Last week, Above IT had the pleasure of participating in the IAMCP (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners) international conference in Valencia. The event brought together Microsoft partners from around the world – a vast amount of expertise, experience, and enthusiasm gathered under one roof. From Finland, in addition to Above IT’s ‘consigliere’ representatives, other active members of IAMCP Finland also participated in the trip. Pictured with us are Olli Korpelainen from Forward Forever, Sami Ringvall from Enter SystemSolutions, and Risto Lahi from Innofactor. This blog post will elaborate on the insights the Spanish setting provided us for the autumn season.
Themes of the IAMCP Conference
The trip was intensive and involved more than just enjoying tapas in the evening. However, the long conference days were enriched by fruitful discussions and networking with other international stakeholders. The conference themes strongly revolved around
Particularly noteworthy were:
- Networking: The opportunity to meet colleagues and partners from different countries face-to-face. Discussions opened up new perspectives and collaboration opportunities.
- Keynote speeches: Microsoft representatives and IAMCP leaders highlighted strategic priorities, such as the role of AI in enhancing business efficiency and the significance of sustainable development in technology.
- Workshops and panels: Concrete tips on how we can collectively build stronger ecosystems and create added value for customers.
Valencia also provided a magnificent setting for the event – the city combined modern technology and historical culture in a way that made the experience memorable.
The conference once again affirmed that collaboration is key to success. The IAMCP community provides a unique platform to learn, share, and grow together. I eagerly look forward to implementing the lessons learned and building new partnerships.
Steps Towards Global Expansion
The trip to the IAMCP conference provided us with a wealth of insights. It was excellent to be able to benchmark our own business and existing practices against those of similar companies operating elsewhere in Europe. I personally sought international partnerships from the event, as well as peer support for expanding into international markets. It was great to exchange ideas and confirm that our path has been in the right direction. Indeed, at Above IT, we have been building a group structure for some time now, which will ensure the scaling of our business as we move towards a more international direction.
The evenings in Valencia were largely spent processing the day’s events, in addition to enjoying tapas. Concurrently, we had time for internal discussions, the insights from which will serve as a valuable foundation for our strategy in the coming years. How will we genuinely harness AI for the benefit of our own business in the future, or how will we more efficiently automate processes and scale our operations – all for the benefit of our customers?
It is interesting to anticipate what our future will bring as we grow. I warmly recommend that all other Microsoft partners, especially those planning international expansion, join the IAMCP network and participate in its events!
But what about the domestic market?
Our engagements in the domestic market in recent years have shown that, in addition to Above IT’s core business, there are many companies in Finland that wish to procure IT services easily as a single comprehensive package, so we, as a group, decided this summer to respond to this demand, with Above IT’s own operations supporting this development.
Our group’s second company, Below IT Oy, finally saw the light of day in mid-October and will be led by our long-time colleague Niki Erkkilä. This new company will consolidate basic IT services aimed at end-users and devices, as well as Above IT’s managed cloud services targeted at the IT departments of larger organizations, into a single comprehensive offering. This way, we standardize the operations of IT environments.
Below IT’s mission is to provide Finnish SMEs with better, more human-centric IT services – services that have perhaps been lost amidst the growth pains of larger IT service companies. At the same time, it will be an exceptionally comprehensive, caring MSP-type service, built upon our solid experience. And I am very excited about all of this, as it is something not yet seen in Finland.
Thus, quite naturally: Above IT offers highly specialized services exclusively for IT management professionals, in Finland and expanding globally. Our group company, Below IT, offers comprehensive outsourcing and IT support services to organizations that need them here in Finland. What kind of service does your organization need?
“Our way is to guide from above, and support from below when needed. You can now receive comprehensive service from us when needed, but above all, with high quality: As Above, so Below.”
Autumn greetings,
consigliere, Group CEO, co-founder
Above IT Oy & Below IT Oy