AppSmart Completes WTG Integration, Draws MSPs, VARs

MSP and VAR partners are “coming out of the woodwork” to work with master agent WTG as it relaunches under the AppSmart brand.

WTG has officially integrated into AppSmart, a company that dubs itself a “channel-led, one-stop shop for all B2B technology services.” Partners will work with a catalog of more than 200 providers and a single marketplace. The AppSmart platform includes automated commission previews and payouts, and quickly accessible support to help agents close deals.

AppDirect announced last year that it was purchasing WTG in order to merge it with NeoCloud, which is another AppDirect-bought company. An agent advisory council provided feedback as AppSmart structured its platform, according to co-CEO Vince Bradley. Bradley, formerly WTG’s CEO, told Channel Partners that AppSmart fulfills his long-term vision of a “utilities-type master agent” with automation and a diverse portfolio.

AppSmart’s Vince Bradley

“It’s super exciting to have all of what we’ve done for all of these years fully realized and implemented by AppSmart,” Bradley said.

Bradley said the new platform increases ease of business for partners, and a partner agreed. Steve Farmiloe, general manager of Top Speed Data Communications, called the platform a game changer.

“The technology automates the back-office complexity of running an agency so we can focus on what we do best — providing our clients with solutions,” Farmiloe said. “The AppSmart interface is easy to use and gives us access to the best IT solutions. This will allow us to drive more revenue, save on costs and make more money.”

Rod Baptie, founder and president of Baptie & Company, said AppSmart automates the back office to remove complexity for partners as they sell multiple software services.

“The AppSmart interface is easy to use and gives partners access to multiple IT solutions. This technology could pave the way when it comes to software marketplaces for the channel,” Baptie said.

AppSmart executives tout their marketplace as one of the most diverse in telecommunications. WTG had already developed niches for IoT and energy, but teaming up with a cloud services provider like AppDirect expands the portfolio even more. The technology stack has grown to include security, backup, CRM, and, of course, cloud.

AppSmart’s Van Murray

“A number of agents have had some great wins already in cloud, expanding beyond connectivity,” AppSmart Co-CEO Van Murray said.

AppDirect Co-CEO Daniel Saks noted earlier this year at a partner conference that partners have been selling a host of new products and services, including Google Suite and IBM MaaS360.

It’s an opportunity for traditional telco agents to play a bigger role with their customers.

“They can now actually ask more questions of their clients,” Bradley said. “If they were just getting connectivity before, now they can scale into IT services and apps, and vice versa.”

The expanded portfolio has helped diversify WTG’s partner base.

“By augmenting the portfolio so significantly, we’ve seen more …… MSP and VAR partners coming out of the woodwork and engaging. And vice versa with the connectivity folks. It’s a nice flow of increase interest across the board,” Bradley said.

Bradley told partners last year that WTG turned down M&A offers from master agents and distributors. He said he preferred to make a “strategic transaction” with a SaaS company than a “financial transaction” with one of WTG’s competitors.

“In order to transform and be successful in the long term, master agents in the field truly need to partner with technology companies to do more,” Bradley said in December. “Because with cloud proliferation, with IoT, there is … a need for a lot more resources and technical assistance in the channel.”