The Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) is stepping into the spotlight with its first ChannelCon conference since spinning off from CompTIA. Its leaders say this marks the beginning of a sharpened focus on the MSP community.
GTIA, formed after CompTIA sold its training and certification arm, is now fully dedicated to channel professionals. That renewed mission will take center stage at this year’s ChannelCon in Nashville, TN.
“We’ve had over 20 years of ChannelCon, but this will be the first one under the brand GTIA,” said CEO Dan Wensley. “We’re happy for the next evolution of that event.”
For MSPs, the association’s independence could be a timely advantage. With a sole focus on community and channel advancement, GTIA aims to provide more targeted resources and peer-to-peer opportunities that reflect the diverse ways MSPs operate today.
That message is relevant as MSPs are being urged to evolve rapidly. They are shifting from traditional service providers to strategic advisors navigating AI, cybersecurity, and other fast-moving trends. While innovation is essential, GTIA aims to help members digest these shifts and apply them in practical ways.
“These cool things that we’re talking about — AI, the continuation of cloud, and things like that — the fact that we can bring it down to the level of each individual business is really interesting,” said Carolyn April, GTIA vice president of research and market intelligence. “Being able to take these high-level innovations and technology advancements and try to bring them down at a practical level to the people who are actually working in that space, that excites me.”
A Community for Every Type of MSP
The channel today includes a wide spectrum of business models. It ranges from break/fix shops and infrastructure-focused MSPs to cloud-first consultancies and AI adopters. GTIA leadership emphasized that its membership platform and events like ChannelCon are designed to serve them all.
“The key is to be continuously aware of what the opportunities are, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow them at the same pace as someone else,” Wensley explained. “The diversity in the market is often overlooked because we’re always talking about how the next thing is going to crush the old. But, that’s not necessarily the case. There will be those who are ahead of the adoption curves and setting the new landscape. Maybe you follow, maybe not. That’s all a part of the conversation.”
SMBs Want to Spend on Tech. They Just Need Guidance.
At ChannelCon, GTIA also plans to tease findings from a new study based on direct input from small and midsize businesses (SMBs). April said the insights offer the channel partners who serve them a unique perspective.
While most studies in the industry focus on channel partners’ responses, this one digs into how SMBs are approaching technology investments.
“If they want to know what their customers are thinking, buying, and their attitudes about technology, then look for this study,” April said. “This comes straight from their customers, so it will give them a unique perspective.”
One of the study’s key takeaways is that SMBs are eager to invest in IT solutions, but many don’t know where to begin. That opens the door for MSPs to become trusted advisors.
“They know technology is important. They don’t necessarily know where they need to be spending,” April explained. “That is the biggest opportunity: education. MSPs need to help clients align tech investments with actual business goals.”
Deeper insights from the report are expected to be unveiled during ChannelCon.
Why ChannelCon Matters
While many MSPs flock to conferences for vendor updates and tech demos, GTIA’s leadership said the real value lies in the relationships built in the hallways.
“We’re moving so fast,” said Wensley. “It’s critically important that the community can come together, have conversations with their peers, and identify adoption curves on what’s working, what isn’t.”
April agreed, emphasizing the industry’s culture of collaboration, even among competitors.
“These people compete against one another, and yet they are friends. They lean on each other for ideas or to validate what they’re doing in their own businesses,” she said. “You don’t see that in other verticals and other industries where you have a competitive situation. [In the channel,] there’s a competitive setup, and at the same time, it’s collaborative. It’s what has kept me where I am all this time.”
GTIA hopes to build on that spirit of “coopetition” as it enters a new phase. With ChannelCon as its flagship event and a focus on listening to both MSPs and their clients, the organization is betting on community-driven insight to guide the industry forward.
Images: Anjali Fluker/ChannelPro
