“I knew the MSP space and recognized that we (HacWare) could be a difference-maker. We set out to make the onboarding journey easier and we knew ConnectWise would be an integral part of our success.”
“The INVENT program is the gateway to access an unrivaled MSP community — all of which are prospective customers for us. But, it represents more to us than just building a pipeline. We value partnership and celebrate the brand association with ConnectWise.”
Tiffany Ricks, CEO of HacWare and a former ethical hacker, founded HacWare with a simple goal: to help organizations defend themselves against cyber threats. With an intentional focus on solving for the root cause of cyber vulnerabilities — human error, HacWare started a journey to deliver security awareness through education (“security training”) and more automation and efficiency.
Given her background as the owner of a consultancy, Ricks had an understanding of the challenges that exist in the tech industry, specifically the MSP space. From its early days, HacWare recognized the need to design and deploy a solution for SMBs and MSPs that would secure and protect their end users.
“I knew the MSP space and recognized that we (HacWare) could be a difference-maker. We set out to make the onboarding journey easier and we knew ConnectWise would be an integral part of our success.”
And that’s when this Dallas-based company took its talents to New York City. Backed by an investment firm, TechStars, HacWare went all-in to optimize opportunities and to position itself for scale.
But that was in early 2020. And COVID was upon us.
Now living in the heart of New York City, Ricks said it was different - quiet and less-crowded - without the hustle and bustle you’d expect. But moreso, it felt tighter and more like an intimate community. People wanted to help people. Everyone was lifting each other up at a time when relationships meant more than currency.
“It was a scary time for us and for society. There was such an abrupt change to our social and business norms that we, as humans, leaned into connection. And we didn’t sit idly by. We acted in the only way we knew how. We felt a responsibility to keep SMBs protected amongst the emerging and evolving threat landscape.”
Our community keeps us thriving and connected. And we were there to serve a community that needed us. With the shift from traditional office settings to a remote-virtual workforce, cybersecurity became a requirement and critical focus for SMBs.
“These businesses kept our economy going. But the outlook was nuanced: organizations were defining success on the basis of surviving, not thriving. We saw this as an opportunity to give back to the community that needed us and to be a solution to help them overcome challenges.”
Talk about turning the pandemic into a positive.
As society shifted and we drifted into the new normal, HacWare retrenched. The organization went back to its roots, relocating back to Dallas, with a renewed mindset.
We have some specific goals around the things that are hard to measure: the intangibles. As we continue to grow, we want to strengthen our brand equity, lift awareness and position ourselves for the right opportunities.
HacWare sought out ConnectWise, a leader in cybersecurity solutions, and the world’s largest connected community, to help them.
“Of course we knew of ConnectWise because seemingly all of the customers we serve had one or more solutions integrated in their business. But we didn’t have a good understanding of the true enormity of the organization (ConnectWise) - its market influence, community and expansive footprint. We understood that we needed to become a Partner —- and to get involved.”
HacWare certainly made good on that commitment.
They became an Evolve member to deepen their understanding, connect with like-minded business and learn from each other.
They attended IT Nation Secure to meet with MSPs and SMEs; and they networked to create strategic partnerships through meaningful connections.
Perhaps their greatest triumph was when they became a ConnectWise certified INVENT Partner. Through the INVENT program TSPs are supported by experts, have access to innovative tools, strategic resources and marketing plans; and are supported by a world-class team of consultants at ConnectWise to help navigate the space.
“The INVENT program is the gateway to access an unrivaled MSP community — all of which are prospective customers for us. But, it represents more to us than just building a pipeline. We value partnership and celebrate the brand association with ConnectWise.”
When talking about the INVENT team, Ricks gets candid about the difference it makes.
“I’ve always gone it alone.” says Ricks. “But it takes time, people and resources. We understand that it’s not scalable or a cost-effective model for us to do this by ourselves. ConnectWise helps us bridge the gap by putting us squarely in the place we need to be (the “marketplace”) for visibility and acting as an extension of our team.”
Becoming a certified INVENT partner is absolutely critical, according to Ricks.
“The INVENT certification process is vigorous, as it should be! It matters to customers. They want to know that you’ve been battle-tested, endorsed and recommended by ConnectWise.”
INVENT partners seem to receive an inherent lift in trust, credibility and reputation, according to Ricks. And, as certified partners “we receive other benefits to stand out amongst the competitive set. For example, they have premium placement in the marketplace and messaging tiles that are curated to communicate our value proposition.”
Adding to its opportunity set, it was while attending IT Nation Secure (held annually in Orlando, FL) —- that they discovered something truly unique: The PitchIT competition. With a class of just 27 vetted organizations competing for a top prize of $70,000, HacWare is excited about the exposure it will receive by aligning itself with ConnectWise and its 40,000+ Partners.
“As a contestant in the PitchIT competition, we are again putting ourselves in the center of a ConnectWise event that will give us another lift in brand awareness and brand recognition.”
The journey has been a successful one, and HacWare commits to continuing its promise to deliver best-in-class security awareness training and innovation to the market.
