Recent News & Press Coverage
Stay informed with official news and updates from The ASCII Group. This section features company announcements, strategic initiatives, and industry coverage that reflect our continued commitment to the MSP community and the broader IT channel. Press inquiries: Contact alysia@ascii.com

The ASCII Group Expands Member Advisory Committee with Four New Appointments
Washington, D.C. – February 19, 2025 – The ASCII Group, North America’s leading community for independent Managed Service Providers (MSPs), is pleased to announce the appointment of four distinguished MSP leaders to its Member Advisory Committee: Kathy Durfee of TechHouse; Michael Goldstein of LAN Infotech, LLC; Felicia King of Quality Plus Consulting; and Ken Wong of DragonTek International. These accomplished professionals bring a wealth of experience and insight to the committee, further strengthening ASCII’s commitment to supporting MSPs in an ever-evolving technology landscape.
The Member Advisory Committee is comprised of select IT professionals from diverse technology sectors who collaborate with ASCII leadership to provide strategic input on membership initiatives, industry challenges, and emerging opportunities. By expanding the committee with these new members, ASCII is reinforcing its mission to equip MSPs with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the next phase of industry transformation.
“Our Advisory Committee plays a crucial role in shaping the direction of ASCII’s programs and initiatives,” said Alan Weinberger, Chairman and CEO of The ASCII Group. “The addition of Kathy, Michael, Felicia, and Ken enhances our ability to provide meaningful guidance to our growing community as the industry continues to evolve.”
Representing 12 member businesses across North America, the Member Advisory Committee meets regularly with ASCII leadership to discuss new alliances, peer networking opportunities, and innovative ways to bring value to the membership.
In addition to the newly appointed members, the ASCII Member Advisory Committee includes Joe Balsarotti, Tom Fox, Sean Jennings, Chad Kempt, Stanley Louissaint, Stephen Monk, Kim Nielsen, and David Stinner. Established in 2001, the committee remains a vital part of ASCII’s dedication to fostering collaboration and driving innovation within the MSP community.
For more information about The ASCII Group and its initiatives, visit www.ascii.com.
About The ASCII Group, Inc.
Founded in 1984, The ASCII Group is the original IT community of the channel, uniting Managed Service Providers (MSPs) across North America. As a vendor-neutral organization, ASCII provides unbiased resources and a collaborative environment to support business growth. Members span the U.S. and Canada, ranging from SMB-focused MSPs to international solution providers. ASCII offers leveraged purchasing programs, education, marketing support, peer networking, and more, complemented by a vibrant ecosystem of technology vendors.
Learn more at www.ascii.com.
Press Contact
Alysia Vetter Chief
Marketing Officer
Tel: 800-394-2724
Email: alysia@ascii.com
Web: www.ascii.com
The ASCII Group Announces Best of Show Award Winners from Miami 2017 IT SMB Success Summit
The ASCII Group, a membership-based community ofindependent MSPs, VARs and solution providers, is pleased to announce the ‘Bestof Show’ award winners from its 2017 IT SMB Success Summit in Miami. Theawards are voted on by the attending solution providers, and honor the industrysponsors in multiple Best of Show categories.
Pre-Day
Best Education – Solutions Granted
Best Technical Demo – RapidFire Tools
Best IT Workshop – Solutions Granted
Main Day
Best Rapid Pitch – Duo Security
Best Keynote Presentation – Pax8
Best Partner Incentives – Comodo
Best Market Opportunity – Datto
Best Productivity Solution – IT Glue
Best Revenue Generator – Datto
Best Channel Programs – Datto
Top Distributor – Pax8
Best Partner Involvement – Cytracom, Pax8, CNET
Best of Show – Datto
The ASCII Group Announces Enhanced Educational Agenda for its 2018 IT SMB Success Summits with New Cities, Content and Keynote by Former White House CIO
Bethesda, Maryland – September 21, 2017 — The ASCII Group, a membership-based community of independent North American MSPs, VARs and solution providers, is pleased to announce new event cities, conference content, and keynote speaker for its 2018 IT SMB Success Summit Series. The Summits will heavily emphasize professional development for the attendees, leaving extended time for discussion of business challenges.
The Summits bring together over 1,400 IT solution providers and dozens of technology vendors in a two-day format that includes extensive networking, education and training. With events in nine markets across North America, The ASCII Group continues its mission of 33 years to help IT business owners grow and thrive. Sponsorships for the 2017 Summits sold out well in advance and points to the vendor community’s continued interest in channel partners’ achievements.
The 2018 Summits will contain education, presentations from top industry specialists, a leading edge vendor solutions pavilion, and an exclusive ASCII members-only meeting. Additionally, the Summits include numerous networking opportunities between fellow MSPs and industry experts, including: roundtables; Summit exercises; receptions; and breaks – all which are designed to foster dialogue.
In addition to best practice addresses from ASCII members and thought leaders, the special guest for 2018 is Theresa Payton, former White House CIO and star of the CBS TV Series, “Hunted”. Theresa was the first female to serve as White House chief information officer, and named #4 on IFSEC Global’s list of the world’s Top 50 cybersecurity influencers in 2017.
“ASCII’s true value is in the conversations and knowledge that members are exchanging; members want to learn from each other. Our 2018 Summits will be more collaborative, with extensive discussions between our community and the influential vendors and industry specialists joining us,” said Jerry Koutavas, President, The ASCII Group.
“ASCII is on my event ‘go-to’ list every year,” said Raffi Jamgotchian, Triada Networks, ASCII member since 2008. “They combine a great mix of speakers, workshop sessions, and top-notch vendors that understand the importance of the channel. Best of all, I get to connect with my peers. Although we are in the same competitive market, ASCII members are always there to help out.”
The Summit Series is designed for qualified industry IT professionals and MSPs, and is targeted towards those looking to increase revenue and enhance their current business model. Admission is free for ASCII members.
For further information on ASCII’s IT SMB Success Summits, please visit www.asciievents.com.
2018 Summit Cities:
- Orange County, CA February 21-22
- Fort Lauderdale, FL March 21-22
- Austin, TX April 18-19
- Chicago, IL May 16-17
- Ann Arbor, MI June 27-28
- Charlotte, NC July 25-26
- Toronto, Canada August 22-23
- Newark, NJ September 26-27
- Seattle, WA October 17-18
About The ASCII Group, Inc:
The ASCII Group is the premier community of North American MSPs, VARs and solution providers. The group has over 1,300 members located throughout the U.S. and Canada, and membership encompasses everyone from credentialed MSPs serving the SMB community to multi-location solution providers with a national reach. Founded in 1984, ASCII provides services to members including leveraged purchasing programs, education and training, marketing assistance, and extensive peer interaction. ASCII works with a vibrant ecosystem of major technology vendors that complement the ASCII community and support its mission of helping MSPs and VARs grow their businesses. For more information, please visit www.ascii.com.
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Press Contact
Alysia Vetter
Director of Marketing & Communications
Tel: 800-394-2724 x 131
Email: alysia@ascii.com
ASCII Group Members in the News (Industry Articles) September & October 2017
Channel Executive Magazine:
September Partner Perspectives Column – Partner Programs: Before You Enroll featuring ASCII members Joe Molick and Brooke Justice.
A Balanced Approach to Cybersecurity Risk Mitigation – by Jeff Jackson, President, Summit Computer Services, Member of The ASCII Group since 2017.
October Partner Perspectives Column – Partner Programs: Is Pay-to-Play OK? featuring ASCII members Raffi Jamgotchian and Chad Kempt.
ChannelPro Magazine:
Q&A Corner with Alan Weinberger, CEO, The ASCII Group – questions with Mike Bloomfield, President, Tekie Geek, Member of The ASCII Group since 2016.
The ASCII Group Announces Best of Show Award Winners from Chicago 2017 IT SMB Success Summit
The ASCII Group, a membership-based community of independent MSPs, VARs and solution providers, is pleased to announce the ‘Best of Show’ award winners from its 2017 IT SMB Success Summit in Chicago. The awards are voted on by the attending solution providers, and honor the industry sponsors in multiple Best of Show categories.
Pre-Day Winners
Best Education- Xcellerate
Best Technical Demo- ChannelOnline
Best IT Workshop- ChannelOnline
Main Day Winners
Best Rapid Pitch- iRemoteReset
Best Keynote Presentation- Cytracom
Best Partner Incentives- Pax8
Best Market Opportunity- Mailprotector
Best Productivity Solution- IT Glue
Best Revenue Generator- Datto
Best Channel Programs- Datto
Top Distributor- Pax8
Best Partner Involvement- Cytracom/Datto/Pax8
Best of Show – Cytracom
The ASCII Group Announces Best of Show Award Winners from New Jersey 2017 IT SMB Success Summit
The ASCII Group, a membership-based community ofindependent MSPs, VARs and solution providers, is pleased to announce the ‘Bestof Show’ award winners from its 2017 IT SMB Success Summit in New Jersey. Theawards are voted on by the attending solution providers, and honor the industrysponsors in multiple Best of Show categories.
Pre-Day Winners
Best Education – Carvir
Best Technical Demo – Trend Micro
Best IT Workshop – Vertical Axion
Main Day Winners
Best Rapid Pitch – Carvir
Best Keynote Presentation – Cytracom
Best Partner Incentives – Pax8
Best Market Opportunity – Mailprotector
Best Productivity Solution – IT Glue
Best Revenue Generator – GreenLink Networks
Best Channel Programs – Datto
Top Distributor – Pax8
Best Partner Involvement – Autotask, Datto, Pax8 &QuoteWerks
Best of Show – Datto
2017 ASCII IT SMB SUCCESS SUMMIT SPONSORSHIPS ARE SOLD OUT
The ASCII Group is pleased to announce that it has sold out of sponsorships for its 2017 IT Success Summit conferences at ALL levels for the remainder of the events this year. ASCII has already successfully completed four US events and one in Toronto, Canada, and four more events are scheduled in 2017.
The events bring together over 150 IT solution providers and dozens of vendors in a two-day format that includes extensive networking, education, and training. The sold-out sponsorships are a first for the 33-year-old company and points to the continued growth and interest in channel partners’ achievements from the vendor community.
ASCII is in the process of finalizing cities and dates for 2018 and will make a formal announcement in the coming weeks.
If you have questions or would like to receive 2018 sponsorships materials, please reach out to shannon@ascii.com.
For more information on the remaining shows in 2017, visit www.asciievents.com.
ASCII Group Members in the News (Industry Articles) June, July & August 2017
TechDecisions
Great tips and advice from ASCII members on BYOD
Technology Installers Explain Considerations of BYOD
Is Your Organization Properly Prepared for Disaster Recovery? By StanleyLouissaint, Principal at Fluid Designs and member of The ASCII Group since2014.
TechTarget | SearchITChannel
How to create a cybersecurity program for your own MSP by Jason McNew, CEO & Founder Stronghold Cyber Security and member of The ASCII Group since 2017.
Howto launch VoIP services for business customers
by MikeBloomfield, President at Tekie Geek and member of The ASCII Group since 2016.
MSP Pricing: How to build an effective plan by David Streit, Principal at Stephill Associates and member of The ASCII Group since 2012.
ChannelPro
Q&A Corner with Alan Weinberger, CEO, The ASCII Group – questions with Jason McNew, CEO & Founder Stronghold Cyber Security and member of The ASCII Group since 2017.
Check out the May 2017 My TechDecisions Podcast & Article with The ASCII Group
My TechDecisions Podcast – Episode 7 featuring JerryKoutavas, President, The ASCII Group. Listen here: bit.ly/2rMmmZ4
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What is The ASCII Group?
Organizations exist for IT providers, commercial integrators, and security installers.
Not all organizations are alike,however. Learn a bit more about The ASCII Group.
Read the article here http://bit.ly/2smuwGV
The ASCII Group Announces Best of Show Award Winners from Columbus 2017 IT SMB Success Summit
The ASCII Group, a membership-based community of independent MSPs, VARs and solution providers, is pleased to announce the ‘Best of Show’ award winners from its 2017 IT SMB Success Summit in Columbus, Ohio. The awards are voted on by the attending solution providers, and honor the industry sponsors in multiple Best of Show categories.
Pre-day Awards
Best Education – Carvir
Best Technical Demo – RapidFire Tools
Best IT Workshop – Carvir
Main Day Awards
Best Rapid Pitch – Solutions Granted
Best Keynote Presentation – Cytracom
Best Partner Incentives – Pax8
Best Market Opportunity – Data Deposit Box
Best Productivity Solution – IT Glue
Best Revenue Generator – Greenlink Networks
Best Channel Programs – Datto
Top Distributor – Pax8
Best Partner Involvement – Pax8/ Datto/ QuoteWerks
Best of Show – Cytracom
Columbus IT SMB Success Summit Coverage from Business Solutions Magazine:Why Cyber Criminals Have Their Sights Set on MSPs and What You Can Do About It: http://bit.ly/2rPg366Closing MSP Deals Through Emotional Based Selling: http://bit.ly/2qRoW1F Internal Cybersecurity Services – The Great New Opportunities for MSPs: http://bit.ly/2qRr4Xe
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