Podcasts about isvs

On this episode of How We Got There, I am joined by Alex MacKay, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder of Tequity Advisors. He shares his start in CRM when running Siebel Canada and found his way into sell-side advisory for M&A at Tequity, with deep experience in the Salesforce ecosystem with 28 companies and counting.*If you are at Dreamforce next week, make sure to reach out to Alex or Mahnoor Naeem if you will be there too*They take a long-term view of the relationship, oftentimes getting to know a company over a period of 2-3 years to help them get ready to sell. They help demystify the journey, even serving as an informal board member in many cases.We talk a bit about lessons learned and Alex shares his advice at various stages of an ISV's journey from first customers, to a couple million in ARR, to scale.  He talks about the importance for entrepreneurs to roll out a management operating system, like EOS, to help set the business up for growth. Alex shares his advice for early-stage ISVs around speaking with customers in their language, not about your product!This episode is brought to you by Tequity Advisors . Tequity Advisors is a global sell-side M&A advisory firm with core expertise in SaaS and ISVs, Salesforce, ServiceNow, SAP, Microsoft, all things Data and AI, and the hyper scaler MSP cloud ecosystems with a focus on the Salesforce ecosystem and beyond! 

Ruston Miles, Founder and Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Bluefin and I start with the origin story: telecom roots, fiber‑rich Tulsa, and the overlooked reality of call centers that needed real‑time authorizations long before shopping carts ruled the web. Ruston explains why Bluefin moved into security early - serving higher ed, nonprofits, and faith‑based media where brand trust is everything and how that path led to P2PE. Then comes the turning point: a decision to decouple encryption from acquiring, offer P2PE as a service, and even power competitors. That platform approach now supports around 150 devices across 17 manufacturers and underpins airlines, transport systems, fuel networks, and more, often quietly and often by requirement.From there, we look ahead. Network tokens are rising, wallets are changing, and AI is pushing commerce from clicks to intent. Ruston separates hype from reality, showing how today's “agentic” automation schedules deliveries and completes checkouts, while tomorrow's agents will present payment credentials securely without platforms ever seeing raw card data. That shift demands virtual P2PE, inter‑agent boundary mediation, and standards that let authentication and encryption travel with the transaction. We also get practical: how Bluefin's P2PE‑as‑Proxy reduces integration pain, why security must keep pace with innovation, and what skills newcomers need as software continues to digest payments.If you care about payments security, PCI, P2PE, tokenization, gateways, ISVs, and the future of agentic commerce, you'll find plenty to take back to your roadmap. 

In the final episode of Powering Payments Together: How Payroc Helps ISVs Scale Smarter, we turn the spotlight on CenterEdge Software and their journey to building a payments program that drives real business value. Leslie Legel, Director of Payments at CenterEdge, joins the conversation to share how Payroc has become a trusted partner in helping them overcome challenges, strengthen their platform, and deliver a seamless experience for their clients.Leslie explains why payments are mission-critical for family entertainment centers, where more than 90 percent of transactions are digital and downtime isn't an option. From July 4th waterparks to cashless operations, reliability isn't just a nice-to-have—it's the foundation of customer satisfaction. She reflects on a tough lesson learned when a gateway integration didn't meet expectations, and how those setbacks ultimately led CenterEdge to develop a more reliable and scalable payments strategy.The episode also explores how CenterEdge built and branded “CenterEdge Payments,” giving them control over the customer journey and creating a more transparent, feature-rich solution for their clients. Leslie shares how Payroc stood out as a partner, not just for their technology and APIs, but for their willingness to understand CenterEdge's business, answer tough questions, and provide the tools and flexibility needed to scale.Finally, Leslie offers advice to ISVs navigating the high-stakes world of payments: do your homework, know your limitations, and find a partner who is as invested in your success as you are. Looking ahead, she discusses how CenterEdge and Payroc will continue to grow together, exploring new solutions and opportunities to strengthen their offering in the family entertainment space.

I am joined by Melanie Kruger, one of the best people leaders that I ever had the chance to work with. She has deep understanding of helping to scale Salesforce ISVs of all sizes. She actually found her way into the Salesforce ecosystem via networking between her husband and J Manning, bringing her to the Head of People at Conga.I got to work with Melanie twice at Conga and TaskRay and was so impressed with how she helped set culture and nurture culture so the companies could grow. Melanie shares that when she joined Conga, lots of people were generalists - Conga had a number of Business Analysts that did everything customer facing - Sales, CS, and Support. This can be a really good model of ISVs early on, but eventually specialization is required. Something similar happened at TaskRay and one of their BAs was Jon Barlow who is now a top tier enterprise AE in the ecosystem.We talk about culture and how it shifts over time, sharing her experience with Red Canary. We explore hiring pitfalls for early-stage ISVs and the importance of job descriptions. We go deep on this topic because it is so, so important to align expectations and help secure top talent as well as touching on some creative perk ideas for employees, like “two weeks to infinity”.It was a lovely conversation that blended business lessons and life lessons. This episode is brought to you by Tequity Advisors . Tequity Advisors is a global sell-side M&A advisory firm with core expertise in SaaS and ISVs, Salesforce, ServiceNow, SAP, Microsoft, all things Data and AI, and the hyper scaler MSP cloud ecosystems with a focus on the Salesforce ecosystem and beyond! 

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In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Theresa Caragol, founder and CEO of AchieveUnite, and bestselling author of Partnering Success. With decades of experience leading global channel strategies and integrations at firms like Extreme Networks and Ciena, Theresa brings deep expertise and a structured approach to unlocking the true value of partnerships. Her work, including pioneering metrics like Partner Lifetime Value, has reshaped how leading organizations build, scale, and measure partner ecosystems.We dive into the science behind high-performing partner programs, exploring why long-term partner enablement beats transactional thinking, and how hyperscalers are rewriting the rules of engagement for ISVs and tech vendors alike. Theresa also shares how organizations can quantify their partner maturity, leverage psychometric tools to accelerate partner trust, and thoughtfully adopt AI to amplify partnership success. Whether you're building a new program or optimizing an existing one, this episode is packed with strategies that resonate with today's channel professionals navigating rapid change and increased expectations.Tune in to hear why building trust, designing scalable frameworks, and taking an ecosystem-first approach is no longer optional_________________________Learn more about Channext

In Episode 143 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy sits down with Ansley Hoke, Senior Vice President of the Integrated Solutions Group at ScanSource, to discuss “stickier” solutions that VARs and ISVs can offer to merchants. Among the topics discussed are connected devices, IT aggregation, AI, and mobile device management. Hoke also shares insights into her leadership journey including how leaders need to understand “the power of pause.” “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT VARs and software providers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org. The RSPA is North America's largest community of VARs, software providers, vendors, and distributors in the retail, restaurant, grocery, and cannabis verticals. The mission of the RSPA is to accelerate the success of its members in the retail technology ecosystem by providing knowledge and connections. The organization offers member-to-member warm introductions, education, legal advice, industry advocacy, and other services to assist members with becoming and remaining successful. RSPA is most well-known for its signature events, RetailNOW and Inspire, which provide face-to-face learning and networking opportunities. Learn more by visiting www.GoRSPA.org.

In this revealing conversation with Conn Byrne, Executive Director of Integrated Payments at Payroc, we uncover the secret sauce behind their remarkably successful ISV program.Having fallen into payments during a six-week temporary position that turned into a 14-year career, Byrne brings a wealth of experience from his journey with WorldNet (acquired by Payroc in 2022) to his current role leading integrated partnerships. His perspective reveals why payment integrations fail when they focus solely on revenue shares rather than comprehensive support."My team is pretty wide at this stage," Byrne explains, describing how Payroc surrounds partners with experienced business development resources, highly skilled sales engineers, integration engineers, and their newest differentiator - a dedicated go-to-market team. This collaborative, high-touch approach means partners never wonder where to turn when challenges arise or opportunities emerge.The conversation explores how Payroc has built a truly omnichannel solution supporting over 50 payment terminals alongside comprehensive card-not-present options. Byrne illustrates this advantage through compelling examples like car wash operations, where a single integration handles everything from license plate recognition with tokenized payments to unattended terminals, mobile POS, and subscription billing.Looking forward, Payroc continues expanding its capabilities through their cloud integration method (allowing implementation in under a week), enhanced API suite, and expanded hardware support - particularly for Android devices and unattended solutions. The company's flexible partnership models create multiple entry points for ISVs at different growth stages.The most telling insight? When Payroc recently gathered their largest partners for an advisory council, the recurring themes weren't about technology or pricing - they were about trust, flexibility, and the journey they'd shared together. Some partners who began with small referrals 7-10 years ago have grown alongside Payroc into sophisticated payment operations.

OpenInfer addresses the enterprise infrastructure gap that causes 70% of edge AI deployments to fail. Founded by system architects who previously built high-throughput runtime systems at Meta (enabling VR applications on Qualcomm chips via Oculus Link) and Roblox (scaling real-time operations across millions of gaming devices), OpenInfer applies proven architectural patterns to enterprise edge AI deployment. The company targets three specific customer pain points: cost reduction for AI-always-on applications, data sovereignty requirements in regulated environments, and reliability for systems that must function regardless of connectivity. In this episode of Category Visionaries, CEO and Founder Behnam Bastani reveals how external market catalysts like DeepSeek's efficiency breakthrough transformed investor perception and validated their compute optimization thesis. Topics Discussed: System architecture pattern replication from Meta's Oculus Link to Roblox to OpenInfer The compute efficiency gap: why "throwing hardware" at AI problems creates market inefficiencies How DeepSeek's January 2025 breakthrough shifted investor sentiment from skepticism to oversubscription Customer targeting methodology: focusing on business unit leaders facing career consequences Government market discovery: air-gapped environments and data sovereignty requirements Technical demonstration strategies for overcoming the 70% edge deployment failure rate Privacy-first AI positioning unlocking previously inaccessible use cases GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Target decision-makers with career-level consequences: Rather than pursuing prospects who might "take a risk," Behnam focuses on "those that lose their jobs if they're not solving the problem" - specifically business unit leaders whose profit margins or sales metrics directly impact their career trajectory. This creates urgency that comfortable cloud users lack and accelerates deal cycles by aligning solution adoption with personal survival incentives. Leverage external market catalysts for thesis validation: OpenInfer initially faced investor pushback ("Nvidia's got everything working well. Why you think you can do anything better?") until DeepSeek's efficiency breakthrough provided third-party validation. "January hits and then there's DeepSeek... People called us, hey, you're DeepSeek on edge." Founders should identify potential external events that could validate their contrarian thesis and be prepared to capitalize when these catalysts occur. Lead with technical proof points over explanations: In markets with high failure rates, demonstrations eliminate skepticism faster than education. "We definitely have metrics, demos, and we go with those. We demonstrate what's possible... we remove this skepticalism in terms of ease of deployments, power of edge in one shot." This approach recognizes that technical buyers need confidence before curiosity. Pursue unexpected traction sources aggressively: Despite targeting enterprise ISVs, government demand emerged due to air-gapped environment requirements. "Government is actually becoming huge traction primarily because data ownership was a major topic to them." Rather than forcing initial market hypotheses, founders should redirect resources toward segments showing organic product-market fit signals, even when they require different sales processes. Build credibility through architectural pattern repetition: Investors backed OpenInfer because "we are the people that have built this twice, scaled it to millions." Repeating proven technical patterns across different contexts creates sustainable competitive advantages that new entrants cannot replicate without similar experience depth.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co   //   Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM 

Integrated payments are reshaping the industry, but success looks very different depending on whether you're an ISV or an ISO. This week, James Shepherd sits down with Ashley Willson, a consultant who works with both software companies and ISOs, to share her unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in integrated payments. With experience on both sides of the equation, Ashley offers practical insights into where the market is headed and how to navigate it. Then, Patti Murphy joins James for Today in Payments to cover the latest industry trends, including new statistics on surcharging programs and what they mean for the future.

In the first episode of our three-part series with Payroc, Powering Payments Together: How Payroc Helps ISVs Scale Smarter, I sit down with Payroc President Adam Oberman to explore the shifting landscape of integrated payments. Once seen as a simple feature, payments have now become the financial backbone of successful software companies.Adam explains why the relationship between ISVs and their payment partners has never been more strategic. The most successful software providers now generate 20–40% of their revenue through payments, making it a critical driver of both growth and valuation. As he puts it, “ISVs don't outgrow payments - they outgrow their payment partners.”We discuss how market expectations have evolved dramatically. ISVs are demanding global payment capabilities from day one - multi-currency processing, cross-border compliance, and frictionless user experiences are now table stakes. At the same time, the integration process itself has shifted toward low-code solutions that enable faster deployment without sacrificing functionality.What stands out most in Adam's perspective is the human element of payments. Clean APIs may get an integration live, but it's strategic guidance, problem-solving, and white-glove support that build long-term partnerships. “People do business with people,” Adam emphasizes, highlighting why technical capability must always be paired with trust and service.Looking ahead to 2026, Adam predicts payments will no longer be viewed as a utility but as a core competitive advantage. Companies that fail to prioritize their payment strategy risk falling behind more agile competitors not just in features, but in valuation and market position.Whether you're an established ISV or just beginning to explore embedded payments, this episode offers essential insights into selecting a partner who can scale with you, adapt to change, and deliver value far beyond transaction processing.

In Episode 142 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy sits down with John Giles, President of ISV Round 2 POS, to discuss the retail IT VAR of the future. Giles begins with a tour of his VAR company, Butler Business Systems in Butler, PA, and then provides his thoughts on designing a “VAR for our kids' generation,” why he continues to bet on the channel, expected business model changes for VARs and ISVs, and actions resellers should take so they are a VAR of the Future. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT VARs and software providers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org. The RSPA is North America's largest community of VARs, software providers, vendors, and distributors in the retail, restaurant, grocery, and cannabis verticals. The mission of the RSPA is to accelerate the success of its members in the retail technology ecosystem by providing knowledge and connections. The organization offers member-to-member warm introductions, education, legal advice, industry advocacy, and other services to assist members with becoming and remaining successful. RSPA is most well-known for its signature events, RetailNOW and Inspire, which provide face-to-face learning and networking opportunities. Learn more by visiting www.GoRSPA.org. 

I am joined by Ben McCarthy, Founder of Salesforce Ben, Lab.club and advisor to a number of great companies in the ecosystem like AscendX, Tequity Advisors, and PipeLaunch. We talk about his journey from university to stumbling upon Salesforce and then after being called SalesforceBoy grew into Salesforce Ben. We talk about how to approach thought leadership, holding nothing back from the reader. Give back and give value and best practices without selling first. Obviously your offering will help more, but for basic use cases consider helping those salesforce users solve their problem without using your solution. There will be time to position your premium solution once trust is established.People in the ecosystem will know of Salesforce Ben and Ben himself, but some ISVs might not know that you can actually engage with SFB to help engage the Salesforce community with things like sponsored content, thought leadership, dreamforce activations and more. Their team has data and expertise to help guide ISVs on what works and what doesn't to drive conversions. We talk about the state of the ecosystem around things like events and how it's changed over the last decade. Experimenting with things like video and shorts vs. things like white papers. Speaking of exploration, Ben also gives his point of view on how and why they launched NowBen, a similar platform to Salesforce Ben but focused on the ServiceNow ecosystem. I think everyone can learn from his point of view on this topic.Make sure you follow Gearset and Elements.Cloud with Kevin Boyle and Ian Gotts, respectively. Here is the link to Salesforce Ben's parties and events guide for Dreamforce 2025 next month. https://www.salesforceben.com/official-dreamforce-parties-and-events-guide-2025/ This episode is brought to you by Tequity Advisors . Tequity Advisors is a global sell-side M&A advisory firm with core expertise in SaaS and ISVs, Salesforce, ServiceNow, SAP, Microsoft, all things Data and AI, and the hyper scaler MSP cloud ecosystems with a focus on the Salesforce ecosystem and beyond! 

Consumer financing has become a critical offering for merchants—and an opportunity for ISOs, agents, and ISVs to differentiate. In this week's episode, James Shepherd interviews Bob Lovinger from FlexBuy to explore their white label consumer financing solution and recent acquisition of Koalafi's coaching finance division. Learn how FlexBuy helps merchants provide access to capital, increase conversions, and strengthen customer loyalty. Then, in Today in Payments, James and Patti Murphy discuss the results of a recent survey showing merchants' strong demand for access to capital from their payment providers—sometimes enough to switch processors. They also cover other timely stories shaping the payments landscape.

A panel discussion with AI industry leaders revealing how enterprises are scaling AI today, with predictions on coming breakthroughs for AI and the impact on Fortune 500 companies and beyond.Topics Include:Three technical leaders discuss production challenges: security, interoperability, and scaling agentic systemsPanelists represent Enkrypt (security), Anyscale (infrastructure), and CrewAI (agent orchestration platforms)Industry moving from flashy demos to dependable agents with real business outcomesBreakthrough examples include 70-page IRS form processing and multimodal workflow automationMultimodal data integration becoming crucial - incorporating video, audio, screenshots into decisionsLess than 10% of future applications expected to be text-onlyCompanies shifting from experimenting with individual models to deploying agent networksNeed for governance frameworks as enterprises scale to hundreds of agentsGrowing software stack complexity requires specialized infrastructure between applications and GPUsSecurity teams need centralized visibility across fragmented agent deployments across enterprisesExisting industry regulations apply to AI services - no special AI laws neededInteroperability standards debate: MCP gaining adoption while A2A seems premature solutionMCP shows higher API reliability than OpenAI tool calling for implementationsMultimodal systems more vulnerable to attacks but value proposition too high ignoreFortune 500 company automated price operations approval process using 630 brands data87% of enterprise customers deploy agents in private VPCs or on-premises infrastructureSpecialized AI systems needed to oversee other agents at machine speed scalesCost optimization through model specialization rather than always using most powerful modelsFuture learning may happen through context/prompting rather than traditional weight fine-tuningPredictions include AI meeting moderators and agents working autonomously for hoursParticipants:Robert Nishihara - Co-founder, AnyscaleJoão Moura - CEO, CrewAISahil Agarwal - Co-Founder & CEO, Enkrypt AIJillian D'Arcy - Sr. ISV Sales Leader, Amazon Web ServicesFurther Links:Anyscale – Website | LinkedIn | AWS MarketplaceCrewAI - Website | LinkedIn | AWS MarketplaceEnkrypt AI - Website | LinkedIn | AWS MarketplaceSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon.com/isv/

AWS executives reveal how generative AI is fundamentally reshaping ISV business models, from pricing strategies to go-to-market approaches, and provide actionable insights for software companies navigating this transformation.Topics Include:Alayna Broaderson and Andy Perkins introduce AWS Infrastructure Partnerships and ISV SalesGenerative AI profoundly changing how ISVs build, deliver and market software productsTwo ISV categories emerging: established SaaS companies versus pure gen AI startupsLegacy SaaS firms struggle with infrastructure modernization and potential revenue cannibalizationPure gen AI companies face scaling challenges, reliability issues and cost optimizationRevenue models shifting from subscription-based to consumption-based pricing per token/prompt/taskFuture-proofing architecture critical as technology evolves rapidly like F-35 fighter jetsData becoming key differentiator, especially domain-specific datasets in healthcare and legalBalancing cost, accuracy, latency and customer experience creates complex optimization challengesMultiple specialized models replacing single solutions, with agentic AI accelerating this trendHuman capital challenges include retraining engineering teams and finding expensive AI talentSecurity, compliance and explainability now mandatory - no more black box solutionsEnterprise customers struggle with data organization and quantifying clear gen AI ROIISV pricing models evolving with tiered structures and targeted vertical use casesTraditional SaaS playbooks failing in generative AI landscape due to ROI uncertaintyPOC-based go-to-market with free trials and case study selling proving most effectivePricing strategies include AI gates, credit systems and separate SKUs for servicesCustomer trust requires proactive security messaging and auditable, transparent AI solutionsModular architecture enables evolution as new technologies emerge in fast-changing marketAWS positioning as ultimate gen AI toolkit partner with ISV collaboration opportunitiesParticipants:Alayna Broaderson - Sr Manager, Infrastructure Technology Partnership, Amazon Web ServicesAndy Perkins - General Manager, US ISV, Amazon Web ServicesSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon.com/isv/

It is no secret that ISOs are looking for integrated payments partnerships, while ISVs want access to payments industry distribution, but so far, these partnerships have not lived up to the hype. In this week's episode, James Shepherd shares the 6 reasons why ISOs and ISVs have not worked well together so far and what both sides can do about it. Then, James is joined by Patti Murphy for a Today in Payments segment covering the latest news and trends shaping the payments industry.

In this episode of the Fintech One-on-One podcast, we talk with Paulette Rowe, CEO of Stax, a payments technology company that's making waves in the embedded payments space by taking a fundamentally different approach than many competitors. Rather than simply reselling services from payment processing giants, Stax has built and acquired the technology to own their entire stack, from gateway to clearing and settlement. This strategic decision allows them to move faster, provide better data, and offer more flexibility to their clients, particularly in the vertical SaaS and ISV market where they are seeing rapid growth.Paulette, who brings a unique perspective from her extensive payments experience across both the UK and US markets, discusses how Stax differentiates itself in the competitive embedded payments landscape, their innovative Stax Connect Plus offering that helps ISVs dramatically improve payment attachment rates, and how AI is already transforming their customer support operations. The conversation also explores the future of payments innovation, including the potential for agentic AI in e-commerce and Stax's international expansion plans.In this podcast you will learn:Paulette's career arc and the journey to the CEO job at Stax.How the US payments landscape differs from the UK and Europe.The comprehensive payments solutions provided by Stax.How they work with ISVs (independent software providers).The two acquisitions they have made in the past two years.Why they developed Stax Connect Plus.How Stax differentiates itself in the ISV embedded payments market.How they compete with the Stripes and Squares of the world.What markets Stax operates in today.Paulette's thoughts on the new payments rails being developed.How they have been using AI internally and then, Benji for customer support.How they are preparing for Agentic AI for e-commerce.The biggest opportunities in the future for Stax.Connect with Fintech One-on-One: Tweet me @PeterRenton Connect with me on LinkedIn Find previous Fintech One-on-One episodes

Spencer Herrick, Principal AI Product Manager of Asana and Oliver Myers of AWS demonstrate how their integration allows Asana's AI workflows to access enterprise data from Amazon Q Business, enabling seamless cross-application automation and insights.Topics Include:Oliver Myers leads Amazon Q Business go-to-market, Spencer Herrick manages Asana AI products.Session focuses on end user productivity challenges with generative AI technology implementations.End users face technology overload with doubled workplace application usage over five years.Data silos prevent getting maximum value from generative AI across fragmented enterprise systems.Workers spend 53% of time on "work about work" instead of strategic contributions.Ideal experience needs single pane of glass with cross-application insights and actions.Amazon Q Business launched as managed service with 40+ enterprise data connectors.Connectors maintain end-user permissions from source systems for enterprise security compliance.QIndex feature enables ISVs to access Q Business data via API calls.End users get answers enriched with multiple data sources without switching applications.Asana's work graph connects all tasks, projects, and portfolios to company goals.Phase 1 AI focused on narrow solutions like smart status updates.Phase 2 aimed for AI teammate capabilities requiring extensive contextual knowledge.AI Studio launched as no-code workflow automation builder within Asana platform.Q integration allows AI Studio to access cross-application context beyond Asana boundaries.SmartChat enhanced with Q can answer "what should I work on today?" holistically.Users returning from PTO can quickly understand goal risks across data sources.AI Studio workflows automate feature request processing across Asana, Drive, Slack, email.Partnership eliminates silos while maintaining enterprise security and permission controls.Integration creates connected ecosystem enabling true cross-application AI automation and insights.Participants:Spencer Herrick - Principal AI Product Manager, AsanaOliver Myers - Worldwide Head of Business Development, Amazon Web ServicesFurther Links:Asana.comAsana on AWS MarketplaceSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon.com/isv/

Andie Hill's career defies traditional paths. From searching newspaper classifieds to becoming Executive Vice President of Agent Sales at Payroc, her journey illustrates how authenticity and relationship-building create leadership success in the payments industry."Being relevant and authentic" defines modern leadership for Hill. Throughout our conversation, she dismantles the myth that leaders must present a perfect image, emphasizing instead that showing up as your genuine self - even on difficult days - creates stronger connections and more effective outcomes. This philosophy has guided her through positions at industry giants including First Data, Vantiv, and Visa before her current role at Payroc.Technology emerges as both challenge and opportunity throughout our discussion. As Hill notes, "We just feel like we started to really get a good handle on integration and ISVs, and now here comes AI." She predicts even more seamless payment experiences in the near future, such as phone-to-phone transfers happening with a simple tap rather than through apps. This perspective emphasizes how payment professionals must constantly anticipate and adapt to technological shifts.Perhaps most valuable for emerging professionals is Hill's insight on mentorship. Rather than formal programs with rigid schedules, she credits casual conversations at industry events and networking opportunities for her most transformative professional relationships. "Some of the best mentorship I've ever had were the people that I've met sitting at a registration desk," she shares, encouraging young professionals to proactively seek these connections rather than waiting for formal introductions.Have you considered a career in payments? As Hill advises, "Don't let the noise scare you." Despite its technical complexity, the industry remains accessible and rewarding for those willing to embrace learning. Take the first step - reach out to someone in the field today and start your own payments journey.

I am joined by Blakely Graham, who is a board advisor to Left Main REI, host of the Not All Business Podcast, Founder and former CEO of TaskRay⁠. This one was a long time coming. On a personal note, my time at TaskRay was some of my most formative. I found a balance while there between my previous experience of excellence with true work life balance and a focus on values that stays with me. I am so grateful that Blakely and team took a chance in hiring me for a role that I was almost kind of qualified for and her friendship since then.I'll do my best to summarize this episode, but it's more than worth a listen because I don't have enough characters to summarize it all. Blakely's Salesforce journey starts in 2001 and spans a ton of roles and experiences. We dig deep into her experience founding TaskRay 15 years ago in 2010 as Bracket Labs as one of the early ISVs on the AppExchange where VCs told her that her business was not investable and it was "a lifestyle business" at best because the Salesforce ecosystem was too small. She grew it in spite of that and by the time they sold the business, they were getting endless inbound interest.We talk about culture and values and why they were so important to her and the team at TaskRay. One of the core values was Connection that was the inspiration for Project Connection where the founders and I went to 5 cities and sat across the table from over 20 customers without an agenda outside of learning how our customers used the app. It drove focus for years to come that had nearly endless valuable outcomes like clarity of product roadmap, dramatically reduced churn, drove brand/marketing strategy, and much more. She shares how founder conflict snuck up on her with Eric Wu as well as how they (eventually) resolved it. As we switched gears to talk about gtm, Blakely shares how TaskRay evolved from the primary source of leads being the AppExchange with mostly SMB customers to more enterprise selling with content strategies, partnership motions, events, and more knobs we turned. The lesson is you are going to try stuff - some will work, some won't but you have to innovate and measure.We talk about how to select and what you can expect from an advisor. At TaskRay, we rolled an advisor program out modeled after a talk Blakely listened to from Andy Wilson, founder of Logikcull. Shoutout to Phil Stern who was my sales leader advisor at TaskRay who helped me avoid many mistakes.Show notes:Jolene Chan's LinkedIn where she was talking about a personal board of directors: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolenec/Not All Business podcast with Heather Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/company/not-all-business/Podcast with Andy Wilson from Logikcull where he discusses his advisor program that we modeled TaskRay's after: it starts at 14:05 and lasts 4 minutes  starts at 14:05 and lasts 4 minutes -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saastr-236-logikcull-ceo-andy-wilson-on-%240-to-%2410m/id1089973241?i=1000439148009This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠Invisory⁠⁠⁠. Invisory is designed to meet you where you are: in your cloud marketplace journey through a strong go-to-market strategy that helps drive prospect and co-sell opportunities with Salesforce, AWS, Microsoft, and Google. 

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I explore how ServiceNow and Nicus Software are teaming up to deliver a financial intelligence layer that helps enterprises optimize their cloud, AI, and IT spending by unifying data across finance, IT, and business units.Highlights00:08 — ServiceNow is working with a partner, Nicus, to deliver a financial intelligence layer for enterprise tech. Interesting angle here: It's trying not just to consolidate the numbers, but to go beyond that. It involves multiple parts of the organization working in concert to really get not only the best data but also the ability to act on it.00:34 — Tom Smith had a conversation with Ron Wastal, the Chief Ecosystem and Partner Officer at Nycus. Wastal described how this works for companies. It's in the category of Technology Business Management, but goes beyond that. Nicus is trying to bring financial teams, IT teams, engineering, and lines of business together to share this intelligence and collaborate.01:22 — Again, this isn't just about saying, “Hey, here's how much is going on.” It's about answering: Where is it happening? Why is it happening? How is it contributing or not contributing to business outcomes? That way, they can optimize the substantial dollars being poured into cloud and AI spending. These optimizations can really add up.02:11 — Why ServiceNow in particular? Why did Nicus want to work with them? Ron explained that the IT data for many big companies lives in ServiceNow databases. That's where they can find out what's really going on. Tapping into those massive data stores allows them to have a huge impact.02:38 — What Nicus does is put a financial intelligence layer on top of that IT data to enable a cycle of understanding, tracking, and optimizing IT spend. It's also leveraging ServiceNow's unique workflows and cutting-edge AI capabilities to take action on these insights. That's the difference Nycus sees in what it does versus others.03:13 — Nicus has developed two specific applications—one for costing and one for planning. These apps are used across the platform to deliver a comprehensive picture of what's going on. This is another example of how ServiceNow is working with world-class partners and ISVs to deliver great business outcomes for customers.This episode is sponsored by ServiceNow. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Build AI-powered apps that connect directly to Microsoft 365 content without moving files or compromising security, using SharePoint Embedded. SharePoint Embedded is a fully managed, cloud-based, API-only document management system that lets you securely integrate your custom web or mobile apps, whether built on Azure or other clouds, with Microsoft 365 file storage. It's especially ideal for ISVs building multi-tenant apps because content stays within each customer's Microsoft 365 tenant. Design apps that include Microsoft 365 Copilot and agent capabilities, connected Office experiences like Word, and Microsoft Purview compliance and data protection, all within your own user experience. Use built-in retrieval augmented generation (RAG) or bring your own models to create intelligent, secure solutions that reason over your business content, support real-time co-authoring, and scale with granular permissions and storage control. Jeremy Chapman, Microsoft 365 Director, shares how to build intelligent, secure solutions that integrate seamlessly with Microsoft 365 content and services. ► QUICK LINKS:  00:00 - Keep content secure & compliant without moving it 01:21 - Build fully custom experiences 02:11 - Use built-in vector indexing and RAG 02:55 - Use your models with Copilot's vector search 04:34 - How it works 05:23 - How the app is built 06:19 - Microsoft Copilot retrieval API 06:58 - Security and compliance 08:02 - Wrap up ► Link References Build your first agent at https://aka.ms/SPEAgent ► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics? As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft. • Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries • Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog • Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast ► Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social: • Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSFTMechanics • Share knowledge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-mechanics/ • Enjoy us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msftmechanics/ • Loosen up with us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@msftmechanics

In this episode of the Office of the CFO Podcast, John Siefert hosts Rob Ashe, VP of North America, SignUp Software, and Blaine Grzegorek, Senior Solution Architect, Sikich, for a conversation on the benefits of partnering with ISVs, top considerations when selecting an ISV, and the impact of AI agents.Key Takeaways:  Risks of building your own solutions: One major risk that's becoming more prominent is having the expertise in-house to build custom solutions. Another hurdle is the upfront costs compared to subscription costs associated with many ISVs. Oftentimes, Ashe notes, "You have to spend a lot of capital on new tools...to make this new solution or change a process." Grzegorek suggests a third challenge which is meeting compelx needs. Oftentimes, industry expertise is also required, as you may be able to build the technology but might not be ready to translate the business needs to the ERP.Benefits of partnering with an ISV: A big reason organizations turn to ISVs is that they develop purpose-built solutions to address multiple different situations and multiple industries. "That's what I've found clients like about it, there might be a core functionality out of the box but it doesn't really handle every scenario," Grzegorek says. Working with ISVs provides expertise in various industries to consult with to address specific issues and needs.Considerations: Because ISVs work on these types of projects regularly, they are aware of more elements to take into consideration. For instance, Ashe describes how ISVs look at the landscape within Dynamics 365. It's important to consider how the solution will integrate with existing systems, how it will impact security, where data is being sourced from, and more.Selecting an ISV: When selecting an ISV, there are some qualities you should look for to ensure unexpected situations are taken care of. "The documentation they have, that speaks a lot to what they're able to contribute on an ongoing basis," Grzegorek says. Clients are looking for partnership, and working with an ISV is a partnership. You want to be confident that you can reach out to your ISV and get answers right away. "It's hard to see that before you actually start that partnership, so I go to that documentation of what the solution has, what it solves, and if that stuff is detailed...that is a huge indicator." Initial interactions with them are also a good sign of this.Multiple ISV solutions from a single vendor: It's always beneficial to have an ISV that can provide multiple solutions in different areas. One thing to look out for, Grzegorek highlights, is to make sure that the ISV has good alignment internally. Integration time is also a major focus, considering whether you have to integrate or if it's embedded in the system.AI agents and Microsoft Dynamics 365: While the solutions themselves are very powerful, AI agents can add a new level of efficiency. Ashe shares an example of how individuals are now running teams of agents to automate various functions. There are agents fulfilling individual functions within Dynamics 365 that customers are already using, so SignUp Software is like an extension of the platform and the workload. "We feel like we have a really strong value proposition to bring back to Microsoft to leverage the strength and the roadmap of the platform, but then also have immediately valuable solutions that they can take advantage of now," Ashe says.This episode is sponsored by SignUp Software. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Looking for CPQ solutions and expert advice? In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we're joined by Julian Hodges, Co-Founder of Sneeyeg, a ServiceNow system integrator specializing in CPQ, billing, and enterprise transformation. With over 20 years of experience from Amdocs, CloudSense, and Salesforce, Julian shares invaluable insights on achieving CPQ success. Discover why strong governance and effective modeling are crucial, and how focusing on business outcomes drives project success. Julian also discusses AI/ML in CPQ for cross-sell and up-sell, the challenges of customization versus configuration, and why large enterprises trust Sneeyeg for CPQ leadership. Tune in for essential CPQ guidance! He also dives into: Sneeyeg's 100% focus on ServiceNow and partnerships with ISVs like Logik.ai and Aria Systems The challenges of customization vs. configuration in modern CPQ implementations How AI/ML is transforming CPQ—especially in cross-sell, up-sell, and retention strategies Why large enterprises in telco, tech, and utilities look to Sneeyeg for CPQ leadership What makes productization a smart move for services firms—and what Sneeyeg is planning next This episode is packed with real-world advice for CPQ professionals, ServiceNow customers, and anyone interested in scaling smarter with AI, governance, and business-led configuration.

Selling payments is changing—and software is leading the way. In this week's episode, James Shepherd sits down with Rob Kyle from the Full Stack Payments team to break down the real-world sales process of bundling payments and vertical-specific software. From handling demos to coordinating handoffs with ISVs, James and Rob share insights on how to close deals in today's integrated environment. If you're ready to evolve your sales strategy and generate residuals through Full Stack's lead program, this episode is for you.

I am joined by Sam Yarborough, the Chief Growth Officer at Invisory and a co-founder at Arcadia. Sam and I met at a New York World Tour years ago where she shared her experience at PFL and taking a much more focused approach to partnerships than is typical in the ecosystem. Treat partners (AEs, SEs, RVPs, SIs, etc.) like customers by leveraging the CRM to track activities for them and give them a great partner experience. We talk about being like Tommy Boy and getting overly excited about things like Financial Services Cloud and Work.com when it was good for Salesforce but not necessarily good for us as ISVs. Salesforce can take more risks than small ISVs can with excitement with actionable advice around trusting but verifying stoke you hear from a single RVP.We touch on how ISVs should be thinking about their Agentforce strategy and how to test your approach to the new technology, but make sure it makes sense for your market and your resources. If you don't have anything right now, that's ok but make sure you put an AI concept on your roadmap to make sure you have a narrative at the ready to share.Sam is a brilliant mind and a good friend and I hope you enjoy this podcast episode. This episode is brought to you by Invisory. Invisory is designed to meet you where you are: in your cloud marketplace journey through a strong go-to-market strategy that helps drive prospect and co-sell opportunities with Salesforce, AWS, Microsoft, and Google. 

HighlightsGoogle Cloud's AI Revolution and Customer Success (00:10)Renner talks about how, for Google Cloud, delivering great outcomes for customers must come before achieving returns. Efforts are underway to push brainpower and expertise directly to customers, while simplifying the sales process by infusing more industry-specific knowledge. Customers are focused on realizing tangible business outcomes with AI.Google Cloud's Ecosystem and Partner Ecosystem (02:02)Google Cloud is the fastest-growing company in the Cloud Wars, achieving $12 billion in revenue last quarter. A sharp focus on business outcomes, paired with a robust ecosystem of expertise, is credited for this success. Renner discusses Google Cloud's partner ecosystem development under Kevin Ichhpurani, president, global partner ecosystem. Growth across the partner ecosystem, including SIs, ISVs, and boutique functional experts, remains a key driver of momentum.Customer Success and Innovation at Google Cloud Next (03:46)Innovation and customer success were on full display at Google Cloud Next in Las Vegas, with major product launches and enthusiastic customer testimonials. Marking his two-year anniversary, Renner reflects on how AI has accelerated customer success' evolution. The volume of customer stories and advocacy is proof of exceptionally high engagement. Many customers have already moved beyond experimentation into full production.Customer Mindset and Business Outcomes (06:09)Today's customers are reimagining what's possible through AI, marking a profound shift in mindset. Renner talks about the eagerness and commitment of Google's engineering and consulting teams to work side-by-side with customers. As customers become more sophisticated, they are increasingly focused on identifying business impact and making strategic investments. A collaborative and creative problem-solving approach is central to how Google Cloud delivers value.Budget Shifts and Business Engagement (07:37)AI adoption is driving a major shift in spending away from traditional IT control toward broader enterprise engagement. Renner notes that while business engagement has always been important, AI has accelerated the breakdown of old barriers across industries. Teams are approaching go-to-market strategies more mindfully. Verticalization and deep industry focus have become essential in driving business outcomes.Ecosystem Growth and Customer Demand (11:17)Google Cloud's ecosystem continues to expand, with ISVs and SIs playing an increasingly critical role. Renner points to partnerships with Salesforce, ServiceNow, and others as key to expanding Google Cloud's reach, building credibility, and scaling to meet growing customer demand. The expansion of regional SIs is equally important, ensuring global customer needs are met effectively.Google Cloud's Growth and Market Position (13:23)Renner attributes Google Cloud's leadership as the fastest-growing company in the Cloud Wars to its focus on customer business outcomes. This strategy has fueled new customer acquisition, a growing sales backlog, and sustained high demand. AI is transforming how Google Cloud engages with customers, driving growth across every product line and deepening its market position.Leadership and Team Enabling (15:35)Under the leadership of CEO Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud has made extraordinary strides in customer success and growth. Renner praises Kurian's passion, energy, and clarity of vision. A major focus remains on providing field teams with the right assets, tools, and alignment to be successful. The addition of new talent to oversee the customer experience journey, reflects Google Cloud's commitment to strengthening its leadership bench.Final Thoughts and Future Plans (18:32)Renner shares his appreciation for the opportunity to reflect on Google Cloud's strategic focus and achievements. The interview closes with a reaffirmation of the AI revolution's significance and Google Cloud's central role in shaping the future of business innovation. The outlook is positive.Google Cloud's central role in shaping the future of business innovation. The outlook is positive. This episode is sponsored by Google Cloud.---The content displayed on the platform is the intellectual property of Acceleration Economy. You may reuse, republish, or reprint such content with attribution: Content by cloudwars.comAll information posted is informational purposes. Should you decide to act upon any information on this website, you do so at your own risk. While the information on this platform has been verified to the best of our abilities, we cannot guarantee that there are no mistakes or errors.We reserve the right to change this policy at any given time.  

This episode is sponsored by Netsuite by Oracle, the number one cloud financial system, streamlining accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, and more.NetSuite is offering a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program.    Head to  https://netsuite.com/EYEONAI to know more. AWS partnered with Forrester Research to understand how software providers (ISVs), in particular, plan to drive profitable growth with generative AI, how they are uniquely approaching generative AI development, and the key challenges they're facing.   In this conversation with Jeffrey Hammond, Global ISV Product Strategist at AWS, he dives into the findings of the research and discusses how — particularly with AWS's help — ISVs can drive profitable growth and succeed in the gen AI gold rush.   Jeffrey helps software product management leaders leverage AWS cloud services to accelerate product delivery, create new revenue streams, reduce technical debt, and optimize operational costs.   You'll learn: Why “toil reduction” is the fastest path to GenAI ROI How AWS's GenAI Innovation Center helps companies cut costs and ship faster What most ISVs get wrong about trust, security, and customer communication The secret to scalable AI product pricing—and what Canva got right Why agentic workflows and federated models are the next frontier in software   Whether you're building on AWS or just exploring GenAI adoption, this conversation is packed with frameworks, examples, and strategy. Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X:https://x.com/craigss Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI (00:00) The Future of Work with Generative AI   (03:20) Inside AWS: How Jeffrey Supports AI Innovation   (06:00) What the Forrester Survey Reveals About AI Adoption   (09:15) From Hype to Value: Building Real GenAI Use Cases   (13:45) How ISVs Are Reducing Toil and Driving Efficiency   (17:10) Balancing Innovation with Trust and Security   (22:00) AWS Programs That Help ISVs Win with AI   (28:00) GenAI Product Strategy: Accuracy, Cost & Pricing Models   (34:30) Overcoming Infrastructure Challenges in GenAI   (39:45) The Rise of Agentic Workflows and Interoperability   (46:00) The Biggest Tech Disruption in Decades?

In ERP news this week, Certinia announced its Spring 2025 release, loaded with features to give businesses more foresight, flexibility, and intelligence. In other news, Rootstock Software announced the launch of its new Tariff Management Central, a comprehensive approach designed to help manufacturers manage the operational and financial impact of shifting global tariffs with greater speed, accuracy, and agility. Finally, Qlik launched Qlik for ISVs – a new dedicated team and set of capabilities built on Qlik's end-to-end cloud platform, tailored to the needs of independent software vendors.Connect with us!https://www.erpadvisorsgroup.com866-499-8550LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/erp-advisors-groupTwitter:https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgrpFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisorsInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/erpadvisorsgroupPinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/erpadvisorsgroupMedium:https://medium.com/@erpadvisorsgroup

Dustin Siner, Chief Revenue Officer at Payarc, brings 27 years of payments industry expertise and a fascinating journey that began with a psychology degree and a brief stint as a rehabilitation counselor. His therapeutic background proved surprisingly valuable in navigating the complex payments landscape, where relationship building remains the cornerstone of success despite technological advances.Fresh from Payarc's recognition as ISO of the Year at the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), Dustin reveals the secret behind their meteoric rise - "The Payarc Way." This philosophy, built on integrity, empathy, courage, knowledge, and caring, guides how the company supports its network of 1,400+ independent agents, ISOs, and ISVs who generate an impressive 95% of their business.While many competitors devalue the independent agent channel, Payarc doubles down on relationships with dedicated managers, responsive support teams, and proprietary technology platforms designed exclusively for partners. Their Partner Hub provides comprehensive tools for the entire sales process, from application to approval, while their suite of payment solutions offers partners competitive advantages in a crowded marketplace.What truly distinguishes Payarc is their approach to artificial intelligence through their PIE AI program. Rather than replacing human interaction, they enhance it - helping partners analyze statements with PIE Agent Advisor, predict customer churn with PIE Churn, and enable merchants to gain business insights through natural language queries with PIE Merchant Advisor.For agents, ISOs, and ISVs seeking a partner that values relationships as much as innovation in an increasingly consolidated market, Payarc offers a refreshing alternative where technology and humanity work together to drive mutual success.

Linda Ivy-Rosser, Vice President for Forrester, outlines the evolution of business applications and forward thinking predictions of their future.Topics Include:Linda Ivy-Rosser has extensive business applications experience since the 1990s.Business applications historically seen as rigid and lethargic.1990s: On-premise software with limited scale and flexibility.2000s: SaaS emergence with Salesforce, AWS, and Azure.2010s: Mobile-first applications focused on accessibility.Present: AI-driven applications characterize the "AI economy."Purpose of applications evolved from basic to complex capabilities.User expectations grew from friendly interfaces to intelligent systems.Four agreements: AI-infused, composable, cloud-native, ecosystem-driven.AI-infused: 69% consider essential/important in vendor selection.Composability expected to grow in importance with API architectures.Cloud-native: 79% view as foundation for digital transformation.Ecosystem-driven: 68% recognize importance of strategic alliances.Challenges: integration, interoperability, data accessibility, user adoption.43% prioritizing cross-functional workflow and data accessibility capabilities.Tech convergence recycles as horizontal strategy for software companies.Data contextualization crucial for employee adoption of intelligent applications.Explainable AI necessary to build trust in recommendations.Case study: 83% of operators rejected AI recommendations without explanations.Tulip example demonstrated three of four agreements successfully.Software giants using strategic alliances as competitive advantage.AWS offers comprehensive AI infrastructure, platforms, models, and services.Salesforce created ecosystem both within and outside their platform.SaaS marketplaces bridge AI model providers and businesses.Innovation requires partnerships between software vendors and ISVs.Enterprises forming cohorts with startups to solve business challenges.Software supply chain transparency increasingly important.Government sector slower to adopt cloud and AI technologies.Change resistance remains significant challenge for adoption.69% prioritize improving innovation capability over next year.Participants:Linda Ivy-Rosser - Vice President, Enterprise Software, IT services and Digital Transformation Executive Portfolio, ForresterSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon/isv/

In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we sit down with Tom Stergios, co-founder of Craton Consulting, to explore his 35-year journey in the Quote-to-Cash space. Tom shares his experiences building high-impact consulting teams, including his leadership at ATG, where he scaled a 600-person Quote-to-Cash practice later acquired by Cognizant. We dive into Craton's role in the CPQ ecosystem, helping ISVs, system integrators, and investors navigate complex challenges. Tom discusses key trends in Salesforce CPQ and Billing, the challenges faced by what he calls "orphan revenue cloud customers," and how his firm helps businesses evaluate their best path forward. Beyond consulting, we explore AI's growing role in CPQ, from automating provisioning and billing to enhancing sales and customer success. Tom also highlights the future of AI monetization, the shift toward usage-based pricing models, and what businesses must consider to stay competitive. Plus, we get a glimpse into Tom's personal journey, his deep ties to Montana, and his passion for creating opportunities through consulting and talent development. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the future of CPQ, AI, and business transformation! Craton Consulting contact information: Website: https://cratonconsulting.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-stergios/  Learn from the Craton Advisor Network https://cratonconsulting.com/craton-advisor-network/ , a collective of seasoned quote-to-cash operators boasting over 200 years of combined experience across CRO, CFO, CIO roles, and more. Get practical, 'been there done that' insights alongside Craton Consulting's expertise. Craton Affiliated Entity contact information:  https://thewholegroup.com https://www.ravusinc.com https://www.theinsightstudio.com 

Facial recognition has become common for personal mobile devices, relying on our unique biological features for security and access control. However, the technology is still somewhat controversial in the broader business world. Terry Schulenburg with CyberLink, makers of FaceMe, will help us understand the technology, how the controversy is mainly manufactured by film/TV, and the opportunity for solution providers. What industries are embracing it? What is the liability for those who sell it?    Learn More about FaceMe during Terry's appearance on ISVs on Tap!   Around the Nation: Register for TSC's RFID Encoding Webinar   #VARValue - How does facial recognition technology fit alongside the solutions VARs are already selling? When should they engage the CyberLink team, and how will they help you win opportunities?   On Our Radar Terry - AI in Hollywood Dean - Bluetooth security issues John - Who is your doctor taking money from?   Keep in Touch! Email – nation@bluestarinc.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Elo Outdoor Kiosk Solutions

The payments ecosystem is evolving rapidly, creating both challenges and opportunities for every player in the industry. In this thought-provoking conversation with Alexander Renzi and Aleks Teichman of MAPP Advisors, we dive deep into how ISOs, ISVs, banks, and fintechs can navigate this changing landscape.Alexander and Aleks bring unique perspectives from their decades of experience across all facets of the payments industry. They offer invaluable insights into the practical realities of growing a payments business today. Their firm, MAPP Advisors, works collaboratively with companies across the ecosystem, providing actionable guidance rather than theoretical advice.For ISOs facing unprecedented pressure from all angles – regulatory scrutiny, processor competition, and integrated payments solutions – the message is clear: adapt or perish. The most successful ISOs are evolving beyond transaction processing, building deeper relationships with merchants through value-added services. Bank-fintech partnerships represent another critical evolution in payments. What was once a vendor-client relationship has transformed into essential collaborative partnerships. Banks are no longer just fine print on merchant applications – they're strategic partners whose sustainability and approach are key considerations for fintechs and ISOs alike.Whether you're running an ISO, developing payments technology, or working within a financial institution, this episode offers strategic insights to help you navigate growth, regulation, and partnerships in today's complex payments landscape. 

Enterprise Connect Podcast | Technology Reseller News “You don't have to be a voice expert anymore — we've made UCaaS and CPaaS accessible for developers.” – Jim DeWald, CRO, White Label Communications In a space where voice integration can be daunting, White Label Communications is changing the narrative — offering enterprises, SaaS providers, and ISVs a new way to bring UCaaS and CPaaS capabilities into their applications without deep telephony expertise. At Enterprise Connect 2025, White Label CRO Jim DeWald and Head of Partnerships Zachary Konopka joined Technology Reseller News publisher Doug Green to share how their company is evolving its long-standing white-label platform to support enterprise-grade, developer-friendly integrations. From Turnkey UCaaS to DIY Integration Traditionally known for enabling MSPs and resellers to offer UCaaS under their own brand, White Label Communications has now exposed the full range of its UCaaS and messaging capabilities via API and webhooks. This move empowers developers and enterprise teams to embed voice, messaging, and multichannel communication directly into their own applications — creating personalized workflows and enhancing customer engagement. “We used to deliver a turnkey UCaaS business in a box,” said DeWald. “Now, we're offering a DIY model where enterprises can build their own integrations — with our platform as the foundation.” Why CPaaS Matters More Than Ever CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) is no longer optional — it's the backbone of how businesses engage customers. From appointment reminders and one-time passcodes to SMS billing alerts and chatbot interactions, CPaaS enables businesses to meet users on the channels they prefer. “Whether it's voice, text, email, or chat — we give organizations a single API that connects them to 8 or 9 channels,” said Konopka. “And with automatic failover, your message still gets through, whether the end-user is on RCS, SMS, or even email.” Bringing Enterprise-Grade Capabilities to the Channel While White Label doesn't sell directly to end users, its platform enables service providers to deliver modern, integrated communication services to enterprises — often with development times measured in days, not months. “Our clients know their end customers better than anyone,” noted DeWald. “We just give them the tools to make their offerings more sticky, more valuable, and more resilient.” From UCaaS to CPaaS and Beyond With an emphasis on modularity, ease of use, and integration speed, White Label's platform lowers the barrier to entry for voice and messaging development. Whether it's a self-storage company enabling SMS billing, or a SaaS platform adding omnichannel support, the company's white-label model lets partners maintain their brand while delivering high-impact communication features. Learn more at www.whitelabelcom.com. White Label Communications will also be attending Channel Partners in Las Vegas.  

Interskill Learning is the most awarded, widely delivered, and IBM-credentialed mainframe workforce training solution in the industry. It addresses critical mainframe skills gaps and empowers teams with scalable, cost-effective, on-demand access to an extensive, multimodal training resource-all year round.Join us as we explore how to build a strong skills pipeline and sustain the vitality of the mainframe workforce. Hear from the exceptional CEO of Interskill Learning- Darren Surch, as he reveals how targeted training can help leaders and developers overcome challenges and drive a new era of mainframe innovation. Whether you are a seasoned tech professional or simply curious, this episode is your roadmap to future-proofing your mainframe workforce!ResourcesTo learn more about Interskill Learning, visit them on the web.  Visit the ISV Ecosystem User Group on the IBM Z and LinuxONE Community for more updates on how ISVs and partners are innovating the IBM Z platform: blogs, events, videos, discussions, and more.  Join here.Subscribe to z/Action! Each month we meet some of the world's most innovative companies as they share how they're expanding horizons and driving success with IBM Z.

How will AI reshape the payments industry? This week, James Shepherd explores the role of artificial intelligence in payments, featuring a groundbreaking conversation—including the first-ever AI agent interview on the podcast! He sits down with Vlad Sadovskiy, CEO of Netevia, to discuss AI's impact on ISOs, ISVs, and merchants. Then, Patti Murphy breaks down the latest on the Credit Card Competition Act and what new regulations could mean for the industry. Don't miss this forward-looking episode!

In this episode of the Transform Sales Podcast: Sales Software Review Series, Eddie Bello

Why you should listenPeter shares his insider expertise as a former Salesforce employee on how to optimize your AppExchange listing to generate more quality leads and close more deals.Discover why most Salesforce partners struggle with the same fundamental go-to-market problems and learn the unconventional strategies that can help you stand out from the competition.Learn practical approaches to focusing your messaging, leveraging the AppExchange search algorithm, and building effective partnerships with Salesforce's marketing programs.As a Salesforce partner, I know the dread you feel when you look at your AppExchange listing that you've neglected despite knowing it could bring in the most deals. In this episode, I talk with Peter Ganza from AppXWhisperer.com who specializes in helping ISVs and Salesforce Implementation partners get more leads (and ultimately deals) through optimized AppExchange listings. Peter shares his unique approach that goes beyond traditional SEO and marketing tactics, explaining why most partners "suck at go-to-market" and how to break away from the herd mentality. Whether you're a Salesforce partner or working with another platform, you'll learn valuable strategies for standing out in crowded marketplaces and leveraging partner directories to generate business.About Peter GanzaPeter Ganza has been in the B2B tech industry for over 20 years with roles in marketing, product marketing, product management and technical support.He worked for Salesforce for 2 years as a Product Marketing Leader, building Canada's first integrated GTM program across all products and verticals. He now supports ISVs and 5SIs to get more leads on the app exchange. Resources and LinksAppxwhisperer.comPeter's LinkedIn profilePrevious episode: 594 - Picking the Right Platform: Building and Selling an 8-Figure Amazon Agency with John GhiorsoCheck out more episodes of The Paul Higgins ShowSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @PaulHigginsMentoringThe Tech Consultant's RoadmapJoin our newsletterJoin the Tech CollectiveSuggested resources

Selling Digital Solutions: Lessons for Microsoft Partners Episode 245 (Rick is based in the Toronto area) In this conversation we explore: How the buyer journey has changed – Why modern buyers are 80-90% through the process before engaging with sales. The importance of adapting sales presentations – How to tailor messaging for Microsoft, ISVs, SI partners, and end customers. Why sales professionals must become guides, not just sellers – Understanding the shift from sales pitches to consultative selling. The role of content in sales success – How different types of content (videos, white papers, case studies) attract different buyer personas. How to research meeting participants to improve sales conversations – Using LinkedIn and meeting invites to personalize communication. The three buyer personas in tech sales – The technical buyer, the business buyer, and the economic buyer, and how to address each. Common mistakes salespeople make in their presentations – Why using the same sales deck for every audience is a bad strategy. The necessity of a structured sales process – Using frameworks like CCR (Circumstance, Challenge, ROI) to guide buyers. How to nurture leads that aren't ready to buy yet – Why a lack of response doesn't mean they're uninterested. Partner relationship strategies – How to communicate effectively with Microsoft, resellers, and ISVs to strengthen collaboration. ----- About our guest, Rick McCutcheon: Rick has award the Microsoft MVP designation 11 times under the category of business applications. MVP stands for Most valuable professional. He works with Microsoft business partners, both ISV and SI/VARs. He hosts the podcast, Partner Talks and has published over 240 episodes over the last four years. Listen to PartnerTalks.com Learn more about Full Contact Selling ----- Key Learning Points from the Podcast Understanding the Buyer Journey – Buyers today do extensive research before engaging with sales professionals. Sales teams must adapt to this shift. Tailoring Your Message to Different Audiences – ISVs, SI Partners, Microsoft, and customers each need a different approach. Content is Key to Sales Success – Effective content marketing attracts potential buyers and moves them through the sales funnel. The Role of Sales as a Guide, Not a Pitchman – Sales professionals should act as trusted advisors rather than aggressive sellers. Customizing Presentations for Different Stakeholders – Sales decks should be adapted based on whether the audience includes technical, business, or economic buyers. The Importance of Researching Meeting Participants – Checking LinkedIn and attendee lists ensures tailored messaging for decision-makers. Common Sales Mistakes That Kill Deals – Using the same generic sales deck, failing to understand the buyer's journey, and pushing a hard sell. Why White Papers and Videos Work – Different types of content appeal to different buyer personas (technical, business, and economic). Avoiding Lead Misinterpretation – Researchers may never reply to a salesperson, but that doesn't mean their company isn't interested. Best Practices for Partner Relationship Management – Effective communication strategies for working with Microsoft and resellers. ----- ----more---- Your Intended Message is the podcast about how you can boost your career and business success by honing your communication skills. We'll examine the aspects of how we communicate one-to-one, one to few and one to many – plus that important conversation, one to self. In these interviews we will explore presentation skills, public speaking, conversation, persuasion, negotiation, sales conversations, marketing, team meetings, social media, branding, self talk and more.   Your host is George Torok George is a specialist in communication skills. Especially presentation. He's fascinated by the links between communication and influencing behaviors. He delivers training and coaching programs to help leaders and promising professionals deliver the intended message for greater success.   Connect with George www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgetorokpresentations/ https://www.youtube.com/user/presentationskills https://www.instagram.com/georgetorok/  

The podcast returns with a new name but is committed to the same great topics, guests, and education! This week, we begin with a brief explainer for the name change before reviewing the content topics that had the most attention in 2024. Dean gives us his thoughts on #NRF2025, and we discuss what's been "On Our Radar" since our last recording.   Check out ISVs on Tap!   On Our Radar Dean - How often should you wash your towels John - Apple settles Siri lawsuit and video games for mental health   Keep in Touch! Email – nation@bluestarinc.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Elo 70-Series Instant Rebate - Available thru June 2025!

Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are reshaping the payments landscape, but do they pose a threat or a massive opportunity? This week, James Shepherd sits down with Caleb Avery, CEO of Tilled, to discuss the evolving role of ISVs in payments, the challenges they face, and how to capitalize on the opportunities they present. Then, Patti Murphy breaks down the latest developments in interchange costs, including potential regulations and new state laws impacting fees on tips and surcharges. Don't miss this deep dive into the future of payments!

Wade Wegner was a key member of the team that helped reshape the developer landscape at Salesforce. In his conversation with Jack, Wade recounts his journey from navigating the once-dreaded development platform, to spearheading groundbreaking initiatives which we now know as SalesforceDX. He explains how the introduction of Scratch Orgs and a strategic shift to VS Code revolutionized the developer experience, transforming complex challenges into agile, collaborative opportunities.Wade breaks down the evolution of key projects, from Project Janus laying the groundwork, to early concepts like DevOps Center and Code Builder, that set the stage for today's fast-paced development environment. He also shares insights on the critical role of ISVs, the importance of strategic planning and team alignment, and the delicate balance between core features and new technologies. With his deep consulting background and a passion for collaboration, Wade reveals how building trust and strong relationships with engineering peers is essential to delivering real value and solving complex problems in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.Tune in for an engaging discussion packed with real-world lessons on innovation, teamwork, and the transformative power of a forward-thinking approach to product development.Learn more:- Gearset for SalesforceDX teams- SalesforceDX whitepaper- Gearset's Agentforce deployment solutionAbout DevOps Diaries: Salesforce DevOps Advocate Jack McCurdy chats to members of the Salesforce community about their experience in the Salesforce ecosystem. Expect to hear and learn from inspirational stories of personal growth and business success, whilst discovering all the trials, tribulations, and joy that comes with delivering Salesforce for companies of all shapes and sizes. New episodes bi-weekly on YouTube as well as on your preferred podcast platform.Podcast produced and sponsored by Gearset. Learn more about Gearset.Subscribe to Gearset's YouTube channel: https://grst.co/4cTAAxmLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gearsetX/Twitter: https://x.com/GearsetHQFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gearsethqChapters:00:00 Introduction to Wade Wagner and SalesforceDX03:04 The Evolution of Salesforce Developer Experience05:52 Wade's Transition from Microsoft to Salesforce08:55 The Birth of SalesforceDX and Project Janus11:54 Building a Cohesive Product Suite14:47 The Role of ISVs in Salesforce's Success17:54 Innovations in Developer Tools and Practices25:48 Revolutionizing Salesforce Interaction27:09 The Developer Experience and Salesforce DX28:22 Building the CLI: A Game Changer30:53 Transitioning to VS Code: A Strategic Move33:24 The Evolution of DevOps Center34:43 Challenges in Innovation and Development36:54 Understanding Packaging and Its Complexity39:23 Navigating Change in Salesforce's Focus41:58 The Importance of Trust in AI Agents44:40 Lessons Learned from Salesforce Experience

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVMFULL SHOW NOTES https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/657What happens when a seasoned ERP advisor with over two decades of experience achieves MVP status? Join us as we explore the intriguing journey of Rob Delprado from CPA to a leader in Dynamics 365 and discuss the vibrant user community supporting Business Central. His insights highlight the importance of community, the evolution of accounting software, and the future of ERP solutions. This episode sheds light on how platforms like Microsoft Business Central and innovative ISVs are revolutionizing business productivity.  TAKEAWAYS• Rob shares his journey from CPA to ERP advisor • The significance of community in Dynamics 365 • Exploring advancements in accounting processes • Challenges with electronic invoicing in the current landscape • The role of ISVs in enhancing ERP solutions • Insights into hardware integration in ERP systems • Rob's path to becoming an MVP and its impact OTHER RESOURCES: Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVPThis year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world. Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge We've helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!Support the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening

HighlightsExpansions Through Acquisitions (01:32)SignUp Software has been expanding its product portfolio, moving from a focus on the office of the CFO more broadly into the operations world. Through acquisitions, its product suite has evolved. In December 2023, SignUp Software acquired Axtension, a Netherlands-based company. It has been working with Axtension on emphasizing the “I” in ISV (independent software vendor).One of the six products involved an overlap with ExFlow AP. This led the team to taking the best of IP (invoice processing) and moving it into ExFlow to build out an offering for AP automation. The other five products are targeted toward manufacturing and project-based businesses. “They fill great gaps with the Microsoft platform toward other ERP systems as well, so we're really thrilled to present this,” Hedin says.Easy Integration for Microsoft Users (06:20)With these offerings, it becomes easier for customers to manage this integration within their ERP environments, especially for Microsoft users. Bigger, more complex Microsoft users often use three to five different ISVs, Hedin notes. Now, the company's offering enables customers to use one solution to integrate Axtension and SignUp Software.Autonomous Finance (10:05)SignUp has been working on low-touch, autonomous finance for a while. It's been set up with strict parameters. The system helps automate financial processes, such as processing invoices from suppliers. Gradually, the level of automation will increase as the system is used, reducing the need for hands-on processing.Community Summit North America (13:13)SignUp Software will be at Community Summit North America, which takes place on October 13-17 in San Antonio, Texas. “I think it's the greatest event when we get the combination of Microsoft and customers, partners and product suppliers,” Hedin says. He encourages attendees to “mix and mingle across those borders…and have fun.”Attendees can find Hedin and the SignUp Software team at Booth #1133. They are looking forward to chatting about the latest innovations from SignUp Software — including AI, e-invoicing, and more — and getting input from the customers.

HighlightsCurrent Challenges (00:48)Manny names capital allocation as a major challenge for the office of the CFO. They spend much time thinking about which technologies and industry solutions are best to invest in. They have to determine which investments take priority, such as investing in tech that benefits the company's back office versus their customers. Value creation is also a key consideration. “Our analysis on where do we invest those dollars has gotten a lot more granular and a lot more scrutiny around those decisions,” he says.“Many of the CFOs face the challenge of doing more with less when money has gotten a bit more expensive,” Hedin raises. Another challenge he notes is regulatory aspects. The three C's — cost, control, and compliance — need to be as efficient as possible. Determining how to leverage AI can be a challenge on the technology side.AI Impact (07:17)When building out large language models (LLMs) and algorithms, you have to ensure you have the right governance and controls internally on the data to get the desired outcome. This is vital when starting out leveraging new technologies to drive business decisions and efficiencies. While this can be daunting, “there's a lot of value to it,” Manny notes. Once it's tested and secure internally, the next phase of an AI journey is to look at it from a customer-facing perspective.Hedin shares customer examples of applying machine learning and AI. “In the financial process automation space, AI is definitely saving a lot of time already today for a lot of CFOs,” Hedin says.CFO AI Concerns and Second Half Mindset (11:30)Korakis says the biggest risk is that AI outputs don't necessarily align with the question an employee is seeking to answer. If a person thinks they're feeding the algorithm or LLM all the right data points but they're actually not, that's a big issue. His company is ensuring good data governance.Microsoft has made Copilot actionable for ISVs like Signup; since it's embedded in Finance and Operations as well as Business Central, there are actions that weren't available before, Hedin says. It's one thing to get intelligent responses, but when you can also start doing things such as generating a PO if one's missing, then you have an assistant that can do a lot more things for you. It's really exciting in terms of customer problems that can be solved.Korakis says in the first half of the year there's been a lot of disruption in the macro environment that followed supply chain challenges: rising interest rates that created caution and the need to be very thoughtful in using investment dollars has slowed things down a bit. “I see that starting to phase off” and CFOs are more willing to spend as the second half approaches.D365 Trends (15:09)Hedin says AI is one big, obvious trend with Dynamics 365. The other is new regulatory demands. If you send an invoice to a customer in Italy you need to go through their tax authorities now so they can track it. A US customer asked to start invoicing in Germany and needed guidance. It varies by country. That's a big challenge for the international companies as well – how to handle that in an efficient way.

I am excited to introduce my conversation with Ash Vijay, SVP of Cloud Sales and BD Partnerships at Redis, live from Google Cloud's Marketplace Exchange! Redis, a favorite among developers, plays a crucial role in the data ecosystem, powering applications with high-performance caching and database solutions integral to GenAI. In this episode, Ash shares how Redis is leveraging Google Cloud Marketplace to meet customer demand for faster procurement and scaling, especially in light of large cloud commitments. Redis's marketplace strategy not only retains customers but also expands deal sizes and accelerates closing times. Ash discusses Redis's comprehensive partner program, enabling ISVs, OEMs, and SIs to build on the Redis platform, offering them both growth opportunities and collaborative engagement with Redis's ecosystem. Ash's advice to partners? Invest in the marketplace and empower your sales teams to maximize its potential—a strategy that's driving Redis's top-down engagements and delivering significant business value. Tune into The Ultimate Guide to Partnering to learn how Redis is redefining co-selling and scaling with Google Cloud!

I'm thrilled to share my interview with Dustin Nelson, Sales Director at CDW, recorded live at Google Cloud's Marketplace Exchange! Dustin dives into how CDW has embraced the marketplace model to meet customers' evolving needs in today's SaaS-driven world, where cloud marketplaces are transforming how organizations buy, manage, and scale solutions. Dustin shares CDW's journey of building a dedicated team to support Google Cloud Marketplace transactions, which has led to impressive growth: over $400 million in marketplace business and 500 transactions this year alone. With customers now at the center, Dustin emphasizes that open collaboration between Google, ISVs, and partners like CDW is crucial for delivering enhanced value and transaction flexibility. For organizations planning their 2025 marketplace strategy, Dustin advises embracing collaboration and focusing on customer-centric approaches to stay ahead in this fast-evolving ecosystem. Tune into this Ultimate Guide to Partnering episode to hear how CDW is sparking the marketplace ecosystem!

I am excited to bring you an insightful conversation with Russell Efird, Head of North American Partnerships at Quantum Metric, recorded live from Google Cloud's Marketplace Exchange! Russell dives into how Quantum Metric, a digital analytics experience platform, leverages the power of Google Cloud technologies like BigQuery and Gen AI to create seamless, high-performing digital journeys that resonate with C-level leaders and drive real business outcomes. Russell shares invaluable insights into the evolving enterprise buying landscape and the importance of aligning SaaS solutions to meet the needs of key decision-makers, from Chief Digital Officers to Heads of E-commerce. He highlights Quantum Metric's strategy of building “value networks” by collaborating with Google and other ISVs, enhancing the customer experience and accelerating business impact through innovative partnerships. Packed with practical strategies for growth, marketplace success, and ecosystem collaboration, this episode of The Ultimate Guide to Partnering is a must-watch for anyone invested in partnerships or digital analytics. Tune in for Russell's expert advice on building a future-focused partner strategy and driving growth through meaningful, multi-partner collaborations!