Frank Cespedes joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to talk about effective sales and channel strategies in the post-pandemic economy. ...
Lori Cornmesser joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to talk about what it’s like for a channel chief to start over in a new...
Vendors say the value distribution brings to the go-to-market equation is waning, but the reality is far more nuanced....
Channelnomics’ Larry Walsh responds to the perception that distribution is declining in value to vendors’ go-to-market equation and channel programs. ...
The $100 million fund is more about research and development as the collaboration platform face slowing growth, increased competition....
Joe Sykora joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to talk about strategies and tactics for instilling in partners the imperative of selling persistently and...
Channelnomics’ new report shows how the channel is planning for the post-pandemic economy....
Mary Beth Walker joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how HP’s new Amplify program is leveraging data shared by partners to improve...
The pandemic showed that selling through inside and virtual sales works. The question is whether to increase capacity even if it conflicts with channel partners....
The real story isn’t distribution consolidation; it’s evolving capabilities and value propositions ...
Frank Rauch joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss best practices for gaining top-down support from corporate executive leadership for channel strategies and...
Chad Cardenas of TSG joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss his model for getting partners to put skin in the game of...
Meaghan Sullivan, Global Vice President of Partner Marketing & Mid-Market at SAP, joins Changing Channels to talk about Rising Up to Marketing Transformation....
Pandemic fuels transformation and adjusted expectations, according to 2021 Channel Chief Outlook report...
Partners say they’re already delivering quality as a value proposition; they need help mitigating risks to enable growth....
The name change reflects the evolution of our mission and services to our valued clients. ...
Partners say they’re already delivering quality as a value proposition; they need help mitigating risks to enable growth....
Partner training and enablement are essential, but vendors need to do better in defining and measuring the true value of these programs. ...
Making training available to everyone will cultivate a strong, capable labor pool while showing empthy to partners and their families. ...
Tom Peters, the author of several best-selling books, including “In Search of Excellence,” joins Pod2112 to talk about the need for Extreme Humanization....
Vendors should make account protection an earned reward, not a guarantee...
As disease and technology conspire to keep people separated, the local channel has the potential to bring vendors, partners, and customers closer together. ...
Joseph Landes, Chief Revenue Officer at Nerdio, joins POD2112 to discuss getting more MSPs into cloud services....
Tiffani Bova, global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce, joins POD2112 to talk about the changing nature of sales and growth during and after...
Many resellers and service providers don’t have the cash reserves to weather a prolonged economic downturn, revealing how finances are just as important as technical...
Fred Voccola, CEO of managed service tool provider Kaseya, says MSPs are resilient to economic downturns, but he cautions that the world is experiencing depression-like...
Vendors need more than just collaboration platforms; they need insights and strategies to make the tools more effective....
SolarWinds’ Tim Brown, vice president of security architecture, joins POD2112 to discuss the security implications of work-from-home and how MSPs are coping with this surge...
Karl Fahrbach, chief partner officer at SAP, joins POD2112 to discuss the customer-centric model, how it applies to channels, and why it’s important even as...
As economic conditions get tougher, vendors should look at investing in the COVID-19 recovery in the second half of the year....
Mitigation measures are revealing providers’ strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. IT By Design CEO Sunny Kaila joins POD2112 to discuss how MSPs are coping with COVID-19’s fallout. ...
Our exclusive survey finds channel executives are responding to the immediate and long-term ramifications of the pandemic’s disruptions. ...
Long-term nontransferable licenses are imposing undue risk on partners that can sell only short-term contracts to their customers....
Meaghan Sullivan, head of global partner marketing and SME at SAP. joins POD2112 to share what’s happening on the channel marketing front lines and how...
Precautions to stop the virus’s spread will cause short-term disruptions and long-term changes to the way vendors go to market....
Frank Vitagliano, CEO, Global Technology Distribution Council, joins POD2112 to discuss the evolving value of distribution and how distributors will remain relevant in the service...
One in four channel chiefs struggle to demonstrate the value of their partner programs to senior executives; a large part of that challenge is getting...
CoreKinect CEO and co-founder Assar Badri and president and chief strategist John Horn join Pod2112’s Larry Walsh to discuss the smarter way to design and...
The annual 2112 Channel Chief Outlook report finds vendors are turning back to resellers as they look to partners to resell services....
Jason Bystrak, vice president of the cloud business unit at D&H, joins POD2112 to discuss the massive channel opportunity in XaaS and how vendors and...
If channel professionals want to prepare for future market conditions, they must start leaving their past behind....
Bill Lipsin, Vice President of Global Channel Sales at Cohesity, joins POD2112 to discuss returning to the channel chief’s chair and the experience of building...
Many vendors’ management and investors fail to see the value contributed by partners; taking partners out of the equation can help them see more clearly....
Neal Bradbury, vice president of MSP Strategic Partnerships at Barracuda MSP, joins POD2112 to share guiding principles that all vendors can apply in their go-to-market...
Here are four lessons vendors and channel chiefs can reflect upon while thinking of their strategies for 2020 and beyond....
Chris Lamborn, head of worldwide partner go-to-market and programs at NetApp, joins POD2112 to explain the strategy and potential benefits of partner profitability independence....
New 2112 research finds that defined missions and formal structures make referral programs more consistent and valuable to vendors and partners....
Stephanie Dismore, managing director of HP’s newly created North America market, joins POD2112 to talk about the changes and what it takes to reshape a...
Bill Vander Vennet, national referral program director at TBI, joins POD2112 to talk about the value and power of referral programs for everyone in the...
Channel partners have many shortcomings and problems, but value to vendors and their go-to-market strategies isn’t among them. ...
Nina Harding, Google’s global chief of partner strategy and programs, joins POD2112 to talk about how Google’s legacy of innovation is helping to make solution...
Vendors need to recognize that they don’t have channel partnerships, but relationships that need cultivation and support to generate returns on investment....
Channel chief Amy Luby joins POD2112 to talk about the unfolding opportunities and potential in IoT managed services. ...
Focusing on a handful of partners often comes with unforeseen costs....
Richard McLeod, global vice president of enterprise software channels at BlackBerry, joins POD2112 to talk about the company’s transformation and evolution, and where it wants...
These trends and ideas are much discussed and unnecessarily generate a disproportionate reaction by channel chiefs....
Thomas Jensen, executive vice president of German systems integrator Bechtle and a veteran strategist for Hewlett-Packard and Maersk, joins Pod2112 to share what it takes...
Channel chiefs need to create known starting points when measuring the performance of their programs and partners over time....
Eric Hembree, director of IoT at Ingram Micro, is leading the charge in developing the IoT channel. Hembree joins Pod2112 to discuss the current and...
Eliminating channels from the go-to-market equation is a means of validating partnership value....
In this special edition of Pod2112 features highlights of the discussion with Alyssa Fitzpatrick of Microsoft, Nick Tidd of Poly, Darren Bibby of DocuSign, and...
Vendors can sell direct to customers, but they need to make the rules of engagement clear to partners....
Jennifer McCready, manager of global channel development at office furniture manufacturer Steelcase, joins POD2112 to talk about the evolution of office furniture and the potential...
The 2112 Group and 360Insights will host leading channel executives at an exclusive retreat to delve into the issues of the evolving industry and business...
Jenni Flinders, vice president, and global channel chief at VMware, joins POD2112 to share how VMware is approaching channel transformation and how she sees the...
That problem isn’t partner discounting; it’s the special pricing imposed by sales reps who want to win on price and not value. ...
The annual conference by Baptie & Co. proves once again why it’s the center of collaboration and networking for channel professionals....
Fernando Quintero, the vice president of Latin America at security vendor Crowdstrike, joins Pod2112 to share his insights and experiences in developing viable and thriving...
Technology interdependencies and customers’ need for multivendor solutions are making technology vendors suppliers and resellers simultaneously....
Paul Bay, executive vice president and group president of the Americas at Ingram Micro, joins POD2112 to discuss how distributors are evolving their value proposition...
Partner loyalty is overrated, distracting, and, sometimes, a dangerous metric. Instead, vendors should create economic models and conditions that inspire partners to commit to a...
If vendors want well-performing channel programs, they must seek out and remove the friction caused by complexity....
Sam Errigo, executive vice president of business intelligence services at Konica Minolta, joins POD2112 to talk about the need for copier dealers to adopt managed...
While it’s true that we don’t have time to peruse every e-mail in our inboxes or every document that crosses our desks, we play with...
The channel is evolving to include new and diverse routes to market, and it’s all happening in the light of day....
Ingram Micro Cloud’s Renee Bergeron joins POD2112 to reflect on the early days of developing a specialized cloud distribution division, the technology, trends that have...
The 2019 editions of the Channel Chief Outlook and Channel Forecast reports find the channel will grow this year, but confidence is waning as partner...
Karl Fahrbach, SAP's chief partner officer, joins POD2112 to provide a first-hand overview of his new role and mission, and to discuss the necessity of...
Presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to break up Google, Apple, and Amazon; her agenda will seriously compromise evolving channel marketplaces and routes to market....
Toby Richards, general manager of partner GTM and programs at Microsoft’s One Commercial Partner organization, joins POD2112 to discuss how digital transformation is reshaping channel...
Vendors are embracing the agent model, in which partners refer sales opportunities to direct teams or marketplaces, and partners aren’t fooled by what this shift...
Riverbed’s Cindy Herndon joins Pod2112 to talk about the development, utilization, and benefits of a virtual channel P&L....
Vendors must create a culture and go-to-market models that reward sales reps and encourage channel partners to be independent....
Channel veteran Frank Rauch joins Pod2112 to discuss the need for vendors to invest in their channel programs and partners....
No company would hire an employee without first checking credentials, background, and capabilities, yet so many vendors allow just any solution provider to join their...
Liz Cope, director of marketing technology and operations at Ingersoll Rand, joins Pod2112 to discuss her perspectives on how automation can give people the time...
For guidance on what to do when change comes a-calling, look no further than Chuck Robbins, Satya Nadella, Ginni Rometty, and Mark Hurd...
Spending on channels isn’t a guarantee of success, but starving programs almost always guarantees disappointment....
Carmen Sorice joins Pod2112 to talk about his mission and plans at Commvault, and to share some of the lessons he’s learned through his years...
Experience is a tremendous guide to go-to-market strategy development, but it’s no substitute for data....
The beginning of a new year draws two kinds of people: those seeking better-performing channels and those promising faster results. Rather than falling for the...
Changes are coming, due in large part to the impact of technology evolution delivered by vendors and channel partners. We can and should look forward...
Vijay Sundaram, Chief Strategy Officer at Zoho, joins Pod2112 to shed more light on how artificial intelligence and automation will improve the way businesses manage...
When Microsoft surpassed Apple to become the most valuable company in the world, the business press made no mention of partners’ contributions to the company’s...
Chorus Communications’ Rob Molinaro joins Pod2112 to discuss his company’s IoT initiative, the resources it’s providing partners, and its expectations for getting ahead of the...
Vendor mergers and acquisitions are disruptive to partners for a variety of reasons. Vendors need greater transparency when bringing two companies together. Here are a...
Lori Cornmesser, Infoblox’s vice president of worldwide partner and alliance sales, joins Pod2112 to talk about her first partner summit at Infoblox and what it...
Partners are obsessed with exit strategies, with as many as three out of four MSPs wanting to participate in a merger or acquisition in the...
Sandra Glaser Cheek joins Pod2112 to talk about the new program, the Ciena Partner Network, and what it took to build a channel initiative that’s...
Vendors and distributors need to seek out partners that are willing to take risks and break from conventional trends to address emerging and future market...
Many people openly question the viability of distribution in a future market dominated by services and recurring-revenue models. Services will dominate, but we’ll always have...
Atrion CEO Pat Grillo joins Pod2112 to share his story and discuss what vendors need to know about the consequences of channel conflict from a...
Many channel executives believe partner tiers are a thing of the past and replaceable by new systems. Nevertheless, tiers are essential and will persist even...
Michael Dolbec from GE Ventures talks to Pod2112 about the future of IoT and what makes a digital start-up investment-worthy in today’s competitive climate....
Technology vendors are facing the need to change their business and sales models. They find such change is hard because different generations have different attitudes...
Perry Lea, principal technologist at Microsoft and the co-founder of Rumble, joins Pod2112 to discuss the growth path of these technologies, how Moore’s Law is...
Billions of edge and IoT devices are flooding the Internet. Fog computing offers greater control and management than conventional cloud computing. Getting these devices and...
Andrew Sage, vice president of Americas distribution at Cisco Systems, joins Pod2112 to discuss the evolving role and value of distribution from a vendor perspective....
As more partners transform themselves into professional services organizations, vendors will need to adapt to a channel in which loyalty is less important and relevancy...
Pankaj Bengani, the global partnerships lead at Square, joins Pod2112 to discuss how the company recognized its need for channel partners and how it plans...
Microsoft’s launch of its Microsoft Managed Desktop service sent shockwaves through the channel, which is dominated by managed services. Vendors should have managed services, but...
Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola joins Pod2112 to talk about how his company is finding success with the one-stop-shop approach and how that model will sustain...
Articulating goals and designing programs strategically can go a long way toward successful partner engagement....
Vendors often start channel transformation processes with the notion that they need more and new partners. They might, but they truly won’t know for sure...
Informatica’s Balaji Subramanian shares insights on how to gain control over the piles of bits and bytes that are the raw fuel for Big Data....
Transactional products are losing value, and that means vendors must get more creative in how they approach the market with commoditized products. ...
Crowdstrike Co-founder and CEO George Kurtz joins Pod2112 to talk about what it took to start his innovative endpoint security company and get it to...
With strategic investments, vendors can steer partner conversations away from margins and monetary incentives....
Julie Parrish, chief operating officer at RedSeal and a technology industry veteran, joins Pod2112 to talk about the elements of sound decision-making and how managers...
Channel consolidation is causing partners to think more about their valuations. Consequently, they’re dropping transactional, low-margin products to bolster their bottom lines, and that has...
Toni Clayton-Hine joins Pod2112 to discuss brand building and brand management, sharing what every company needs to know about the power of brand....
Having great products and channel programs isn’t enough to entice partners. Vendors need to define why partners should engage with them if they want robust...
Rod Baptie, president of Baptie & Co., has long talked about the potential power of specialized channel partners. Even with this influx of non-traditional partners,...
Companies that built the various IT industry segments could always rely on knowing their competition would look and act more or less like them, but...
Reading is the means to lifelong learning. Here are a dozen thought-provoking books that channel leaders and business executives should read this summer....
Cloud services require applications to deliver value. Independent software vendors (ISVs) are leveraging cloud providers as a primary channel to market. Vendors and ISVs need...
Chris Rimer, vice president of IBM’s North America Cloud Ecosystems for Business Partners & Channels, joins Pod2112 to talk about the evolving nature of cloud...
Management often challenges channel chiefs to prove the ROI of the channel in a straightforward formula – how many dollars will return to us for...
Carlos Blanco, senior director of Worldwide Cloud Service Providers at Citrix, joins Pod2112 to talk about the need for transforming the role of channel account...
Success never comes without tough choices. Surprisingly, choosing to win often requires making counterintuitive and courageous decisions....
Alex Hart, a veteran executive of such vendors as Symantec, VMware, and Verizon Enterprise, joins Pod2112 to talk about the partnering fundamentals that remain unchanged...
Transformational trends are driving vendors to rethink their channel programs, but channel chiefs struggle with finding the right starting point. The answer: Start at the...
Tina Gravel, senior vice president of channels and alliances at co-location vendor Cyxtera says, vendors are paying partners for access to customers, and traditional incentives...
Vendors often complain that fulfillment partners get paid too much for doing too little. They’re missing the point of fulfillment and overlooking the value these...
Natasha Loeffler-Little, head of North America channels at SAP Ariba, joins Pod2112 to talk about the importance of partner time to revenue and strategies for...
Several vendors have recently asked 2112 about the total size of the channel. The only answer: It’s big and getting bigger....
Carolyn Crandall, chief deception officer and chief marketing officer at Attivo Networks, joins Pod2112 to talk about how distributed detection can make enterprise security more...
Once vendors stop playing catch-up and solution providers approach managed services strategically, not opportunistically, the full potential of the recurring revenue model can be realized....
The channel has a love-hate relationship with the long tail, mostly because of misconceptions about the composition and dynamics of low-performing partners. Here are 7...
Raj Goel, CTO and co-founder of security MSP Brainlink, joins Pod2112 to discuss how we can regulate how companies gather and use personal data without...
Many vendors are looking to rate their partners based on points earned in their programs. This kind of gamification and transparency is long overdue in...
Research VP Chris Gonsalves talks with the paper's author, 2112 CEO and Chief Analyst Larry Walsh, about ADS’ potential impact on the existing channel and...
Automated digital sales – selling through marketplaces like Amazon, for example – will soon become a major source of indirect revenue for technology vendors. Now...
Zack Schuler joins Pod2112 to discuss how innovative approaches to security awareness training can yield better results. ...
Marketplaces and e-commerce are opening potentially lucrative sales channels for vendors. But automated digital sales channels don’t come without risks, and some vendors may find...
Tom Peters joins Pod2112 to talk about “The Excellence Dividend,” why soft skills are more important in business than hard skills, why execution is more...
Rodolpho Cardenuto joins Pod2112 to talk about what it means to create and maintain frictionless channel programs....
Vendors often question the reason for compensating partners on renewals. The truth: When not appropriately compensated, partners have many options that aren’t in favor of...
Michael George joins Pod2112 to talk about the staying power of managed services in an increasingly complex world....
If vendors look beyond self-serving data points, and partners protect themselves through ‘diversification,’ channel relationships would be much healthier overall....
Author Gregg Easterbrook joins Pod2112 to talk about the appeal of declinism and why the world is much better than we perceive. ...
Vendors seek more data about partners to determine their relative value. What’s often overlooked in this equation is the cost of working with a partner...
Nick Bicanic, founder of RVLVR Labs, is helping to shape this digital future by developing virtual and augmented reality technology and content. In his view,...
The market is full of bad news and talk of challenges ahead. In reality, 2112’s research finds ample reason for optimism among vendors and partners...
As an industry, we need to freely share new facts and stop clinging to accepted truths....
According to the 2112 Channel Chief Outlook report, the majority of channel chiefs are planning to expand the number of channel partners in their programs....
According to 2112’s annual Channel Forecast study and new Channel Chief Outlook report, vendors and partners are optimistic about growing sales in 2018. Yet the...
Andrew Bolwell, the global head of technology vision and resident futurist, joins Pod2112 to talk about the huge potential of blockchain that lies just over...
2112’s Larry Walsh and Chris Gonsalves break down all the intelligence in this data-fueled edition of Pod2112. ...
Vendors shouldn’t presume they must work with channel partners; they need to define why they need partners and why partners need them. These six questions...
In the last two years, Erwin has grown by leaps and bounds in terms of capabilities and revenue through the purchase of companies with complementary...
The U.S. had 6 million unfilled tech jobs last year, many of them among IT resellers and service providers. Competition between vendors and partners makes...
Pax8’s Chief Channel Officer and Co-Founder Ryan Walsh joins Pod2112 to talk about the emergence of what some call “anti-distributors” plying a new course in...
Vendors are increasingly concerned that partners aren’t evolving to meet future market needs. The concern is real, but the responsibility to transform partners is not...
Unitrends MSP CEO Mike Sanders joins Pod2112 to talk about spinoffs as a development and growth strategy....
Customers may force vendors to sell through a preferred supplier, creating an uncomfortable and seemingly valueless temporary relationship. However, compulsory partners are opportunities to expand...
Vendors and distributors, says PlanetOne Communications CEO Ted Schuman, should establish standards and instill performance expectations in their cloud channel programs. ...
Vendors and service providers selling into the channel often wonder why they hit strong resistance even when they demonstrate high ROI potential. The simple answer:...
Office Depot’s Janet Schijns, executive vice president and chief merchant and services officer, and Michelle Ragusa McBain, director of technology sales and services, join Pod2112...
For today’s vendor, partnering with ISVs means expanding market reach and increasing the likelihood of satisfying customer needs....
Sammy Kinlaw joins Pod2112 to discuss how services are enhancing and opening opportunities for partners that sell and support traditional hardware products....
The emerging technology and market opportunities are relatively clear. The bigger problem technology companies will face in 2018 is overcoming the challenges that prevent them...
Managing servers is relatively routine for most solution providers – unless your client is Hillary Clinton and it’s the middle of the most contentious presidential...
Platte River’s vice president of sales and marketing, David DeCamillis, joins Pod2112 to talk about the lessons learned from that experience and why it’s imperative...
Establishing a value proposition that sets oneself apart from competitors is the key to cloud success....
Microsoft’s Gavriella Schuster says accepting that you’re sometimes a partner and sometimes a competitor is necessary for finding success in the complex technology market. ...
Wireless networking vendor Aerohive’s Michael O’Brien joins Pod2112 to discuss how MSPs are tapping into the business intelligence opportunities with managed WiFi....
Far from a set-it-and-forget-it arrangement, recurring-revenue cloud accounts need nurturing and support throughout the life of the contract to maximize profit and value....
Too often, vendors build programs solely to service their own needs. They need to take more consideration of what partners need and partner business models...
Former VAR turned service provider Andrew Plato of security specialist Anitian joins Pod2112 to discuss everything that’s wrong with the conventional vendor-partner reseller model and...
Michelle Ragusa-McBain, a customer, partner experience manager at Cisco, and chairperson of the CompTIA Advancing Women in Technology community, joins Pod2112 to discuss the need...
It’s an old maxim that still holds true today: quality, not quantity. Vendors should stop counting channel partners and start celebrating the high performers....
Mike Gold, CEO of Intermedia, joins Pod2112 to discuss what it takes to beat back commoditization and maintain profitability for vendors and partners alike....
An astronomy analogy is quite appropriate when discussing vendor-partner relationships; think of vendors as stars that need to maintain just-right conditions to keep partners in...
The 451 Group’s Christian Renaud joins Pod2112 to break down the Internet of Things trends and opportunity....
Knox joins Pod2112 to talk about his transformation journey – from idea to risk to success....
Not being candid – telling partners they’re worth more than they are – is a disservice to everyone in the value chain....
Writing expert and chief troublemaker of WOBS, Josh Bernoff, joins Pod2112 to explain how executives can better get their messages across more effectively....
If you follow certain steps, and leverage all the cloud has to offer, very high indeed....
Is there a fine line between taking what you can get and taking advantage? When you consider the importance of a “delightful” customer experience, maybe...
Matt Nachtrab, the new CEO of eFolder, joins 2112 to talk about embracing and committing to the entrepreneur spirit rather than taking another job in...
Under the ever-more-popular consumption-based model, paying to unleash software features and functionality is the norm....
A best-in-class pre-sales team anticipates and evaluates customer needs, guides customers’ business transformations, and boosts profitability....
Quick – what’s an SLA? RMM? Can you name three vendor strategies for mitigating channel conflict? So much to learn. So little time. With 2112,...
Technology is a tool, just like a hammer or a wrench. Skill lies in the wielder of the tool, value in what gets built....
Office Depot’s Janet Schijns joins Pod2112 to talk about the changing market landscape and how smart retailers are evolving to remain competitive and relevant. ...
SolarWinds director of community, Dave Sobel, shares insights on the importance of communities, how to build them and what vendors can get from networking their...
Getting out in front of success measures minimizes the potential of having others misinterpret channel value. ...
Vendors need to broaden their interpretation of the channel and consider all of their route-to-market options....
Channel Maven CEO Heather K. Margolis and 2112’s Larry Walsh talk about how sales and marketing need deep collaboration to create value propositions, generate customer...
If Abraham Lincoln was correct when he said, “The best way to predict your future is to create it,” then more people need to get...
Barracuda MSP general manager Brian Babineau joins Pod2112 to discuss trends in managed services and tips for unlocking the business model’s potential. ...
The 2112 Group, Ingram Micro Cloud, and Microsoft have partnered to provide partners with a new tool for understanding their relative competitive standing in the...
Comcast Business’s Craig Schlagbaum talks about the power of networks and how carriers and cable companies are providing the foundation for technology and services innovation...
The digital economy is eroding the value of traditional channel incentives. Vendors need to redefine the economic benefits to partners so their channel ecosystems remain...
Tarkan Maner, CEO and chairman of Nexenta, knows a thing or two about staying ahead of disruption. His company is moving beyond flash storage to...
Taylor Macdonald, senior vp of channel sales at Intacct, knows a lot about specialized partners, and he shares his insights of finding, working with and...
Vendors talk about the need for transformation, but many companies wait too long to make necessary changes to remain competitive and relevant because they lack...
Michael Parker, the CMO of Internet of Things security startup Armis and star of the YouTube hit “Deadpool Musical - Beauty and the Beast ‘Gaston’...
Kevin Gilroy, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics, knows a thing or two about building the right solutions for their market, simplifying complex systems and...
Channel chiefs should define the key performance indicators that measure the operational effectiveness and success factors before someone else defines it for them....
Julie Parrish, a well-known channel veteran and current chief marketing officer of security vendor RedSeal, joins Pod2112 to talk about how channel pros can curate...
The takeover of Whole Foods by Amazon rattled the retail grocery world, with many predicting legacy supermarkets already lost to the digital behemoth. The tech...
Channel chief Kim King joins Pod2112 to talk about the IoT pivot and the lessons learned in creating an IoT-centric organization, culture, and channel....
Everyone knows the IT market is changing, and that will cause changes in the channel’s composition. Plotting the channel’s future state requires understanding the capabilities...
The gaining popularity of managed services among vendors and solution providers, the importance of building strong services businesses and the mistakes large vendors make in...
Synnex’s acquisition of Westcon is another example of distributors consolidating to gain economies of scale during a period of mission transformation. ...
As the flawed system fades away, vendors will need to come up with alternate ways to identify, enable, and reward partners and sales influencers....
Gary Fish of FishTech Group joins Pod2112 to share his vision for what he calls, “building the Anti-VAR.”...
Want an engaged channel? First, show partners the benefits of teaming up with you; then train them, communicate with them, measure their performance, and reward...
Ingram Micro and 2112 launch the Cloud Altimeter Project, an ongoing effort to measure channel transformation and facilitate partner success in the cloud era. ...
CloudPlus CEO Tony Francisco shares with Pod2112 how his company is giving more control over the cloud to its partners and customers, and enabling more...
Finding that ‘just right’ size for your channel is sure to yield dividends....
Products are only a small piece of the security puzzle; we need to focus more attention on people, policies, and processes....
Marketing guru Jennifer Anaya, vice president of marketing at Ingram Micro and head of Agency Ingram Micro, joins Larry Walsh to share how the most...
Vendors that know how to interact with and incent influencers will have an edge over those relying only on badged resellers....
Justin Crotty, Senior Vice President Channel Sales and Marketing at NetEnrich, joins Pod2112 to discuss the evolution of managed services in the cloud computing era....
To help the channel fulfill its cost containment role, vendors need to focus more on partners’ selling skills and effort. ...
Ingram Micro Cloud's Renee Bergeron joins Pod2112 to talk about the evolution of cloud computing, cloud marketplaces and how IT vendors and solution providers can...
To help partners stay relevant, vendors need to guide them on what to sell – and how to stop selling products that are becoming obsolete...
In this debut episode of the pod2112 podcast, Larry Walsh sits with Ixia’s Lori Cornmesser to discuss how network visibility and security helps partners and...
‘Delighting’ is the key to transforming customers into advocates and resellers into partners. ...
Exercising patience and looking at customers’ long-term needs will serve vendors better than rushing to the finish line to close sales at the end of...
To stay innovative, solution providers need guidance from vendors on how to leverage the informational resources at their fingertips....
Thought leaders discuss Amazon, channel sales strategies, cloud computing, distribution, and more at the West Coast event....
Joint business planning can go a long way toward creating harmony between direct-sales teams and the channel....
Partners speak out on the best vendor channel programs and the vendors that offer the best opportunity for growth. ...
The acquisition, a bellwether of things to come in the two-tier channel, will allow both companies to capitalize on emerging technologies such as IoT....
Channel partners are moderating performance expectations amid a shifting technology market, but still expect growth this year....
Don’t ask partners to change all by themselves; ask them to evolve with your support and guidance....
The channel should take some pages from the playbook of the Super Bowl LI champions....
Selling solutions is about more than vending a hodgepodge of products; it’s about pulling those products together in a purposeful way to produce desired business...
Many people are bullish on the channel’s value and contributions to the Digital Age. ...
To find out the ‘real’ reasons behind our indirect-sales woes, we need to embrace the inquisitiveness of our inner child and repeatedly ask why....
The message vendors need to convey to partners has little to do with reselling cloud products; it’s all about leveraging the cloud to make businesses...
With some guidance, vendors can show partners that the key to high performance is building value, not one’s salary....
In some quarters, a college degree is becoming more important, but it might be time to rethink how we train people to enter the workforce...
The Russian hacking scandal will likely trigger increased interest in security technology and spending. While more security spending is a good thing, thoughtless spending could...
Vendors shouldn’t let market uncertainties get them down; instead, they should focus their energy on identifying, enabling, and cultivating high-performing channel partners....
2112 looks into its crystal ball of trends to devine what’s instore for vendors, distributors and partners operating in the channel over the next 12...
Cloud computing isn’t a product; it’s an enabler of value-based outcomes. ...
The latest thing from Amazon – a revamped bricks-and-mortar user experience – demonstrates the shift from what technology is to what technology can do to...
It’s completely reasonable for vendors to raise the bar a little higher for partners each year, but setting unrealistic goals can push partners away and...
Solution providers that jump into a market where they have limited expertise can do more harm than good....
Technology vendors need to help midmarket companies stay competitive by capitalizing on the automation trend....
The IT market may not be thriving currently when it comes to growth, but technology trends such as cloud and mobile computing, Big Data, and...
The PC is alive and well, and Microsoft’s latest offering might just make these ‘lowly’ devices profitable once again....
The hacker group Anonymous enlisted millions of insecure IoT devices to launch a massive DDoS attack against the United States. It marked the beginning of...
Knowledge is power; the more data you have about end users and partners, the more effective you’ll be at strategizing, communicating, and selling....
Vendors need to help convince enterprises to leverage channel-led business process outsourcing to avoid dealing with the IT talent shortage and make their businesses more...
In the technology channel, teaching partners ‘how to fish’ means instructing them on how to sell....
To gauge partner value accurately, vendors need to look beyond loyalty to profitability and wallet share....
Vendors may want to focus on their own efforts to drum up business and engage partners instead of trying to steal competitors’ thunder....
Vendors should proceed with caution when going after ‘long-tail’ resellers; they need to seek out the right ones for the right reasons....
Solution providers know that earning certifications, while important, isn’t the key to producing value; vendors need to step up and re-evaluate channel-program requirements....
Could this deal be the catalyst that compels IT solution providers and telecommunications companies to come together at long last?...
The line of demarcation between managed and cloud services is blurring fast – and is virtually invisible already on solution provider balance sheets....
Building an enduring business isn’t about magic formulas; it’s about defining value and consistent execution. In other words: effort....
Vendor earnings put it on a course for cloud nine. ...
2112’s new Channel IQ quiz allows you to test your general knowledge of channel functions, operations and partner management....
The 2112 Group and Baptie & Co. have partnered to define and expand the evolution of niche and emerging channels with a new research project...
More solution providers and resellers are forgoing vendor loyalty in favor of independence based on their own technical prowess and business savvy. What they lack...
Just months after divesting of storage management software specialist Veritas, Symantec is doubling down on its security business by buying Blue Coat, which brings revenue,...
Vendors looking to build a business model based on recurring revenue walk a fine line: Cultivate performers without disenfranchising the rest....
‘Box-pushing’ continues to be a losing proposition for vendors and their channel partners. Find out how solution providers can adjust their focus from hardware to...
Incorporating M&A programs in channel operations will help vendors in a number of ways – chiefly by reducing channel overdistribution....
At times like these, vendors should invest more – not less – in building their channel resources....
Cloud computing is the future of the technology marketplace. The services-led, recurring-revenue model is transforming earnings and profit streams. Capitalizing on the cloud opportunity isn’t...
In 2016, solution providers are turning to existing customers to drive sales growth. For many partners and some vendors, this is good news as it...
Call it what you will – disruption, continual evolution, or transformation – but taking pains to stay relevant is key to viability in the fast-changing...
As security spending continues to increase, and keeping systems secure becomes more complex, solution providers need to buy into a more well-rounded approach to helping...
Amazon CTO Werner Vogels admits the cloud provider builds its own servers and reveals how open architectures are more advantageous than buying hardware from traditional...
A common question 2112 clients ask us is: “Who’s doing channel events well?” ...
2112 research shows that solution providers who set high expectations for growth and performance are better-equipped to turn their aspirations into reality...
Undoubtedly, the indirect-sales model has some flaws, but significant improvement is well within reach....
Solution providers have high hopes for the remainder of the year, but hiring woes and a lack of self-investment could dampen their outlook....
Cloud computing in the channel focuses largely on commodity services....
A new study by Kaseya finds low pricing is hurting managed service providers’ growth....
The ‘revolving door’ through which CAMs enter and exit hurts vendor-partner relationships and prevents vendors from realizing channel ROI....
Most would agree that this was a transition year. By 2112’s estimation, however, the transformation is still to come. ...
Managed services are driving channel revenue and profitability. They’re just not sending money back to vendors and not producing the full value to customers....
Under the careful direction of CEO Meg Whitman, Hewlett-Packard has become two separate entities....
Solution providers just aren’t selling enough cloud to meet their vendors’ expectations – and with good reason....
2112 research reveals that security resellers look beyond product quality when assessing vendor merit....
Solution providers are enamored with the idea of exit strategies. Some are even encouraged to think that selling out is their best and only option....
The 2112 Group releases 2112 Investor, a new service that helps vendors and partners understand the total cost of partnership and relative value of technology...
We may still have one-third of the year left to go, but it’s not too early to start making business plans for 2016....
Vendors seeking to spur channel performance need to focus a lot less on compensation and a lot more on ‘ease of doing business.’...
According to our new "2015 Midyear Channel Performance Report," solution providers are expanding at substantial rates even as sales in the rest of the IT...
Every business starts with a good idea; a concept for doing something different. Translating vision into reality is often more difficult than how those ideas...
The rideshare service’s legal battles are hitting home a major point in the technology channel....
Focusing on a few top partners will get results, but it may keep you from reaching your maximum channel sales potential. ...
It’s tough out there, but vendors should encourage their partners not to fall prey to uncertainty....
While vendors focus on program structures and incentives, the key to winning partners over is making channel initiatives simple, streamlined, and easy to navigate....
End users want more than advice about technology; they want partners to take the IT helm so they can focus on what they do best....
Solution providers are getting smarter and more deliberate about the sales process and generating better results....
Expecting more from partners may create some unwanted buzz initially, but it’ll prevent stagnation and stimulate growth in the long run....
Vendors often clamor to stand alongside partners in sales conversations, and that’s often not necessary and – at times – counterproductive....
The channel moves at a glacial pace; and while we know certain change is happening, it takes a long time to actually see it....
While double-digit growth is impressive, the real indicator of channel health is the number of solution providers growing at rates of 16 percent or more....
Vendors get frustrated about partners’ slow pace of evolution, but that doesn’t absolve them of their responsibility to show solution providers the way to future...
Big Data promises to transform business decision-making for the better. Yet solution providers and end users say the technology and support processes are largely immature....
Technology stalwarts continue to stand strong; hot security technologies don’t gain vendors entrance to coveted top spots....
Vendors like to talk about joint business planning with partners, but solution providers say vendors often fail to follow through on their obligations. Success is...
The government is eliminating purchasing exceptions with its new standard. Such notions may seem economical but run the risk of driving out innovation and true...
The IoT trend is for real, but applications, not hardware, live at its core, opening the way to a ‘brave new world’ of rich data...
Tesla wants to bypass auto dealers and sell its ‘green’ cars direct, but Dell and others offer ample proof that the channel is needed, no...
Vendors often see positive returns from partners as a good indicator of value. But they need to look at how much partners give back without...
Microsoft giving away unlimited cloud storage and the ongoing cloud pricing wars are doing a disservice to the industry by telling customers that these products...
Cloud vendors still need channel partners to boost sales, cut costs, educate customers, and support their offerings....
We often hear about channel consolidation, but consolidation is happening at the vendor level, too, and it’s mostly a result of the shift from conventional...
Growth planning is more than just thinking about selling more. It’s about recalibrating product and revenue mixes, making adjustments and moving the business higher. ...
Many vendors tout their commitment to the indirect sales model and even go so far as to say they’re 100 percent channel. It’s a nice...
For years, the channel community has berated and discounted the so-called “lifestyle VAR” as a no-ambition, self-sustaining business that doesn’t contribute to growth. The industry...
Before transformation can begin, the business must first assess where it stands and what’s happening in the market around it, and decide where it wants...
Fear of failure is often a deterrent to innovation, investment and growth....