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 business models and opportunities. ...
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. Vendors need to rethink their Big Data strategies to get to the promised big outcome. ...
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 a combination of planning and commitment to reaching goals. ...
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 value. It’s a dangerous standard for everyone who may consider it. ...
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 and actionable intelligence....
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 matter the industry....
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 consuming costly resources. Contributing partners have greater value, and there’s a way to quantify who they are. ...
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 and services have no value. ...