Nerdio is a key strategic partner for Microsoft and a priority vendor for many partners operating within the broad Microsoft ecosystem. Following recent product and company growth announcements, Channel Insider spoke with Nerdio partners onsite at the company’s annual conference to learn why they are each invested in their partnership.
Nerdio’s commitment to partner feedback drives “outside-in” culture
If you spend time talking to or listening to Nerdio’s co-founders describe the company, you will hear the phrase “outside-in” repeatedly.
According to the company, nearly all features added to Nerdio’s product roadmap are based on partner feedback, and Nerdio takes seriously whether it is creating value amongst its partner and customer base.
“We have partners all the time who come to us and say, I want to move into the world of the Microsoft cloud, how can you help me today,” CRO and Co-founder Joseph Landes said in an interview with Channel Insider.
“Not everything that every partner asks for is immediately available… but we have a pretty incredible release cadence. Every six weeks there’s a new point release based on things customers and partners have asked for,” Landes said.
Partners at NerdioCon agreed, saying they can see tangible results from sharing feedback with the company online or in person.
“It’s always exciting to see what they are announcing, because it’s usually something that we have been waiting for, and it’s usually something that people in our space are offering to them as ideas. They actually listen and implement those ideas,” said Randy Lehman, a service tech at Covenant Technology Solutions.
Covenant CEO Tim Choquette echoes that sentiment.
“They always ask what would help partners,” Choquette said. “Of course they want to make money, they’re a business, but they start with what is a valuable offer we can create for partners.”
Staying ahead of the tech curve: How the Nerdio product supports partner and customer needs
Nerdio offers a management product tailored for both MSPs and enterprise clients. The Nerdio Manager for MSP (NMM) specifically addresses the needs of partners within the Microsoft ecosystem.
NMM’s v6 offering, highlighted during Vladimirkskiy’s day one keynote, adds a breadth of new solutions that target more than the traditional Azure focus the company was founded to address. NMM v6 includes previously announced capabilities to benchmark security posturing against the CIS controls, more effectively manage policies with backup and configuration tracking, and manage Exchange Online.
There are new integrations with leading PSA tools, new support for Azure government solutions, and a refreshed UI that now includes dark-mode functionality.
“There’s a lot of ease in this for us, in how it simplifies the work that I have and the trust that it gives me to know my team can also do the work to support our customers,” said Lehman. “Every year with Nerdio we get a little closer to replacing more tools and just saying, let’s put it all together through Nerdio.”
Covenant’s Director of Professional Services, Matt Shadle, said that he sees a somewhat near future in which Nerdio can enable Covenant to eliminate its RMM tooling in favor of working fully within the Microsoft suite.
“I think in a year, we’re going to be ready to have that conversation, and we think Nerdio will have added more features and tested things effectively so that we’ll be able to have that conversation,” Shadle said.
For Kite Technologies CTO and Microsoft MVP Adam Atwell, Nerdio’s combination of helpful technology and a partner-focused approach to business has made it a valuable partner.
“I’m the kind of guy who would rather feel a little pain than be left behind,” Atwell said. With that in mind, though, there is only so much “pain” a provider can handle while ensuring they stay ahead of the curve without losing focus on what clients need in the moment.
For Atwell, the technology Nerdio offers is only one piece of the puzzle that keeps him so close to the company. He says that when he thought it was time for Kite Technology to embrace the possibilities of AVD for its clients, Nerdio connected Atwell with a peer to learn from.
“Nerdio connected me with Jim Brennan, and really facilitated that peer-to-peer relationship when I raised my hand and said I wanted to learn,” Atwell said. “I went from no AVD to over 100 seats of it, plus services and other offerings. It was a game-changer for me and for us.”
Where Nerdio goes next, and what partners hope it never loses sight of
All the executives we spoke to at NerdioCon celebrated the company’s growth, including its recent funding round and valuation, as a well-deserved sign of success for the vendor. Now, they hope the next chapter of Nerdio feels the same way the past few years have from an experience standpoint.
Atwell describes his relationship with Nerdio as exactly how Kite Technology qualifies its relationships with clients: a mutual understanding and partnership toward a common goal of success.
“We don’t just want to help, we want to truly partner,” Atwell said. “We align with customers who value our services. Beyond that, I approach life with three things: I want to feel heard, be understood, and then I want someone to respond and show they care. Nerdio does all three consistently. I trust that they’ll continue to do that.”
Choquette and his team frequently engage with Nerdio to help the company continue building its partner ecosystem. They are confident that the recent investment will further drive product innovations and mutual success while maintaining a partner-first culture.
“We try to keep our ecosystem friendly but full, and everyone’s helping each other be successful,” Choquette said.
They are confident that the recent investment will further drive product innovations and mutual success while maintaining a partner-first culture.
“Don’t put growth ahead of the community you’ve got,” Choquette said of his ask to Nerdio as it embarks on the next phase of its journey. “Don’t lose focus on how you got where you are, working with the ecosystem and within this community, with amazing products and great support.”
Nerdio’s executives also say they know the path forward must involve the dedication to partners that has brought the company this far.
“We’re in this incredibly unique time right now where legacy providers like Citrix and VMware, in particular, have changed the way they work, and doing that has offered us a lot of opportunities to be successful,” Landes told Channel Insider. “That success, though, you can’t take for granted. We have to make sure we’re delivering things today that customers want.”
At NerdioCon, we also spoke to industry executives about AI adoption. Learn more about how MSPs, vendors, and marketplaces are supporting the demand for AI.