ConnectWise Platform, API Initiative: Edwards Leads Push

ConnectWise is looking to extend its success from the IT channel into the ISV market. The business automation software company has made its SDK (software development kit) and APIs (application programming interfaces) a top priority for 2014. The proof?

Director of Community Jeannine Edwards is now Director of ConnectWise Platform Initiative — putting software developer relationships at the heart of the company's future. Amy Hodge succeeds Edwards as the leader of the company's IT service provider communities, ensuring that ConnectWise's focus on VARs, MSPs and IT services providers remains in place.

Edwards and her team over the past six years or so have built the IT channel's most successful annual conference (IT Nation), while also launching ConnectWise user groups worldwide. Now, she'll strive to repeat that success with ConnectWise's ISV partner ecosystem. 

Similar to how Windows, Apple iOS and Google Android each enjoyed big ISV waves, ConnectWise hopes its ISV and SDK efforts will spur more application integrations — and further increase the ConnectWise platform's value to MSPs, VARs and channel partners.

It's a safe bet the annual IT Nation conference will also gain more API and SDK focus. The conference already hosts an API meeting breakout and developer activity, notes Edwards. But I suspect that activity will be cranked up a few notches for IT Nation 2014.

Bigger Picture

Generally speaking, most MSP software integration chatter has involved PSA, RMM and BDR solutions. But it's clear ConnectWise, Autotask and other industry players want to expand the integration ecosystem.

At ConnectWise, the effort involves an SDK currently in beta, which allows developers to write fewer "calls" to accomplish more tasks. ConnectWise also wants to promote its integrations with general ledger systems like Quickbooks and Peachtree (among others). CEO Arnie Bellini, a CPA, has long described ConnectWise as a business management platform. Now, the company will try to build a business management software ecosystem around that platform.