The Basics of Unified Communications as a Service: A Crash Course for Business Leaders

As a business leader, you know that communication is key to success. But with so many unified communications solutions out there, it’s easy to get lost in the jargon. One acronym in particular that has been getting a lot of attention lately is UCaaS – or Unified Communications as a Service. If you’re not quite sure what UCaaS is, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll give you a crash course on the basics of UCaaS, so you can determine if it’s the right fit for your organization.

So, what exactly is UCaaS? Simply put, it’s a cloud-based platform that integrates multiple communication services into a single solution. These services may include voice and video conferencing, instant messaging, email, and even social media. The idea is to allow users to access all of their communication tools from one location, using any device. This is particularly useful for remote or mobile workers, who may need to communicate with colleagues and clients from various locations.

One benefit of UCaaS is that it’s typically delivered as a subscription service, which means you pay only for what you need. This makes it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes. In addition, UCaaS providers typically offer robust security measures that ensure your data is protected. Since everything is hosted in the cloud, you don’t have to worry about maintaining on-premise hardware or software, which can be a drain on resources.

When it comes to choosing a UCaaS provider, there are a few things to consider:

End-User Ease of Use

First and foremost, make sure the UCaaS solution you choose is user-friendly and intuitive for your employees. You want to make sure they can easily access all of the features and services, without having to spend too much time learning how to use them.

The ease of use for end-users in a UCaaS solution cannot be overstressed. An intuitive, user-friendly interface significantly affects the adoption rate among employees, which, in turn, impacts the overall return on investment (ROI). A recent survey by Software Advice highlighted that nearly 67% of employees would be more likely to use unified communications tools if they were combined into a single application. This statistic underscores the importance of a seamless and integrated UCaaS platform for maximizing user adoption.

Moreover, according to a study by RingCentral, organizations noted a decrease in training time by 51% when implementing a UCaaS solution with an intuitive interface. This reduction in training time translates to cost savings and quicker deployment, allowing businesses to reap the benefits of UCaaS solutions sooner.

Prioritizing end-user ease of use can significantly advance user adoption, cut training costs, and boost the overall productivity of your workforce. Always request a trial or demo to evaluate the solution’s interface before making a decision.

Call Hand-off / Call Flipping

Call Hand-off, also known as Call Flipping, is a critical feature in UCaaS solutions. It facilitates continuity in communication, especially in today’s mobile and remote working environment. It enables users to switch calls between different devices seamlessly, without interrupting ongoing conversations.

For a business, this feature ensures that its representatives remain reachable and responsive, enhancing both internal collaboration and customer interaction. According to a study by Frost & Sullivan, businesses that enabled mobile applications for their employees observed a 40% increase in productivity.

Moreover, a survey conducted by Salesforce revealed that 71% of salespeople believed that their company’s mobility leads to improved customer service. These salespeople were able to respond to customer inquiries promptly, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The growing importance of call hand-off is further underscored by the rising remote work trends. A recent report from Global Workplace Analytics estimates that 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days per week by the end of 2021. This widespread shift towards remote work amplifies the need for call hand-off capabilities in a UCaaS solution, aiding seamless communication regardless of the employee’s location.

In essence, the call hand-off feature in a UCaaS solution links multiple devices under one unified system, ensuring that important calls are never missed and communication remains fluid and uninterrupted. It is a crucial element that boosts workforce productivity and customer service effectiveness, making it a must-have feature when selecting a UCaaS solution.

SMS Support

The inclusion of SMS (text) support in a UCaaS solution significantly enhances the versatility and reach of your business communications. SMS empowers businesses to engage with clients and employees through a medium that boasts response rates. A report by Gartner highlights that SMS response rates are 295% higher than phone call response rates.

Furthermore, the incorporation of SMS support in a UCaaS solution aligns with the mobile-centric behaviors of modern consumers. Given the ubiquity of smartphones, this feature ensures that your business can reach customers, partners, and employees anytime, anywhere, through a medium that they frequently use and respond to. According to a report from Statista, there were 6.4 billion smartphone users worldwide in 2021, and this figure is projected to increase to 7.5 billion by 2026.

In summary, SMS support in a UCaaS solution is a critical feature that extends the reach and effectiveness of business communication, catering to the mobile-centric lifestyle of today’s global population. It bolsters customer engagement, enables timely notifications, and complements other communication channels, making it an essential element of a comprehensive UCaaS solution.

Auto-Attendant/IVR

Auto-attendant, also known as Interactive Voice Response (IVR), is another essential feature of a comprehensive UCaaS solution. As a virtual receptionist, it directs incoming calls to the appropriate department or individual, enhancing the efficiency of your communication system. Not only can this feature manage high call volumes, but it also provides 24/7 service, ensuring your customers can interact with your business at any time. A study by Call Centre Helper found that 91% of customers said they would use an IVR system if it was reliable and met their needs.

Furthermore, an effective IVR system can manage multiple language preferences, thus broadening your customer engagement. Through speech recognition and touch-tone technology, IVR can solve routine customer queries, schedule appointments, and perform other customer service functions, thus freeing your staff to focus on more complex tasks.

Finally, a report by Accenture states that automation technologies, such as IVR, can save businesses up to $8 billion annually as they reduce labor costs and increase efficiency. The importance of the Auto-Attendant/IVR system for a UCaaS solution cannot be overstated, due to its potential to optimize communications, increase customer satisfaction, and yield substantial cost saving.

Advanced Call Routing

According to a survey by Software Advice, 48% of customers think that the most frustrating aspect of a customer service call is being transferred multiple times before reaching the right person. Advanced call routing is a critical feature of a robust UCaaS solution that ensures efficient communication within your organization.

Advanced call routing allows incoming calls to be directed to the right person or department promptly, reducing wait times and improving customer experiences. It operates based on pre-set rules, such as the time of the call, the caller’s number, or the selected options in an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

In a modern business environment where timely response can be a game-changer, advanced call routing helps to streamline communication, enhance customer satisfaction, and ultimately, bolster your business performance. A study by Fonolo, an industry leader in cloud-based call-back solutions, suggests that businesses can lose up to $75 billion annually due to poor customer service, including inefficient call routing.

By seamlessly directing callers to the right person or department, businesses can minimize customer frustration, improve service efficiency, and prevent potential revenue loss.

AI-powered Analytics and Reporting

Adapting AI-powered analytics and reporting into your UCaaS system offers immense value to your business. With AI, the system can process vast amounts of data to generate detailed insights into call patterns, caller behavior, and usage trends. The advanced analytics provide deeper insights into customer experience, caller sentiment, peak call times, call duration, call abandonment rates, and more. This AI-driven approach enables businesses to make informed decisions, optimize resources, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

For instance, a Gartner report reveals that companies leveraging AI in their analytics witnessed a 45% increase in operational efficiency. It further states that AI-driven insights could reduce call handling time by 30%, significantly improving customer satisfaction. AI-enhanced reporting also offers predictive analytics, which can forecast future call volumes or potential issues, allowing businesses to proactively address them. Hence, integrating AI-powered analytics and reporting in your UCaaS solution can unlock new avenues for business growth and customer satisfaction.

Integrations

Lastly, you’ll want to make sure that the UCaaS solution integrates seamlessly with any other existing tools and applications your organization is using. This will ensure that you don’t have to invest time and money into integrating disparate systems and will ensure a smooth transition.

The ability of a UCaaS solution to integrate smoothly with pre-existing tools and applications cannot be overstressed. This aspect of UCaaS directly affects workflow efficiency, streamlining of processes, and overall productivity. According to a study by RingCentral, 69% of workers waste up to 60 minutes a day navigating between apps, which accounts for 32 days of lost productivity per year.

Hence, the UCaaS solution you select should offer integrations with commonly used applications like CRM systems (Salesforce, Zoho, etc.), productivity tools (Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, etc.), and task management platforms (Asana, Trello, etc.). By integrating UCaaS with these platforms, businesses can improve cross-functional collaboration, enhance customer service, and optimize business operations.

Always inquire about potential integrations and confirm their compatibility with your existing systems to minimize disruptions and productivity loss while delivering a unified and efficient communication experience.

Webchat Integration

Webchat integration is a pivotal feature of a comprehensive UCaaS solution. It provides an immediate, convenient, and user-friendly platform for customers to connect with businesses. Real-time web chat support is an effective way to enhance customer service, boost sales, and improve customer satisfaction. It’s a vital communication channel that aligns with the expectations of today’s digital-savvy consumers, who demand efficient, swift, and seamless interactions with businesses.

Several studies underscore the importance and effectiveness of web chat in improving customer service. A report by Forrester Research found that 44% of online consumers state that having questions answered by a live person during an online purchase is one of the most important features a website can offer. Moreover, a study by eMarketer revealed that 63% of customers were more likely to return to a website that offers live chat.

Furthermore, according to a report by ICMI, website visitors who engage with your company via live chat are worth 4.5 times more than visitors who don’t. This data highlights the potential of web chat in not only improving customer service but also driving sales and revenue growth.

In conclusion, webchat integration in a UCaaS solution bridges the gap between businesses and customers, providing a platform for real-time, efficient, and convenient communication. The data-driven benefits of web chat – improved customer satisfaction, increased sales, and higher customer retention rates – make it an essential feature in a UCaaS solution.

Reliability and Quality of Service

Another critical factor to consider is the reliability and quality of service provided by the UCaaS vendor. Downtime in communication services could cause significant disruptions in your business operations. As such, you want a provider that guarantees a high uptime percentage—ideally, 99.9% or better. A 2019 study by Nexmo established that 92% of businesses believe the quality of voice calling is a dominant factor in customer satisfaction.

Reliability is a pivotal factor when selecting a UCaaS solution. In a world where businesses are increasingly reliant on digital communications, any downtime can have significant implications. A study from Gartner estimates the average cost of IT downtime at around $5,600 per minute. Considering these high stakes, it’s crucial to choose a UCaaS provider that guarantees a high uptime percentage, preferably 99.999%.

Apart from uptime, the reliability of a UCaaS solution also pertains to the quality of the call and video. A research study conducted by Tech.co found that poor call quality could cost a company up to 29% of its customers. Therefore, it’s essential to select a UCaaS solution that ensures crisp, clear call and video quality, with minimal latency or distortion.

Lastly, consider the provider’s disaster recovery capabilities. In unexpected events like a power outage or natural calamity, a robust disaster recovery plan can ensure business continuity. According to a report from Uptime Institute, 60% of companies that experience a data loss will shut down within six months. Hence, an effective UCaaS solution should feature strong disaster recovery capabilities to safeguard your communication data.

Scalability

Scalability refers to the capacity of a UCaaS solution to grow or shrink based on your business needs. As your organization expands, you may need to add more users, features, or communication channels. A scalable UCaaS solution can accommodate this growth without substantial changes to the core system, thereby saving cost and reducing potential disruptions. According to a 2021 report by Metrigy, businesses that leverage scalable UCaaS solutions improve their ROI by 61%.

Scalability is an essential trait in a UCaaS solution, enabling businesses to adjust their communication infrastructure according to their needs. Whether it’s expanding with a growing workforce or incorporating new features, scalable UCaaS solutions offer businesses the flexibility they need to adapt and flourish.

Hybrid work can also be enabled by good scalability. A 2020 report by Synergy Research Group, found that UCaaS adoption increased by 26% that year. The primary driver behind this surge was the swift transition to remote work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic – growth enabled by scalable UCaaS solutions.

In summary, the scalability of a UCaaS solution boosts business agility, provides cost efficiencies, and supports seamless growth trajectories. It allows the organization to remain responsive to changing business conditions, ensuring communication infrastructure is never a restrictive factor in business expansion and evolution.

Support

Exceptional customer support is a critical aspect of any UCaaS solution. Businesses must ensure they select a provider that offers consistent, reliable, and timely support to ensure that their communication systems run smoothly. Whether it’s technical issues, service inquiries, or system upgrades, robust customer support is essential to maintaining high-quality, uninterrupted communication.

Good vendor support includes 24/7 customer service, dedicated account management, and regular updates and maintenance. A survey by BetterCloud in 2020 revealed that 72% of businesses value vendor support as a critical factor when choosing cloud services.

Comprehensive, responsive, and efficient customer support is essential for the successful implementation and ongoing operation of a UCaaS system, significantly impacting customer satisfaction and long-term business success.

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, UCaaS is an innovative solution that can help businesses of all sizes improve collaboration, reduce costs, and simplify operations. It’s important to keep in mind that UCaaS is not a one-size-fits-all solution. A leading provider can be a great fit for many organizations, it may not be the best choice for everyone. It’s important to evaluate your specific needs and goals, and to work with a provider who can help you identify the right solution for your organization.

By understanding the fundamentals of UCaaS and working with a knowledgeable provider, you can ensure that your organization is equipped with the communication tools it needs to succeed in today’s fast-paced business world. If you’d like to learn more about UCaaS and how it can benefit your organization, contact us today. Our team of experts is here to answer any questions you may have and help you find the perfect UCaaS platform for your business.

Remote Management System Deployment: Beware of the Security Risks

Remote management systems have evolved into a valuable tool for IT professionals, enabling remote access, monitoring, and management of their organization’s IT infrastructure. However, as with any technology, they come with inherent risks. Deploying remote management systems without considering the potential security issues can lead to disaster, ultimately undermining the benefits of remote access. In this blog post, we will explore security considerations that every CIO, CISO, and IT Director must keep in mind when deploying remote management systems.

Comprehensive Security Policy

Before starting the deployment process of remote management systems, it is important to have a comprehensive security policy in place. A comprehensive security policy should include the security measures that will be implemented to safeguard your organization’s assets. The policy should also define the roles and responsibilities of each member of the IT team, and specify the security controls in addition to the access controls that will be in place. By having a detailed security policy, you will make sure that the remote management system is deployed in a secure manner.

According to the Verizon 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report, over 70% of breaches were perpetrated by outsiders, and a significant 45% of those breaches featured hacking. Among those incidents, 37% exploited vulnerabilities in virtual private network (VPN) services, which are a common component of remote management systems. Moreover, a study by Ponemon Institute found that the average cost of a data breach in 2020 was a heart-stopping $3.86 million. So, when we’re discussing comprehensive security policies, we’re not just setting the rules for a game – we’re talking about a potential multi-million-dollar rescue operation.

Secure Communication Channels

Remote management systems operate using a network connection. Therefore, it is essential to use a secure communication channel to prevent unauthorized access. Encryption is the standard method for encoding messages so that only authorized parties can read them. Encryption can also protect against man-in-the-middle attacks by securing communication channels with secure protocols like SSL, TLS, and SSH. So, let’s make no bones about it, failing to encrypt your communications is like leaving your front door wide open with a giant neon sign that reads “Free Stuff Here – No Need to Knock”.

Encryption isn’t enough though. According to data from the 2021 Cybersecurity Report by Check Point Software, encrypted attacks, where threat actors hide their exploits in encrypted traffic, have seen a stark rise of almost 50% in the second half of 2020. The report also reveals that SSL/TLS encrypted attacks accounted for 23% of all attacks in 2020. Furthermore, the 2020 Trustwave Global Security Report indicates that a massive 20% of cyber attacks targeted Secure Shell (SSH) protocols. IT organizations need to be smart about how they handle encrypted traffic, especially in remote locations with less sophisticated network firewalls.

Access Control and Authorization

Access control is a fundamental aspect of any security policy. The access control policy for remote management systems should be based on the principle of granting the least privileges. According to the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report, in 2020, over 70% of breaches involved privilege misuse. Furthermore, a survey by Centrify revealed that 74% of respondents whose organizations had been breached acknowledged it involved access to a privileged account—these are the keys that unlock access to systems and sensitive data. Granting the least privileges means that users are given only the permissions they need to perform their duties, reducing the risk of unauthorized access. Authorization-based access control mechanisms can be used to further ensure that users have access to the resources that they need.

Implementing least privilege access can reduce the attack surface, improve audit and compliance visibility, and reduce the risk of insider threats. Clearly, unfettered access is about as advisable as leaving your car keys in the ignition of your unlocked car at a kleptomaniacs’ convention.

Authentication Mechanisms

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user attempting to access a particular resource. Authentication mechanisms should be implemented to identify and verify users before granting access. The authentication mechanism should not only verify a user’s identity but also confirm that the user has permission to perform the required tasks. Multifactor authentication should also be used, requiring a password and another form of authentication, such as fingerprint recognition or a smart card.

The 2020 State of Password and Authentication Security Behaviors Report by Ponemon Institute found that 51% of respondents reuse passwords across business and personal accounts, making multi-factor authentication even more critical. In the same vein, Google reported that accounts protected by multi-factor authentication block 99.9% of automated attacks. Further supporting these findings, Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report stated that 80% of breaches could have been prevented by two-factor authentication. So, if you’re choosing to ignore multi-factor authentication, you are opening the door to unauthorized access to your systems and data.

Continuous Monitoring and Auditing

Continuous monitoring and auditing help to identify and mitigate risks. It is essential to have tools in place that can detect suspicious activities and take remedial actions when necessary. Remote management systems should have auditing built into them, allowing security personnel to carefully track the activities that occur on the network and monitor the logs to identify any unusual activity.

According to the 2020 Cost of a Data Breach Report by IBM, companies that identified a breach in less than 200 days spent $1 million less on the total cost of the breach – a pretty penny saved by acting swiftly. Additionally, the SANS Institute revealed that continuous monitoring reduces the average time to identify a threat to 14.5 hours, a drastic improvement from the industry average of 206 days. Further strengthening this stance, a report by the Ponemon Institute indicates that organizations without security automation experienced breaches that were 95% more costly than breaches at organizations with extensive security automation. So, if you think continuous monitoring and auditing are like watching paint dry, remember – it’s considerably more exciting than watching your company’s finances drain away post-data breach.

Deploying remote management systems can be a powerful tool for IT professionals, enabling remote access, monitoring, and management of their organization’s IT infrastructure. However, security considerations must be taken into account during deployment and regular operations. We have highlighted the most crucial security considerations such as comprehensive security policy, secure communication channels, access control and authorization, authentication mechanisms, and continuous monitoring and auditing. Therefore, IT professionals must ensure they have a robust and comprehensive security policy in place before deploying remote management systems to protect their organization’s assets from unauthorized access and cyber threats.

Sources

Trustwave Global Security Report. Trustwave Holdings, Inc. 2020. Link to report

Microsoft Security Intelligence Report. Microsoft Corporation. 2020. Link to report

Centrify Privileged Access Management in the Modern Threatscape. Centrify Corporation. 2020. Link to survey

The 2020 State of Password and Authentication Security Behaviors Report. Ponemon Institute. 2020. Link to report

Symantec Internet Security Threat Report. Symantec Corporation. 2020. Link to report

Cost of a Data Breach Report. IBM Corporation. 2020. Link to report

SANS Institute Report: Reducing Attack Surface with Security Control Automation. SANS Institute. 2020. Link to report

Ponemon Institute: The Cost of Inaction for Cybersecurity. Ponemon Institute. 2020. Link to report

Montra Releases Notable Updates To Its IT Management Platform

Montra Releases Notable Updates To Its IT Management Platform

Workforce Management, Asset Management, Advanced Filtering Features Give Users More Productivity Options

ATLANTA – July 19, 2023 – PRLog – Montra, the leader in IT management-as-a-service, announces today updates to its award-winning platform, providing customers with improved navigation and an increased breadth of available features. Advanced filtering is now available across all parts of the Montra platform, allowing users to define advanced multi-factor filters that provide quick, customized data retrieval for easier reporting. Additional updates include:

Workforce Management

With a simplified user interface and automated presets, the onboarding process is more productive and flexible than ever, providing an improved employee experience. New hire types are available (sales, software development, finance, etc.) and roles and IT rights are more defined, giving greater security options for hiring managers and IT administration. Other updates include:

  • Workforce team member profiles in the directory now include assigned assets and licenses detail.
  • SaaS Application License Management: Tenant Admins can now setup their applications from a set of pre-defined SaaS application licenses (e.g., Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, etc.)
  • A new interface to view license usage and add or remove user licenses.

“We listened to our customers and developed additional options that meet specific needs in today’s market. Research has shown that a strong onboarding process improves new hire retention by up to 82 percent,” says Scott Ryan, CEO, Montra.

Asset Management

As the workplace evolves and more people and processes are remote, managing devices has never been more critical — or challenging. Montra’s asset management tools now include the ability to view individual asset details, including asset assignment histories, and show all asset types over the entire platform, including spare or returned devices. Additionally, devices can be configured with user assignment, asset type, conditions and other qualifiers for more advanced tracking and management.

“The Montra platform is critical to our business. We use Montra as a source of truth for our customer asset information,” says Colby Adamson, COO North America, Pixellot, “These additional asset management features will make it even easier for us to manage our ever-expanding fleet of devices, saving us money and time.”

About Montra Technologies

Montra is the leader in IT Management-as-a-Service which provides advanced remote IT management for today’s workplace. Montra is trusted by some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Montra’s platform is directly integrated with our customers’ other software for seamless, efficient, automated tracking of devices, regardless of location. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company was founded by industry experts with decades of technology leadership. Recognized by Channel Futures as an MSP to Watch and listed on the Inc. 5000, Montra is a proud member of the ATDC at Georgia Tech. For more information visit Montra’s website or connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Montra Expands Customer Base with Addition of Discovery Storage

Montra Expands Customer Base with Addition of Discovery Storage

Next-gen Self-Storage Facility Operator Gets Nationwide Coverage with Montra’s Remote IT Management Platform

ATLANTA (June 20, 2023) — Montra, the leader in IT management-as-a-service, announces today it has signed Discovery Storage as a new customer, handling the company’s distributed IT management needs.

“We needed a single nationwide partner to design, rollout, and manage all our properties’ technology assets across all our locations. Montra was the right choice and they have been instrumental in keeping our devices secure, while cutting our IT management time and cost,” says Dan McCoy, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Discovery Storage. “Montra helps us keep the advanced technology in our properties working securely so our on-site staff can focus on delivering great service to our customers.”

By staging, pre-configuring network gear, and assisting the onsite installers, Montra set up all of Discovery Storage’s systems remotely without the cost of flying specialists to every location. Montra’s ongoing monitoring enables proactive response to find and fix issues as they arise. If needed, Montra’s software manages the process of returning systems for repair or replacement, providing Discovery Storage’s management visibility through the entire process.

“We are proud to work with Discovery Storage and look forward to growing our partnership as they expand across North America,” says Scott Ryan, CEO, Montra. “Whether you are onboarding remote employees or deploying devices into remote locations, our software manages the workflows to get people productive and devices secure quickly and efficiently.”

About Montra

Montra is the leader in IT Management-as-a-Service which provides advanced remote IT management for today’s workplace. Montra is trusted by some of the world’s most recognizable brands which use our innovative platform to provide exceptional service automation and responsiveness. Montra’s platform is directly integrated with our customers’ other software for seamless, efficient, automated tracking of devices, regardless of location. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company was founded by industry experts with decades of technology leadership. Recognized by Channel Futures as an MSP to Watch and listed on the Inc. 5000, Montra is a proud member of the ATDC at Georgia Tech. For more information visit www.montra.io or connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

 

 

Montra Ranked #48 in 2021 NextGen 101 Managed Service Providers To Watch

NextGen 101 Honors Montra as an Industry Leading Managed Services and Technology Provider 

 NextGen Honors 101 Industry Leading Managed Services and Technology Providers. Selected from 2021 Channel Futures MSP 501 

ATLANTA, September 30, 2021 — Montra has been named as one of the world’s premier managed service providers on the prestigious Channel Futures 2021 NextGen 101 rankings. 

 The 2021 NextGen 101 winners were selected from applications submitted for the 2021 Channel Futures MSP 501. Channel Futures is pleased to name Montra Solutions as number 48 on the 2021 NextGen 101 list 

For the 2nd year running, MSPs from around the globe completed an exhaustive survey and application this spring to self-report product offerings, annual total and recurring revenues, profits, revenue mix, growth opportunities and company and customer demographic information. The NextGen 101 list recognizes MSPs with annual recurring revenues under 20% of total revenue. While these partners offer managed services, they’re also resellers, system integrators, and shops that do project work. 

“We are pleased to be included again in this prestigious group. It is a great confirmation that the work our team has done to serve our customers. Montra is providing unique and much needed software to automate critical IT processes,” said Scott Ryan, CEO, Montra Solutions. “And we are excited to bring this innovation to our customers to help them utilize technology the way they have been promised they can.” 

“The NextGen 101 is designed specifically to honor partners dedicating resources to building out their practices — all while maintaining the integrity of their core businesses”, said Allison Francis, editor and content producer at Channel Partners and Channel Futures. “Given that these companies represent the future of the technology channel and IT industry, the Channel Futures NextGen 101 are the most-watched of all organizations in the channel today”. 

The NextGen 101 list honors industry-leading managed services providers who have shown promise through the leading-edge information technology solutions they offer. Many of the honorees business models place emphasis on generating revenue from the cloud, security, devices, unified employee communication, among others. 

The complete 2021 NextGen 101 List is available at Channel Futures.  

 

Background 

The 2021 NextGen 101 list is based on data collected by Channel Futures. Data was collected online from March 1 through May 24th 2021. The MSP 501 list recognizes top managed service providers based on metrics including recurring revenue, profit margin, and other factors.  The NextGen 101 list honors industry-leading managed services and technology providers who are driving a new wave of growth through the innovative solutions they deliver for customers. 

 About Montra Solutions 

Montra Solutions is a managed IT services provider that has developed modern software to deliver enterprise-grade services to businesses of any size. Montra simplifies complex IT operations with software that securely manages modern systems and data – in the cloud, at the edge, or wherever your business takes you. Montra is based in Atlanta with offices in Tampa and Seattle and customers worldwide. For more information please us at www.montra.io or contact us at info@montra.io.  

 About Channel Futures 

Channel Futures is a media and events platform serving companies in the IT channel industry with insights, industry analysis, peer engagement, business information, and in-person events. Every year, they welcome 7,400+ subscribers to their research, more than 3.8 million unique visitors a month to our digital communities, 18,200+ students to their training programs, and 225,000 delegates to their events. 

 MEDIA CONTACT: 
Grace FitzGerald 

Marketing Coordinator 

Montra  

gfitzgerald@montra.io