That's A Wrap: Bob Godgart's Last Day at Autotask

bob-godgart

Out on FaceBook, Godgart offered up the following statement earlier today:

Helping to Build an Industry

Now, just the facts. Godgart launched Autotask in an Albany mansion roughly a decade ago. Autotask ultimately created 200 jobs. Over the past five years or so, PSA (professional services automation) software and RMM (remote monitoring and management) software emerged as the Word and Excel of the managed services market. Together, PSA and RMM gave aspiring MSPs the one-two punch they needed to proactively manage customers networks for recurring monthly revenues. Autotask certainly benefited from the PSA trend. In an interview with an Albany newspaper in 2010, Godgart said the company was pushing toward roughly $20 million in annual revenues.

Of course, technology companies need adversaries. Microsoft has Apple. IBM has HP. And in the PSA market, Autotask and ConnectWise have been fierce rivals in recent years. Yes, MSPmentor has been guilty of stirring the pot from time to time. But ultimately, we just reported the facts… ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini and Autotask’s Godgart were fierce competitors. Bellini likened it to Sundays in the NFL… stating that healthy competition ultimately benefited everyone in the stands. In this case the benefactors were VARs and MSPs turning to ConnectWise, Autotask, Tigerpaw Software and other PSA solutions.

More recently,ConnectWise and Autotask have spent less time talking about each other in the market. And Godgart is spending more time focused on his other role… chairman of CompTIA — the Computing Technology Industry Association.

Silent Exit

During the Autotask Community Live conference last week in Miami, many attendees didn’t realize that Godgart was fully stepping away from the company. But Godgart confirmed the news multiple times. During a sit-down at the conference, I asked Godgart to recap some of his personal highs and lows at Autotask.

Early on, he said, the financial pressures took their toll. Godgart says he personally opened his checkbook in March 2001 to help get Autotask going. During the early years, he added, Autotask was the “Noah’s Ark” of software. “We had 100 customers in 50 different markets; we had two of everyone,” recalls Godgart. But gradually, Autotask spotted the opportunity to focus entirely on IT automation. By 2004, Autotask raised venture capital and was headed for the channel, Godgart recalls.

Among the highs, Godgart says, was recruiting key talent into Autotask — especially in the past year. “We worked really hard to get [Senior VP of Global Sales] Kevin [Donovan] and [CFO] Vince [Zumbo]. But the one I’m most proud of, other than [CEO] Mark [Cattini] was getting [Senior VP Jay] McBain.”

How long will Godgart remain Autotask’s chairman? “I’ll be there as long as I’m asked to be there,” said Godgart to me last week.

And what’s his next day-to-day business move? There’s some speculation Godgart may launch some sort of social business media company for the channel. But Godgart declined to discuss the speculation, preferring to keep the spotlight on the Autotask Community Live conference during our interview.

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