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IBM's suspension has shut down the company's entire federal government channel.
10 Foolish Things Vendors Do
In the interest of making the sale, vendors sometimes do things that only hurt them—or the customer—in the end.
Microsoft`s Pie in the Sky Play with SkyDrive
SkyDrive leaves beta and becomes the next free service offered under the Microsoft Windows Live Moniker, but why should you care?
Staples Offers $3.7 Billion for Corporate Express
Corporate Express provides print, graphics and maintenance, but no retail outlets.
Consumer Confidence Plunges
Unemployment and a bleak outlook send consumer confidence in February to its lowest point since 1992, levels associated with previous recessions.
IBM Shakes Up ISS VAR Channel
VARs for Internet Security Systems will see big changes.
Moving 802.11n into the Channel
802.11n is the choice for enterprises and solution providers looking to deploy wireless networks this year, says Gregg Kalman, vice president for U.S. Channels at Meru Networks, who talks about where enterprise wireless deployments are going for 2008, what the importance of 802.11n networks are, and what makes for the best wireless VARs.
VARs Still Favor Specialized Events over CES
While some VARs do attend the show, most watch the news from afar and spend their travel dollars on partner-specific or vertical industry events.
The 2008 Security Checklist
David O'Berry, IT manager with the state of South Carolina government, talks about his hot buttons for 2008, where he thinks endpoint security is headed, and how VARs can realign themselves to take advantage of the changing threat landscape.
Making the Most of Marketing
How VARs and solution providers can get more from their marketing dollar is the subject of this Changing Channels podcast, with Circa 65 President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Markisohn.
Sorting Through Identity Management
Identity management is a key part of any security architecture, but it is hard to implement due to cost and complexity. VARs and system integrators can help clear these hurdles, explains Eric Blatte, director of Channel Sales programs at Imprivata, in thi
CDW: IT Decision Makers Concerned About Economy
An uncertain economy may spell delays for IT purchasing, according to a new survey by the direct market reseller.
IBM: Services and Verticals Will Help Us Beat Rivals in 2008
IBM is betting its global services and verticals strategy will propel it past Dell and HP in 2008.
VARs Safe from Economic Slump, for Now
Despite the slowing economy, there are opportunities for resellers in verticals and newer technologies, analysts say.
HP Partner Enhancements Focus on Storage, Government
Despite having no channel chief, Hewlett-Packard has soldiered on with more changes to its PartnerOne channel program. Stacey Wueste Davis, vice president of Solution Partners Organization partner development and programs, is the de facto head of HP's channel program, after Jim McDonnell left his position as senior vice president and general manager of HP's SPO worldwide to become vice president of global sales for the vendor's Enterprise Storage and Servers Group. However, although HP has yet to name a permanent replacement for McDonnell, the vendor has unveiled greater focus on storage and vertical alignments within PartnerOne. Tom LaRocca, vice president of partner development and programs at HP, told Channel Insider that the vendor is launching a Growth Accelerator program specifically for storage. Growth Accelerator programs already exist for HP's Imaging and Printing Group and for the Enterprise Servers and Storage products that fall within HP's Technology Solutions Group, LaRocca said. HP's Growth Accelerator program sets yearly sales growth targets for HP resellers based on what that partner sold last year plus & reasonable market growth,& he said. If partners reach or exceed that target, they are given rebates, which HP uses to encourage partners to sell more HP products. LaRocca said that by cross-selling and upselling, VARs stand a better chance of reaching their target. He said HP also plans to introduce a Growth Accelerator program around its services offerings, although he declined to go into further detail. The program's enhancements will take effect Feb. 1, 2008, the first day of HP's fiscal second quarter. Brian Roth, vice president of sales for HP solution provider Trilogy Solutions, welcomed HP's focus on storage. Because his company already focuses on the storage market, Roth said it won't need to come up to speed on HP's storage solutions. & Anything HP can do to help me make money on the back end, such as rebates, is a good thing,& he said, adding that larger rebates and an increased focus on storage mean that deals with his current customer base will be more lucrative. Click here for the top 5 channel execs you should know at HP. Combined with the existing ESS Growth Accelerator program, LaRocca said the additional storage-focused program will encourage more ESS sales for HP, an area the vendor struggled with in fiscal 2007. & We wanted to create investments and incentives so that our partners would sell #133; more storage products for us,& he said. However, a New Jersey-based HP partner who did not want to be named said the storage focus won't help solution providers or HP drive revenue, no matter what the incentives. & If you weren't able to sell #91;storage #93; before, then no incentive in the world is going to make that sale,& he said, adding that other storage vendors, such as EMC, offer higher margins than HP does. & Why would I push the HP products when I can make 20 percent on an EMC sale and only 12 #91;percent #93; on HP?& HP also is introducing new incentives for partners focusing on government markets to encourage further growth of that vertical market, LaRocca said. Partners who generate 70 percent or more of their business from the government market will receive an Elite status, he said, which means higher compensation if they meet growth targets. Government Elite partners will be assessed yearly for eligibility, and if they do not make their goals, he said, they will lose their Elite status. The company also is streamlining its Attach Plus compensation program, which currently pays partners higher rebates for bundling more HP products in every sale. Solution providers will be compensated on every dollar sold, instead of the previous & stair-step& approach, which only paid rebates when partners reached specific revenue targets, LaRocca said. He said all the changes are part of HP's move to simplify how its channel partners interact with the technology giant, and to make it more lucrative for partners to sell products and services across HP's entire product portfolio. & We know it can be hard to do business with us sometimes, with so many product lines and businesses,& LaRocca said.
Where Does All That Old Gear Go?
E-waste is a growing problem, and a growing business for some companies. Jake Player, president of Tech Turn, talks about how VARs can generate an income stream from asset recovery and equipment retirement, in this Channel Chat podcast.
MindShift Gains Mind Share
MindShift's merger with Invision created a more comprehensive managed services lineup, explains Tyler Roye, Invision co-founder and senior executive officer of mindShift's Managed Hosting and e-Business Applications Division, in this Changing Channels pod
Making a Good Storage Partner
Mike Adams, director of storage and backup solutions for Lighthouse Computer Services, talks about what makes for a good vendor partner in the storage and virtualization space, and how to succeed in the channel selling these kinds of solutions, in this Ch
Symantec, Partners Still Feeling Channel Pain
A year after an ERP integration crippled its channel processes, Symantec's partners are still feeling the pain.
Dell`s Distribution Dilemma
Dell's entry into the channel could have greater implications for distributors and the vendor than they imagined.