Reflections on MSP software, AI, automation, vendor consolidation, and what customers really want from their technology partners.
Last week, I attended IT Nation Connect 2026 in Orlando alongside Rob Morton, our Director of Sales at QuoteWerks. I've attended virtually every IT Nation, dating back to the early days when the event was held in Tampa, before growing into the much larger conference it has become in Orlando. Over the years, I've watched the MSP community evolve, seen technologies and vendors come and go, and built lasting relationships with people throughout the industry.
It's one of the reasons I continue to value this event. This year, we had quite a few productive conversations with existing QuoteWerks customers, former customers interested in returning, and prospects evaluating quoting and CPQ solutions. Some conversations reinforced things we've believed for years, while others highlighted changing expectations and new opportunities. We also had the chance to see how customers are using capabilities we've introduced over the past year, sometimes in ways that exceeded our expectations.
I left this year's event particularly optimistic about the future of QuoteWerks. Here are some of my biggest takeaways.
One recurring theme throughout the event was frustration with the quoting capabilities offered by larger, all-in-one MSP platforms. We heard from several attendees who felt that companies like ConnectWise and Kaseya weren't dedicating enough development attention to quoting and proposal functionality. That doesn't necessarily mean these MSPs want to abandon their PSA, RMM, or other core systems. Many are satisfied with parts of their technology stack, but they're questioning whether one vendor can realistically deliver great software across every product it offers.
There's certainly value in consolidating vendors. Fewer systems and integrations can simplify operations, and having a single vendor relationship can be appealing. However, those benefits become less compelling when important business processes are limited by the software. Quoting is a good example. For many MSPs, it involves far more than generating a proposal. Complex product configurations, real-time distributor pricing and availability, services, recurring revenue, procurement, and integrations with other business systems are all important parts of the process.
Interestingly, this sentiment was echoed in a LinkedIn post from longtime MSP industry observer Joe Panettieri. His message to ConnectWise was direct: "Stop changing your logo. Start making great software." Joe suggested concentrating development efforts on making one product exceptional while focusing on stability and bug fixes across the rest of the portfolio before moving on to the next product.
While I wouldn't necessarily agree that freezing development across other products is the right approach for every software company, I agree with his underlying point. Great software needs to remain the priority. Branding, acquisitions, expanded product portfolios, and marketing campaigns can help a company grow, but none of those things replace reliable software that continues to improve. Sometimes improvement means introducing new capabilities, but just as often it means eliminating unnecessary steps, addressing longstanding frustrations, or making existing functionality work better.
Another frustration we heard was dissatisfaction with multi-year software contracts. Several attendees expressed concerns about being locked into lengthy agreements, particularly when the software wasn't meeting their expectations or their business needs had changed. Technology evolves quickly, and MSPs want the flexibility to evaluate their systems and make adjustments without being restricted by commitments made years earlier.
I understand why software vendors appreciate predictable, long-term agreements, but there's another side to that relationship. Customers should want to continue using a product because it delivers value, not simply because they're contractually obligated to keep paying for it. At QuoteWerks, we've maintained subscription options that don't require multi-year commitments, including monthly subscriptions that become month-to-month after the initial 12-month term.
Customers also expressed appreciation for our c. Unlike named-user licensing, where each individual requires a license, concurrent licensing allows businesses to purchase licenses based on how many people need to use QuoteWerks at the same time. For MSPs with employees who create or review quotes only occasionally, this can provide meaningful cost savings and flexibility without requiring a dedicated license for every potential user.
These conversations reinforced something we've believed for a long time: software licensing should accommodate how businesses operate, rather than forcing businesses to change how they work to fit a vendor's licensing model.
One of the more interesting observations from our demonstrations was how much attendees appreciated the QuoteWerks line-item grid. For those familiar with QuoteWerks, the grid has been a fundamental part of the product for years. It gives users detailed control over the individual products and services that make up their quotes, including pricing, costs, quantities, discounts, descriptions, and other important information. Because we've offered this functionality for so long, it's easy to overlook just how valuable that level of control can be.
During our demonstrations, several attendees commented on the flexibility available within the grid, particularly compared to limitations they'd encountered with other quoting solutions. Not every business needs extensive customization or detailed line-item management for every quote, but when you're building complex quotes involving products, services, and recurring revenue, having that information readily available makes a difference.
It's an important reminder that modernizing software shouldn't mean sacrificing the capabilities that make it valuable. Simplicity is important, but it shouldn't come at the expense of functionality when users need more control. That's a balance we're keeping in mind as we continue developing QuoteWerks.
It probably won't surprise anyone who attended IT Nation Connect that artificial intelligence was a major topic throughout the event. Nearly every vendor seemed to have something to say about AI, automation, or how these technologies will transform the MSP industry. There's good reason for the excitement, but I think it's important to distinguish between adding AI because it's the latest technology trend and using it to solve meaningful business problems.
Does it save time, reduce repetitive work, improve accuracy, or make a difficult process easier? Those are the questions that matter. AI has tremendous potential, but simply adding it to a product doesn't automatically improve the experience. At QuoteWerks, we're focused on how AI can enhance the quoting process and help customers accomplish more without introducing unnecessary complexity.
Another interesting topic that came up in several conversations was vibe coding and whether AI will eventually reduce the need for traditional commercial software. With tools like Claude and ChatGPT, it's becoming increasingly possible for businesses to create their own applications, dashboards, integrations, and workflows without the development resources that would have been required just a few years ago. That raises an interesting question: if businesses can build software themselves, who still needs to buy it?
As I thought about these conversations, I started looking at businesses in three broad groups. At one end are very small companies, perhaps with just one to three users. They may be able to build a solution that meets their needs and manage ongoing changes themselves. At the other end are large enterprises with dedicated development, IT, and support teams capable of building and maintaining custom applications across their organizations. For both groups, developing their own solutions may be realistic, provided the economics and available resources make sense.
The interesting group is everyone in between. These businesses often have more complex requirements, multiple users, and established processes, but they don't necessarily have the development and support resources to maintain custom software. Even if AI makes it easier to create the initial application, someone still needs to test it, handle changes, troubleshoot problems, manage security, and support individual users when something doesn't work as expected. Those responsibilities don't disappear simply because AI helped write the code.
Even smaller businesses need to consider that trade-off. Just because you can build something doesn't necessarily mean you should. A one-off application created through vibe coding may work well initially, but has it been tested against real-world scenarios? What happens when an integration changes, an unexpected situation occurs, or the person who built it is unavailable? More importantly, is maintaining that application really the best use of the business owner's time?
I don't see AI eliminating the need for commercial software, but I do think it's changing the relationship between software vendors and their customers. Businesses will increasingly be able to build specialized tools and workflows while relying on established platforms for the complex functionality, ongoing development, reliability, and support they don't want to manage themselves. Rather than requiring customers to choose between buying software and building their own, the opportunity is to provide a proven platform that they can extend and customize to meet their needs.
One of the most exciting developments at IT Nation was seeing how our customers are already taking integration and automation into their own hands. Over the past year, we've made significant investments in QuoteWerks webhooks, APIs, scripting, and our Zapier integration. We've talked quite a bit about the possibilities these capabilities create, but at IT Nation, we saw those investments producing tangible results.
Several customers showed us custom dashboards, integrations, and automated workflows they'd built using tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Rewst, and Zapier. They were connecting QuoteWerks with other systems to address specific business needs, sometimes without requiring us to develop a dedicated integration. What was particularly interesting was how naturally they were combining these tools, using AI to help develop custom solutions while relying on APIs, webhooks, and automation platforms to connect everything together.
One example involved QuoteValet notifications. Traditionally, users might rely on email notifications to know when a customer views or accepts a quote. Now, customers are using QuoteValet webhooks to deliver those events directly into Microsoft Teams, automatically create tickets in their PSA, and trigger additional workflows without requiring manual intervention. Rather than waiting for someone to notice an email and take the next step, information can flow directly into the systems their teams already use.
What's particularly exciting is that we're no longer talking about what these technologies could make possible. Customers are already building and using these solutions. That doesn't eliminate the need for native integrations, which remain an important part of our development efforts, but it dramatically expands what's possible. Customers shouldn't have to wait for a software vendor to anticipate and develop every workflow they need. We want QuoteWerks to connect with the rest of their business, giving them the freedom to use the solutions that best meet their needs.
Of everything we demonstrated at IT Nation Connect, one of the biggest highlights for me was showing attendees the direction we're taking with QuoteWerks Web. We've heard the feedback over the years. Some users have described the interface as classic, traditional, or even retro. While they've appreciated the depth of functionality, they've also wanted a more modern experience, and that's something we've been actively working to address.
We've been developing QuoteWerks since 1993, starting with our Desktop solution and building on decades of experience helping businesses manage complex quoting processes. That history gives us a significant advantage as we develop QuoteWerks Web. We're not starting from scratch or trying to figure out what quoting software needs to do. We're bringing the knowledge, functionality, and lessons learned from decades of Desktop development into a modern, browser-based experience.
That doesn't mean simply recreating QuoteWerks Desktop in a browser. We're taking the opportunity to rethink workflows, improve usability, and make commonly used capabilities easier to access. The improvements we're making to the QuoteWerks Web interface are part of that effort, with additional enhancements planned before the end of the year.
The response to what we showed at IT Nation was extremely encouraging. Attendees were able to see a cleaner, more modern interface while recognizing the familiar functionality that makes QuoteWerks valuable. It was particularly rewarding to speak with people who had previously raised concerns about the product's appearance and show them the progress we've made. We're not modernizing QuoteWerks just to make it look different. We're improving the experience while preserving the flexibility and control our customers depend on.
Another topic that came up during conversations with existing customers was the future of QuoteWerks Desktop. With much of our recent attention focused on QuoteWerks Web, some customers understandably wanted reassurance about the Desktop product they've relied on for years. I was happy to address those concerns directly and explain that we remain committed to supporting QuoteWerks Desktop while continuing to invest heavily in QuoteWerks Web.
Our customers have different needs, environments, integrations, and workflows. Moving to a web-based solution may be the right decision for some businesses, but that doesn't mean it's the right decision for everyone at the same time. We're continuing to support our Desktop customers while building on that experience to expand what's possible with Web. Ultimately, we want customers to choose the solution that makes the most sense for their business.
Beyond the product demonstrations and individual meetings, one of my biggest observations was the overall atmosphere at IT Nation Connect. There was a lot of enthusiasm among attendees, but much of the excitement I observed didn't necessarily come from what ConnectWise was announcing on stage. Instead, it came from the conversations happening between MSPs, vendors, partners, and industry peers.
People were sharing experiences, comparing solutions, discussing challenges, and learning from one another. Some were looking for ways to improve their existing technology stack, while others were exploring new approaches to automation, integration, and business operations. Those conversations often provide more practical insight than any presentation or product announcement, and they're a big part of why I continue participating in events like IT Nation.
Throughout the event, Rob and I had several opportunities to talk about where QuoteWerks has been, where we are today, and where we're heading. What stood out was that my renewed excitement about our future wasn't going unnoticed. Rob commented on it, and even some existing customers mentioned how much enthusiasm they could see when I talked about what we're working on. That meant a lot to me because it wasn't simply excitement about ideas on a roadmap. We were able to show meaningful progress and hear encouraging feedback firsthand.
We've been in this industry for more than three decades, and we certainly haven't gotten everything right along the way. There are things we need to improve, workflows we can simplify, and areas where we need to continue modernizing. But I'm excited about the progress we're making, from the ongoing evolution of QuoteWerks Web to the new integration and automation capabilities that customers are already putting to work.
Another important part of our story is that QuoteWerks remains independently owned and self-funded. We're not part of a larger software conglomerate, we don't rely on outside investors, and we don't answer to an external board of directors. That gives us the flexibility to make decisions based on what we believe is best for our customers, our employees, and the long-term health of our products. We still have to balance competing priorities and make difficult decisions about where to invest our resources, but those decisions are guided by direct customer relationships rather than an outside investor's timetable or a broader corporate strategy.
If there's one takeaway I brought home from IT Nation Connect 2026, it's this: MSPs don't necessarily need more software from the same vendor. They need better software that works together.
That's where I see tremendous opportunity for QuoteWerks. Our future isn't just about creating a better quoting solution. It's about making QuoteWerks an even more connected and flexible part of how our customers do business, while continuing to deliver the depth of functionality they've come to expect from us.
To everyone who stopped by, shared feedback, demonstrated something they'd built, or simply caught up with us, thank you. I'm excited about what's ahead for QuoteWerks, and I look forward to sharing more in the weeks to come.