DattoCon Miami: A Fresh Perspective and 3 Key Takeaways
This week in the vibrant city of Miami, Kaseya rolled out the red carpet for DattoCon, one of the industry’s premier events dedicated to managed service providers (MSPs). A stark contrast from last year’s gathering in Washington DC, this year’s event came with its own set of surprises and lessons.
Perhaps the most noticeable difference was the absence of Rob Rae. Rob, who had been the face of many previous DattoCon events, has transitioned to Pax8. While change is always expected in our industry, it was certainly felt by many attendees. That said, the spirit of camaraderie and business insights remained strong.
Hosting over 3,500 attendees in Miami was a bold and unique move by Kaseya. While it presented a refreshing change in scenery, the expansive event spread across three hotel properties did lead to a bit of confusion for some. However, these minor hiccups didn’t dampen the enthusiasm. On a personal note, I always relish the opportunity to meet fellow MSPs and vendors, and an event of this magnitude was the perfect backdrop.
Kaseya acquired Datto in 2022 for $6.2 billion.
Having had the privilege to attend, here are the top three takeaways from DattoCon Miami:
- Addressing Billing Issues:
Voccola’s candid acknowledgment of billing issues was both unexpected and commendable. In an age where corporate defensiveness is rife, his straightforward admission that Kaseya “dropped the ball” was refreshing. Such transparency builds trust and is crucial for MSPs who rely heavily on vendors like Kaseya.
“One of the things that we talked about not doing when we buy companies, we don’t want to break things,” Voccola said in the keynote “Some of you that have experienced issues, we apologize and, believe me, we are 24/7 trying to get better trust, and that’s on us. There’s no excuse for that.”
Voccola continued, “But I’ll be very candid, we dropped the ball [and] this was a mess up on our part,” he said. “I want to apologize to the group that’s been affected by it, because the last thing we want to do is break things. We think it’s an amazing market, and it’s a great time to be an MSP.”
- Eye-Opening MSP Statistics:
The data shared about the MSP industry’s growth was both encouraging and enlightening. With an impressive CAGR of 12.5% for MSPs serving SMBs, the future looks bright. What’s even more compelling is that 90% of SMBs plan to increase their technology expenditure, seeing it as the optimal way to invest and expand their businesses. Moreover, with a staggering 93% of SMBs declaring their dependency on technology this year, the importance of always-on, secure solutions has never been clearer.
- Kaseya’s Commitment to MSPs: The statement by Fred Voccola, Kaseya’s CEO, that “Kaseya exists for one reason… to serve the MSP” certainly raised a few eyebrows. Historically, there has been some tension since Kaseya caters not just to MSPs but also to IT departments. The mission statement on their website does give a nod to both, but emphasizing MSPs this time around felt like a clear strategic move. It suggests Kaseya’s deepening commitment to MSPs, reassuring attendees of their significant place in Kaseya’s roadmap.
In conclusion, DattoCon Miami was more than just a conference. It was a testament to the evolving MSP industry and the pivotal role vendors like Kaseya play. While change is inevitable, the one constant is the dedication to fostering growth and innovation. And if this year’s DattoCon is any indication, the future for MSPs and the wider IT industry is undeniably promising
