomes more common, the need for MSPs is only going to become more acute.

But good things come to those who … take action! MSPs are at a pivotal moment. If you’re an MSP owner, the next several years can bring monumental growth — but only if you stay abreast of market trends, business best practices, and customer demands in a post-pandemic world. Now, is it possible to ride the wave of growth without a community of likeminded MSP owners to propel you forward? Of course it is. But why make things harder on yourself?

The 20 is a group of MSPs who’ve decided to join forces. Our MSP members have risen to the top of the IT industry by leveraging shared knowledge and resources, along with a proven sales platform and single service delivery model. And after a socially distanced 2020, we’re excited to announce that this year’s VISION conference will be a live, in-person event. If you’re an MSP owner who wants to grow and scale, VISION ’21 is the one IT conference to attend live in 2021.

Come to VISION ’21 to CONNECT

VISION ’21 will be packed with stellar content for MSP growth. But as great as this content is, what makes a VISION conference truly special are the people. Our MSP members say it time and again – the sense of community The 20 gives them is unmatched.

One of our favorite parts of a VISION conference is seeing IT business owners who have been struggling on their own for years discover the power of our cooperative approach firsthand. Oftentimes, business owners attend VISION for the first time expecting the same networking opportunities they can get at any other IT conference. But when they actually start interacting with our members, they quickly realize that The 20 is different — that we’re not just a group of MSPs, but a genuine community where we actively help each other grow.

Similarly, ‘networking’ at a VISION conference is so much more than exchanging contact information. It’s coming together with your peers and bonding over shared struggles. It’s discovering that you’re not alone. It’s expanding your perspective and opening your eyes to new ways of thinking. So, don’t come to VISION ’21 to ‘network’ – come to form genuine and lasting CONNECTIONS. You owe it to yourself — and your MSP — to experience what it’s like to be a part of a genuine community in an industry where cooperation is rare.

Come to VISION ’21 to get INSPIRED

We’ve talked to thousands and thousands of MSP owners over the years, and we’ve noticed an unfortunate pattern. A person will found their IT business with a clear vision in mind and ambition to spare. But as the years roll on, and as they work tirelessly on their business without seeing it truly grow, that vision and ambition both start to fade. Even the most stalwart business owner isn’t immune to feelings of frustration and even despair. No one likes working hard without seeing results.

If you want to take your MSP to the next level, it’s vital that you take a good, hard look at your own mindset. Are you feeling positive about the future of your MSP? Excited to take on new challenges and innovate solutions to your business problems? Or are you feeling tired, unmotivated … or even hopeless? If it’s the latter, it’s probably time for a change …

Coming to VISION ’21 is a great idea for MSP owners who are feeling worn out or at their wit’s end. There is nothing quite as transformative as coming together with likeminded business owners for a common goal. MSP owners who attend a VISION conference often return to their businesses with a newfound sense of purpose and direction. We’ve seen it happen countless times before, and we can’t wait to see it happen again at VISION ’21.

Remember, sometimes all it takes is one speaker, one conversation, one idea – and your entire perspective can shift. It might be Maye Musk’s incredible story of success and perseverance. It might be an insight from a fellow MSP owner. It might be the refreshingly honest wisdom of Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20. But whatever it is that inspires you at VISION ’21, it’s going to have a lasting impact on how you run your MSP.

Come to VISION ’21 to LEARN

The MSP world moves fast, and keeping up can be tough when you’re an MSP owner who’s working alone. The thing is, IT business owners generally know their stuff … when it comes to IT. But running a successful IT business requires A LOT more than tech expertise. In today’s crowded and highly competitive IT industry, less than 4% of MSPs ever reach $1 million in annual revenue. The reason is simple: the overwhelming majority of IT business owners try to figure out the ‘business side’ of things all by themselves: talent development, service delivery and customer satisfaction, sales and marketing, vendor management — the list truly does go on and on. Achieving competence — let alone mastery — in all of these things is a tall order when you’re already busy with the day-to-day tasks of running your business. So what’s an IT business owner like you to do?

Stop working alone! Come to VISION ’21 and help yourself to the collective expertise of world-class MSPs from all across North America. The 20 prides itself on being a genuine community, and a big part of that is being welcoming to newcomers. We’re not stingy with our wisdom, because we know that the more MSPs we can attract, the stronger we become.

At VISION ’21, you can plug into The 20’s network of IT business owners and industry experts to supercharge your IT business in just two days. Between all of the networking and the bevy of breakout sessions, there isn’t a single aspect of running an MSP that VISION ’21 can’t help you with. From cybersecurity to sales cadence to market automation, whatever you’re curious about, we’ve got you covered.

Come to VISION ’21 to have FUN

We’re bringing up fun at the end of this blog post because it’s not that important, right? Because having fun, when it comes to growing your IT business, is an afterthought … right?

Wrong! Fun is integral to running a successful company. Fun is energy. Fun is positivity. Fun is enthusiasm. Fun is passion. If you’re not having fun with your MSP, what’s the point? Also, if you’re not having fun with your MSP, chances are, it’s hurting business. Your attitude rubs off on your techs, and their attitude certainly rubs off on your end clients. Of course, you shouldn’t be expected to feel positive all the time — running an IT business can be stressful, and you’re only human. But it’s important that you take steps to keep yourself from sinking too low — that you make a conscious effort to ‘troubleshoot’ your own brain from time to time, for the sake of your business, and more importantly, for your own sake!

In our culture, we’re told to believe in “business or pleasure” — in the idea that our jobs aren’t supposed to be fun, but instead, something we ‘endure’ so that we can relax after work, after retirement, etc. But here at The 20, we don’t buy into that “business or pleasure” nonsense. We think “business AND pleasure” is a far better motto.

It’s true — no one parties like The 20. But don’t just take our word for it. Come to VISION ’21 and see for yourself. We promise it will be the most fun you’ve ever had on a business trip.

Let’s Grow!

This is the year you take your MSP to the next level — or, it can be at least, if you commit to making real changes to your IT business. It’s often said that if you want to be successful, surround yourself with successful people. We think there’s a lot of truth to that, and we encourage and warmly invite you and your MSP team to join us at VISION ’21. When likeminded business owners come together for a common purpose, magic happens – hearts and minds change, attitudes shift, hope returns. We can’t wait to see all the magic that VISION ’21 brings.

Registration for VISION ’21 is NOW OPEN. Also, check out our “Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend” video.

It’s the Year of the Return. Let’s GROW!

By Tim Conkle, CEO | The 20
Full Forbes Article Here

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers the promise of bringing infinite automation at and beyond a level humanity is capable of at present. It also brings forth the promise of the singularity where all technical growth and development collapses into the automation cycle of advanced artificial intelligence. There isn’t an argument on whether this will happen or not (if we can avoid destroying ourselves until then), just a matter of when. The issue is that the “AI” of today isn’t really all that intelligent, but most people think it is.

Most modern AI is glorified machine learning (ML) at best. Even the most advanced lacks any comprehension or understanding of what it is doing. You have a black box; you plug data into it, and you get out some (hopefully) correct results. That isn’t to say ML isn’t impressive and can’t deliver results; you just need to know what you have and what you’ll get from the process.

There are some overblown claims in ML and AI, but if you understand what AI can do, and more importantly what it can’t, you can temper your expectations to fit reality. I’m going to refer to these various technologies as AI for the sake of convenience unless the distinction is pertinent.

The Promise Of AI

It feels like there’s some kind of AI or ML solution strapped into everything and anything. Security and networking solutions throw in AI. Analytic solutions bolt on ML. This isn’t a coincidence either; we’ve reached an awkward spot in the development of technology. We’re past the era of heuristics and human-generated algorithms in many fields.

Meet Brian & Mary of Mid-Atlantic Data & Communications!

Tell us a little about your MSP…

Mid-Atlantic Data & Communications is currently located in Roanoke VA. We were started in 2004. We started this company originally just to make an extra $1200 a month in cash.

How long have you been a member of The 20?

 We’ve been a member of The 20 since April of 2020.

Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?

We partnered with The 20 to drive down the cost of our tool sets, partner with other resources that had knowledge that we didn’t and save money.

Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.

Understanding scale and letting go. 

What do you like most about being a member of The 20?

Our favorite part of being a member of The 20 is the 24 hour help desk as part of our sales strategy.

What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?

Letting go. 

What are your biggest business challenges?

Our biggest business challenge is documentation. 

What are your areas of focus for 2021?

Operations and Sales/Marketing 

What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?

Decide what you want to become and never lose focus on your goals!

What book are you currently reading?

Scaling up and Atomic Habits.

Favorite blogs/podcasts

Interested in becoming a member like Mid-Atlantic Data & Communications? Click here for more information!

Crystal McFerran of The 20 Featured on CRN’s 2021 Women of the Channel List

 Full Press Release 

Plano, Texas, May 10th, 2021 — The 20 MSP,  a leading business development group for managed service providers (MSPs), today announced that CRN^®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Crystal McFerran, Chief Marketing Officer, to the highly respected Women of the Channel list for 2021. This annual list recognizes the unique strengths, vision and achievements of female leaders in the IT channel. The 2021 Women of the Channel list acknowledges women from all over the IT channel, including vendors, distributors and solution providers.

The women honored on this year’s list pushed forward with comprehensive business plans, marketing initiatives and other innovative ideas to support their partners and customers, helping them through the uncertainty brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic. CRN celebrates these exceptional women for their leadership, dedication and channel advocacy.

McFerran has been critical in her leadership of The 20’s strategic planning, demand generation activities, and go-to-market execution for managed service provider members. She is an accomplished marketing professional with over 16 years of experience in B2B marketing, demand generation, marketing communications, lead nurturing, content strategy and multichannel marketing for the IT industry.

“CRN’s 2021 Women of the Channel list acknowledges accomplished, influential women whose dedication, hard work, and leadership accelerate channel growth,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “We are proud to honor them for their many accomplishments and look forward to their continued contributions to the IT channel.”

“I am extremely proud to be part of this list and to be recognized alongside many talented, hardworking, incredible women,” McFerran said. “I want to thank CRN for this honor and look forward to representing the women in the channel.”

The 2021 Women of the Channel list will be featured in CRN Magazine on May 10^th and online at www.CRN.com/WOTC.

About The 20 MSP

The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSP) aimed at dominating and revolutionizing the IT industry with its standardized all-in-one approach. The 20’s robust RMM, PSA, and documentation platform ensures superior service for its MSPs’ clients utilizing their completely US-based Help Desk and Network Operations Center. Extending beyond world-class tools and processes, The 20 touts a proven sales model, a community of industry-leaders, and ultimate scalability.

For more information, visit https://www.the20.com.

Follow The 20: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

© 2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC.  All rights reserved.

Meet Clare Davis, Account Manager

Clare Davis quickly became a tremendous asset to the entire team at The 20. Read below to find out more about Clare.

What do you do here at The 20?

I work with our awesome MSP partners as an account manager!

Describe The 20 in three words…

Supportive, visionary, agile.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

A popstar!

What’s the most challenging thing about your job? 

Striking a balance between individual desires vs. collective needs.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

Every year of my life has been better than the last.

What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success? 

Resilience

What do you like most about The 20? 

The people and the vision.

What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies? 

Spend time with family and friends, travel, music, and be outdoors!

Where are you going on your next vacation?

Probably another wedding. ????

What’s your top life hack?

Interested in working with Clare at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.

The 20 Announces Strategic Advisor  

 Full press release here

The 20, leading MSP consortium, announced the appointment of Daniel K. “Danny” Astin as Strategic Advisor to Tim Conkle, Chief Executive Officer of The 20.

In this position, Astin will be a thought leader and trusted strategic advisor to the CEO on the strategic direction of The 20’s corporate and security organizations which includes guiding the C-Suite in managing compliance issues for the company related to cybersecurity initiatives, governance and providing senior management with actionable guidance regarding company strategic growth opportunities.

“Danny is a trusted advisor with a strong background and proven success in advising high-growth private technology and companies in many different sectors and strategic situations. He will be instrumental as The 20 continues to execute on our MSP growth strategy,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20.

A frequent presenter and advisor to SMB’s in the IT sector Astin has over 30 years of unique business experience advising corporations, SMB’s and the entrepreneurs that lead them. Astin’s advices regularly concern core strategies related to business, contract, litigation strategy, dispute resolution, geopolitical relations, reputation enhancement, crisis management and other key business strategics. Astin’s advisory experience includes prior service in the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps., as counsel to the Commanding Officer Michael; B. Nordeen (call sign “Nordo”) USS Constellation (CV64). After leaving active service Astin and Nordeen assisted a delegation of investors’ attempt to privatize shipyards in Taiwan at Keelung and Kaohsiung. During active duty Astin served simultaneously as Prosecutor and Defense attorney. Astin served in the Office of The United States Trustee, United States Department of Justice, (America’s bankruptcy “Watch Dog”), for oversight of some of the largest and most complex restructuring cases pending at that time.

“I am excited be a part of The 20 team, whose core values reflect mine and with such a talented team of professionals,” said Astin. “I am looking forward to playing my part in The 20’s growth story.”

Astin is founder of March Brown, Envoys & Advisors, and is Managing Partner of Ciardi Ciardi & Astin LLC (CCA) of Delaware, a nationally recognized boutique law firm headquartered in Philadelphia. Danny Chairs the International Business Law Consortium’s (“IBLC”), Salzburg, Austria, “Creditor Working Group”, and recently presented to foreign firms on the newly enacted bi-partisan “Corporate Transparency Act.” Danny is the Representative for the IBLC in Delaware interfacing with exemplary advisory firms situated throughout the globe.

About The 20 MSP

The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) aimed at dominating and revolutionizing the IT industry with its standardized all-in-one approach. The 20’s robust RMM, PSA, and documentation platform ensures superior service for its MSPs’ clients utilizing their completely US-based Help Desk and Network Operations Center. Extending beyond world-class tools and processes, The 20 touts a proven sales model, a community of industry-leaders, and ultimate scalability. For more information, contact us.

Follow The 20 MSP: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

The 20 MSP Named in the 2021 CRN_® Partner Program Guide

Full press release here

Plano, Texas, March 29th, 2021 – The 20 MSP is being acknowledged by CRN^®, a brand of The Channel Company, in its 2021 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide provides a conclusive list of the most distinguished partner programs from leading technology companies that provide products and services through the IT Channel.

Given the importance of IT vendor channel programs, each year CRN develops its Partner Program Guide to provide the channel community with a detailed look at the partner programs offered by IT manufacturers, software developers, service companies, and distributors. Vendors are scored based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support, and communication.

The 20 is a group of Managed Service Providers across North America who have joined forces to perfect a single service delivery model with unified resources to deliver excellent IT support. Paired with outstanding service delivery, The 20 provides a successful platform with proven processes to help IT providers grow.

“We are honored to be recognized in the 2021 CRN Partner Program Guide,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20.”We’ve seen impressive growth among our MSP members and we’ve worked hard to design a partner program that reflects our dedication to their success. The 20’s success is inextricably linked to that of our MSP members.”

“As innovation continues to fuel the speed and intricacy of technology, solution providers need partners that can keep up and support their developing business.” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “CRN’s 2021 Partner Program Guide gives insight into the strengths of each organization’s program to recognize those that continually support and push positive change inside the IT channel.”

The 2021 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April 2021 issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/PPG.

About The 20 MSP

The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) aimed at dominating and revolutionizing the IT industry with its standardized all-in-one approach. The 20’s robust RMM, PSA, and documentation platform ensures superior service for its MSPs’ clients utilizing their completely US-based Help Desk and Network Operations Center. Extending beyond world-class tools and processes, The 20 touts a proven sales model, a community of industry-leaders, and ultimate scalability. For more information, visit: www.the20.com.

Follow The 20 MSP:  Twitter , LinkedIn, and Facebook.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by nearly 40 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

© 2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC.  All rights reserved.

The Channel Company Contact:

Jennifer Hogan

The Channel Company

jhogan@thechannelcompany.com