Solution Providers Affirm State of Partnering Study Findings

By Diane Krakora

In our last webinar, we invited Mont Phelps, CEO of NWN Corporation and Simon Palmer, CEO of STA to share their perspective on our 6^th Annual State of Partnering Study findings. Teaming up with MarketStar and PureChannels, this study queried 98 vendors and 250 solution providers on their investments, priorities and challenges for 2012.

So what is the State of Partnering in 2012? Our study points to 2012 as a year of optimism for top-line growth for both IT vendors and solution providers. Solution providers will continue to take a proactive role in helping their customers define their next level of using IT as a competitive business advantage, while IT vendors are still working at reducing complexity, being more accommodating of multiple business and engagement models and recognizing their partners’ value in managing the customer relationship. Our panel of solution providers addressed their perspective, expectations and cautious optimism for growth in 2012. Continue reading →

The New Normal: Partner as Digital Marketeer?

Cisco Velocity Event Pushes Partners to Invest and Innovate

by Beth Vanni, Vice President

The paradox was startling  — even more startling than the 40 foot wide neon butterfly flapping its wings above Las Vegas’ Palazzo hotel lobby.   Cisco’s new VP of Global Partner Marketing, Amanda Jobbins, joyfully exclaimed “It’s a great time to be a marketer!” to the attendees here at the company’s annual Velocity Conference.   Yet not two hours later at the same event, the VP of Vendor Strategy for FusionStorm, a large Cisco Gold and UC Master partner in the bay area, confessed, “There should be more execs here from solution providers — I feel like a total dinosaur on this stuff.”

Velocity 2012 video 

Martha Stewart’s Channels: What Defines “Over Distributed?”

The Question of Quality vs. Quantity in Growing a Brand through Indirect Channels

by Beth Vanni – Vice President

How many women do you know that can build an international conglomerate of products and services reaching over $1b in annual retail sales and do so with relatively limited distribution channels?  (and, in part, while serving time in a minimum security prison – but that’s another BLOG)

Martha Stewart Omnimedia has built a brand now synonymous with home style, elegance and efficiency.  What started as a line of cooking utensils and bowls branching out from her personal catering business is now a massive product portfolio including artificial Christmas trees, bathroom fixtures, pet food and accessories, furniture and now destination wedding events.

It’s a classic story of how choosing the right channels can make or break a strong brand. 

Continue reading →

TechData Brings Radical Simplicity to Reselling Mobility Services

Commercial Launch of TDMobility addresses multi-carrier service complexity for B2B sales

Beth Vanni – Vice President

Just when I think I’m the worst technology laggard among my peers and I just can’t be any more gadget-adverse, I have some sort of run-in with my phone or cable carrier.  The complexity of their coverage packages, contract terms and promotional offers (let alone their billing statement Greek) can put me right over the edge.  Their complexity and impersonal customer support annoys me at a level I can barely describe – way more than even my kids talking back or forgetting their manners. Continue reading →

Do you have contacts or relationships?

by Diane Krakora, CEO

It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m here at the HP Global Partner Conference in Las Vegas – which is not renowned for a place to make lasting relationships. The special guest presenter is David Nour, author of the book Relationship Economics. Even though this is the third time I’ve seen him present at a tech conference in the last two years, much of his talk still inspires me – particularly when applied through the lens of channel relationships. Continue reading →

A Five Headed Dragon

by Diane Krakora, CEO

When you are one of the 5 largest technology companies – Cisco, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle – no one expects you to be “easy” to do business with. The breadth and depth of your product line alone can create complexity of legendary proportions. However we see year after year that “being easy to do business with” is one of the top three priorities across all IT vendors (see our 2010, 2011 and 2012 State of Partnering Studies). That’s probably because it’s one of the three questions solution providers ask when choosing vendors partners. First is “does the product work as advertised?” The second is “can I make money on it?” – in product resale or complimentary services. The third is “how easy is the company to do business with?” If it takes an act of heroism to get a price quote, place an order, or determine the status of that order – the partners’ profitability, and thus interest, wanes. Continue reading →

Can the Channel Find Love with HP Again?

by Diane Krakora, CEO

Really, HP and VMware?  Partner conferences in Vegas on the same three days, over Valentine’s Day?  I’m here at the HP Global Partner Conference, and we’re spending a lot of time talking about relationships.  Both the relationship between HP and their partners and the relationship between solution providers and customers are changing. Continue reading →

The Ultimate Hand-off in Getting Cloud-Ready: Vendors and Channel Partners Mature Professional Services Engagement

Vendors and Channel Partners Mature Professional Services Engagement

by Beth Vanni, Vice President

The passing of the baton from vendor to solution provider around effective and profitable professional services delivery is what we call the “last mile of being a channel-centric company”.  It’s hard stuff.  And, it calls into focus the intentions and revenue goals of the vendor’s direct delivery of professional services.   We see 2012 as a turning-point year in vendors getting this issue right, and striking the balance between how to share IP and learnings from their own large-account engagements without interfering with the partners’ own unique and often multi-vendor solution approach.

And there’s a lot at stake in professional services execution this year.  Customers are demanding their suppliers and solution providers understand their technical and business pain points and understand their core business process better than ever.  Plus, many agree that success with virtualization and other application integration professional services projects paves the way toward solution providers building a successful cloud practice. Continue reading →

Service Provider – Partner of Today (not the Future) for VMware

Cloud Infrastructure Provider Ranks Grow to 1500 and Post 200%+ Revenue Growth

Beth Vanni – Vice President, PartnerPath

Many channel pundits agree that service providers are the channel segment to watch for innovation in cloud services delivery. Whether they’re coming from an existing MSP business model, a telco carrier profile or a built-on-the-cloud orientation, vendors have been shifting their field teams, pricing models and technical support to help these providers be set up for cloud success.

VMware started beating this channel drum about 24 months ago in a big way.  And, at this year’s Partner Exchange event, it seems this community (labeled VSPPs by VMware) is a key pillar of VMware’s cloud partnering strategy aimed at helping it compete for partner investment and mindshare against its more traditional enterprise software competitors. Continue reading →

Seven Signs VMware is Doubling Down its Bet on SMB:

          A View from VMware Partner Exchange 2012 in Sin City

by Beth Vanni, Vice President

When you achieve 32% year over year growth in a tough economy on a revenue base of over $3billion , it’s likely you’ve either got really hot technology and/or your business strategy is right on target.  VMware has both going for it right now.  And, as they look to propel themselves into a broader position as the #1 cloud services development platform, their performance in the SMB market is a fundamental tenet in how they’re going to get there.

Company execs at this week’s annual Partner Exchange event shared current research that shows SMB customers have only virtualized about 20% of their IT infrastructure.  And, clearly, the trend toward desktop virtualization delivered as a cloud service is attractive to these companies.  However, in the past the virtualization giant was criticized (including by us!) for doing a major land-grab for SMB partners before their portfolio or channel programs were ready. Continue reading →